From the Brody File:
Fred Thompson just got some encouraging news. Dr. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission tells The Brody File the following:
Dr. Land:
My assessment is that at this moment in time it is Fred Thompson’s race to lose. It may be a convergence of the right man, in the right place and at the right time. I have never seen anything like this grassroots swell for Thompson. I’m not speaking for Southern Baptists but I do believe I have my hand on the pulse of Southern Baptists and I think I know where the consensus is.”Strong words. Dr. Land doesn’t endorse candidates but he is a powerful figure in Evangelical circles.
“He has an ability to connect with people. He comes from small town America where he can appeal to NASCAR dads, Security moms, and Reagan Democrats.”
The Brody File is always trying to give it to you straight so let me do so here. Dr. Land is not the only Evangelical leader to feel this way. Others that I have talked to haven’t gone on record but they like what they see from Thompson.
It’s a long race but I’m hearing that you can expect some of these national leaders to come out by the fall with who they like. Time is of the essence.
July 12th, 2007 at 11:29 am
That Richard Land’s opinion even is enough to make headlines is precisely why it would just be awesome if someone who doesn’t have to bow to the religious right wins the nomination.
July 12th, 2007 at 11:30 am
The Good Dr knows of what he speaks.
Fred will have the base locked up. It must be galling for certain candidates who have spent motnhs courting the right and the evangelicals in particular that a guy like Fred just shows up and walks away with the girl. Although. if you know his history, you;d know hat Fred usually does pretty well with the ladies.
It’ll come down to a matter of Fred realying on a Bush-like win the base and conservatives strategy and Rudy hoping ot lock up the liberals/moderates/independents and just enough of the base to push him over the top.
But Land is right, Fred is the clear leader at this point. It’s his race to lose, and I suspect he won’t.
July 12th, 2007 at 11:34 am
r-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s , p-r-e-p-o-s-t-e-r-o-u-s and d-e-s-p-e-r-a-t-e a-n-a-l-o-g-y
July 12th, 2007 at 11:37 am
I am sorry but this shows what a shallow, desperate lot the republican base is… rudy is the best, most qualified candidate to turn this country around and we are resorting to an actor-turned politicitian-turned again to “save the party”… Thompson is not and never will be a Reagan substitute.
July 12th, 2007 at 11:40 am
KT, hate to tell you, but it would seriouly damage the GOP to nominate a pro-abortioner like Rudy. The real hope is in Romney, a proven reformer and leader, and a candidate with the Conservative views the party needs
July 12th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Why didn’t Fred bother to show up at NASCAR?
July 12th, 2007 at 11:42 am
Others that I have talked to haven’t gone on record but they like what they see from Thompson.
If you can find any examples of anyone going into specifics, I’d love to hear it. All this “man of destiny” talk is not doing it for me.
July 12th, 2007 at 11:45 am
Murphy. That’s Brody talking, not me.
July 12th, 2007 at 11:53 am
I know, Tommy. I’m extending the invitation to you if you ever catch something better than “the man meets the time”.
July 12th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
I’ll let you know.
but usually when I do, I get mobbed by supporters of other candidates claiming it’s not true, that they’re going to endorse their guy.
Here’s one. Clearly not an endorsement, but a positive Thompson quote by the head of the Family Research Council, and I’m sure he talked to Brody off the record as well:
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/192165.aspx
July 12th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Tommy,
What counts is whether you’re on the right side of an argument, not how many people are throwing pitchforks your way. Regarding that quote from Perkins…that’s sort of what I was hoping for.
Perkins’ commentary on whether people are biting on the Fred lobbying story is not a substantive argument on liking something that he sees in Fred. However, Perkins goes on to mention Fred’s pro-life credentials positively. Were it not for how shaky the assertion is that Fred is pro-life (as has been the topic here for a while), this would be useful.
So while I don’t take Perkin’s comments as an especially valid example, it’s a whole lot better than “the right man at the right time”.
July 12th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
I know. I’m in the dark on this one as much as you are. I know Brody, but he hasn’t given me any real indications other than what he’s said in his posts, and nothing has leaked from the higher ups.
July 12th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
I think it would be very helpful if we can hear it from Fred himself and not in a typed statement on a blog. How do we know that Fred even wrote that Powerline letter? How does anyone who supports Fred ever think that anyone who is not a Republican Social conservative will vote for Fred? We still don’t know very much about him. His resume is a big yawn. What would inspire anyone who is not voting on abortion to find him an attractive candidate?
July 12th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
It’s interesting that virtually all of the anti-Frederalists(to coint a term from our past)are Romney supporters.
They can see what’s happening. In one swoop, Romney’s whole effort to be the conservative in the race has fallen apart.
Tommy, did you see anything about Fred now waiting until after Labor Day to announce? It’s brilliant. No one pays attention during the summer and the voters are already growing tired of the usual suspects.
When Fred announces, the demand will be so great, he’ll ride the wave to the nomination.
July 12th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Pisces11,
I think you can expand your last question to: “What would inspire anyone who is not voting on abortion or who is voting on abortion to find him an attractive candidate?”
Trying to be perfectly fair, I think he appeals a lot to people who don’t need to know much about him right now because they don’t know much about anyone. In a line-up, resumes absent, Fred *feels* like the good old boy with a great voice and no-nonsense manner.
July 12th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Jim,
I’m sorry if asking questions about Fred makes me anti-Fred in your book. But I’m not too surprised.
FYI, ask KT how much he likes Romney. Or as Pisces11 who his favorite horse is.
July 12th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
“Dr. Land doesn’t endorse candidates”
Oh really?
“It may be a convergence of the right man, in the right place and at the right time.”
He just uses the candidates own absurd puffery about himself and sells it as his measured opinion?
July 12th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
I said virtually all. Most of the anti-Fred posts here are from Romney supporters. Not all, but most. And I’m not just referring to this post, I’m looking at the body of posts since Fred announced back in April.
July 12th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Jim, Fred’s camp is doing fine right now but he’s still in the “Pre-Game” hype. We will see how he does when he’s actually playing the game. Just about everyone gets a lot of hype before the game starts. Mark my words, Fred’s most popular day will be the day he actually enters the race. After that, he’ll gradually lose momentum and popularity as more people find out how inarticulate he is and how he’s not the true conservative everyone thought he was.
July 12th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Ben,
“After that, he’ll gradually lose momentum and popularity as more people find out how inarticulate he is and how he’s not the true conservative everyone thought he was.”
So sure are we?
Jim,
There’s nothing set in stone. It’s when everything is set that it will be in go.
July 12th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
ACT Blog, no disrespect for your choice. But you are right about Romney…. he is packaged with all the bells & whistles of a solid, conservative candidate. Only problem is, its all just a package….an image. Rudy is the real deal, in my book.
July 12th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Murphy, you are correct. I have a huge problem with the way Fred is not campaigning mainly because of his unimpressive resume and his illness. I just feel we don’t know any more about Fred then he wants us to know and that he is either very lazy or very ill. I love my country and my country is at war. We need a strong leader. We don’t need a CIC who is lazy or ill. I am not picking on Fred either. We do have a right to know about his health. Fred has never shown any leadership ability either.
If the primary was today, I would vote for Rudy. I like the way he fights back and won’t take being pushed around by the MSM. I could also support Mitt very easily.
I am happy that this site lets us say whatever we want without calling us names. Someone has to question Fred’s health and I guess that’s me. If he wins the Primary, Hillary will have every paper questioning his fitness to be CIC. Most people don’t want to hear about cancer and illness but it will stick that Fred has it and it’s incurable.