Candidates like Duncan Hunter and Fred Thompson don’t have the ‘skill sets’ necessary to please the national media, but instead, have what really matters: true conservative credentials.
Back in the early days of the 2000 presidential campaign, right after John McCain beat George W. Bush in the New Hampshire primary, there were many dire media predictions along the lines of, “If Bush doesn't turn things around quickly it could turn into a McCain rout.” I thought: what in heaven’s name is going on here? Bush has all the endorsements, a terrific organization and wads of money. Could his candidacy be blasted out of contention by the machinations of the mainstream media?
Unfortunately for the media, the answer was no. Despite their best efforts, Bush regained his momentum in South Carolina — which, of course, prompted charges of dirty dealings — and went on to easily capture the nomination. Because once the process moved out of the realm of the polls and the punditry, conservative voters made their voices heard at the voting booth.
This time around, the nagging questions have returned. Before a vote had been cast or a caucus convened, pundits of all stripes were touting a two-candidate race between former governors Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, virtually ignoring worthies like Duncan Hunter (who is not campaigning in Iowa) and especially the eminently electable Fred Thompson. It’s enough to make one wonder, that if a conservative makes a point and it’s not acknowledged by the media, does he make a sound?
While this type of treatment from the liberal media is expected, it is profoundly disturbing to see ‘conservative’ pundits ignore or dismiss Thompson’s candidacy so lightly. Typical of this non-coverage for the true conservatives in the race is a piece in the Wall Street Journal which states: “None of the Republican presidential candidates have captured all three wings of the party's base: defense hawks, economic conservatives and social conservatives.“ I’m not sure anymore what the Journal considers ‘conservative,’ but they might want to check out Thompson’s latest video message to Iowa voters for a clue.
Likewise, even Fox News Channel — which is so feared by liberals as a right-wing organ that Democratic candidates are too cowed to even appear at their debates — seems to be with the program. Although they do get air time, Hunter and Thompson have long been written off by Fox’s Republican pundits. And while it’s certainly understandable that the leading candidates get the most attention, consider that Fox’s own national poll has Thompson within 10% of the leader, Rudy Giuliani. Don’t forget, Bush lost New Hampshire to McCain by nearly 20 points and still rebounded.
But in order to convince conservatives that they really know what’s good for them, the media has dusted off its favorite Reaganism: that Thompson is lazy and worse; that he doesn’t really ‘want’ the job enough. And, in the eyes of the 24/7 cable news cyclists, this is the ultimate crime.
That a candidate would have the unmitigated gall not to mold his views, lifestyle and demeanor years in advance in order to conform himself to the Beltway press corps’ idea of what is ‘presidential,’ is, in their eyes, unforgivable. Can Thompson’s refusal to join Fox News’ first debate last September be the reason for that network’s cold shoulder toward him?
No, candidates like Duncan Hunter and Fred Thompson don’t have the ‘skill sets’ necessary to please the national media, but instead, have what really matters: true conservative credentials. And make no mistake about it; conservatives are still the majority in the Republican Party.
These conservatives, many of whom were disappointed with President Bush in some areas, are not in the mood for any moderates or converts this time around. Surf the internet and check out the conservative forums, especially the granddaddy of them all, FreeRepublic.com, to see who garners the most support among them. If voters have any say in elections anymore, the press may yet have to deal with men like Thompson, should their early attempts at marginalizing him fail.
The real reason many in the media — Left and Right — continue to ignore Thompson and proclaim that his candidacy is in its “death throes” appears to be because he won’t play their game. Whether or not the conservative base will survive this tactic and give the nomination to one of their own remains to be seen. Thompson has said that coming in second in Iowa is a “must” for him. Either he knows something we don’t or maybe he believes the country really isn’t ready for a presidential candidate who doesn’t require the office like the air that he breathes:
Let the political world swirl around me and let everyone run their attack ads and spend their money and spin their wheels and all that. But I’m going to be the same. It’s worked for me pretty well in my career, being Fred, and I’m going to continue to be Fred.
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Read more articles by Lisa Fabrizio
unfortuntely, you are exactly right. Notice coverage last night — as if huckabee were the second coming, when, it in fact, he will be lucky, in my view, to win another primary. of course, if that is all the media talks about, then he gets millions of dollars of free air time, sure. Meanwhile, Thompson, who did pretty well in Iowa got totally ignored the entire night — while mccain who did no better, even a little worse, was suddenly running strong again. It's a conspiracy of sorts, folks, don't let them fool you. Thompson is the man who can win in November and they know it and fear him. see my piece on thompson today. thanks Lisa for a good piece.
Comment by George Shadroui | January 4, 2008
If you are at an event Fred Thompson has you see no laziness and lackluster. What you do see is a straight talking, honest, sincere man who wants to be president to make this nation a better and safer place for us and our children and grandchildren to live! He has more detailed, thought out plans for the issues we are facing and on his website he spells these out in detail! The liberal media can find no political skeletons in his closet to hold over him and they are terrifed to see him in a one on one debate with their candidate so they try to discredit him or ignore him but Americans are hopefully wiser than mass media gives thinks they are and will decide for themselves! Visit http://www.fred08.com and click on issues to see this brilliant strong man's stance. You will vote for him if you do!
Comment by S Benn | January 5, 2008
Yea, Fred is OK and I really like Hunter, but then I was a Goldwater supporter and we know how that turned out. I'll settle for Mitt or Rudy if thats all they will let us have. Hunter would be a good followup to Cheney. Then we can hear how Hunter is the real brains behind the President :>)
Comment by Ivan Ivanovich | January 7, 2008