David Limbaugh, the respected conservative author, journalist, and brother of you know who… has a few words to say in his latest column:
It’s time to step up, Fred. Conservatives need a leader about whom we have no major reservations.
Rudy is a strong leader and very good on national security and the war. But he is a social-issues liberal, whose pledge to appoint originalist judges is encouraging — but not completely convincing.
John McCain is a war hero and a patriot. He has been strong on Iraq but disappointing on Guantanamo, tough interrogation techniques and other war-related issues. He is not a supply-sider and is abysmally bad — obviously — on campaign finance reform and thus free speech. Also profoundly troubling is his history of sycophancy toward the liberal media elite and, in turn, their sporadic love affair with him…
My problems with Huckabee concern his political agenda. Huckabee is probably the strongest social-issues conservative, and since his views are driven by his strong faith, I don’t fear he’ll change for expediency or other reasons. But it does bother me that he appears to believe — erroneously, in my opinion — that his faith requires him to endorse an unacceptably expansive role for government. Extremely problematic are his views on foreign policy — applying Golden Rule principles to implacable, deadly terrorists and dictators and sometimes even convicted murderers; his nanny-state, big-government tendencies, including advocating a federal smoking ban, greater government involvement in health care, and opposing school choice; his ambiguous record on taxes; and his pandering to liberals on global warming and class warfare, especially in borrowing from their lexicon to pile on George Bush concerning his approach to Democrats and to foreign policy.
That leaves us with Fred. I must confess that Fred is the only one I don’t have major reservations about — apart from electability…
I find his lack of “fire in the belly” refreshing. He strikes me as one of the few presidential candidates since Ronald Reagan whose primary motivation is not personal aggrandizement but rather serving and leading the nation in very troubled and dangerous times. I see him as almost being drafted into this project, and his refusal to drool publicly over the prospect of becoming the most powerful man in the world is positively delightful.
That said, he needs to make a more convincing case to the voters, which will require a greater display of enthusiasm that he views these as both perilous and promising times and that he is the best man, overall, to navigate the ship of state through these times.
So, Fred, please, as distasteful as it may be to you, it’s time to step up and prove you want it. Time is short
.
While some are talking about whacky backroom deals between candidates and conspiracies that are not true… many still aren’t satisfied, expressing major reservations in any other candidate. Time to make the sale.
I’ve got a long piece I’ve been working on that will address rumors and other whispers. Hopefully I’ll get it done before I go out tonight to get my groove on, but if not, I’ll get it up tomorrow…
December 31st, 2007 at 6:58 pm
By RON FOURNIER, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 55 minutes ago
DES MOINES, Iowa – Mike Huckabee may have finally gone too far.
After running an unconventional, surprisingly strong and sometimes strange race to the top tier of the Republican presidential campaign, the former Arkansas governor topped himself Monday with a campaign stunt that smacked of hypocrisy.
He called a news conference to unveil a negative ad that he had just withdrawn from Iowa television stations because, he told a room full of journalists recording the ad, he had a sudden aversion to negative politics. Quite a convenient epiphany.
“If people want to be cynical about it,†Huckabee said, “they can be cynical about it.â€
If he loses Iowa’s caucuses, New Year’s Eve will forever mark the day Huckabee blew it — the day a crowd stopped laughing with the witty Republican and laughed at him.
MEET THE REAL MIKE HUCKABEE.
December 31st, 2007 at 7:01 pm
He seems to have forgotten someone.
December 31st, 2007 at 7:03 pm
#2 Thomas,
You’re right! I can’t believe he didn’t mention Keyes!
December 31st, 2007 at 7:03 pm
Oh, just read what Tommy edited out:
December 31st, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Tommy. . .That was quite convenient of you to leave out Limbaugh’s comments about Romney. Care to explain?
December 31st, 2007 at 7:09 pm
I noticed that too. Maybe its like what Rep. King did – endorse one guy, but leave open another “acceptable” option.
December 31st, 2007 at 7:11 pm
Sounds pretty close to another convert!
December 31st, 2007 at 7:12 pm
Tommy – what is going on with you? This now 2 blatant front page posts were you slight Romney (this one) and where you attack him in a huckster sort of way (the previous one). You are a much better contributor than this and I hope that Fred’s plummeting numbers has not changed your ability to write a fair, objective, and balanced article.
December 31st, 2007 at 7:19 pm
No major reservations? He has never run anything. That’s my major reservation.
I also think that Limbaugh is selling Mitt short. He doesn’t even mention his resume as a reason to like him.
December 31st, 2007 at 7:29 pm
Fred reminds me too much of Bob Dole. Sorry Fred.
December 31st, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Why the hell was Romney left out? It’s in Limbaugh’s colummn.
December 31st, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Tommy, you are a polarized writer, there is no doubt. You vacillate between relevant and manipulative.
December 31st, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Look for Fred to break some very big news in the next couple of days and don’t count him out, he’s a very good closer.
December 31st, 2007 at 7:48 pm
It’s refreshing to see Limbaugh coming to the realization that Mitt will make a “great president.” He’s a little slow on the uptake though. I figured that out about a year ago.
December 31st, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Poor people–Mitt’s laughin his head off right now at all the poor blokes like Dave and Justin and Jason who have bought into his con.
December 31st, 2007 at 7:59 pm
Peter – you are a moron. Happy New Year and come Jan 4th you can go back to your hole. Take care!
December 31st, 2007 at 8:01 pm
I think that Senator Thompson will surprise a lot of people. I think that right now, in this campaign, we are experiencing a sort of quick ‘fast-forward rewind’ if you will of all the past year’s conventional wisdom. McCain is reliving, albeit briefly, his frontrunner days and when the smoke clears look for Fred to ride on through up the middle as the dark horse. Some friends of mine in DeMoines spotted a couple of people wearing “Saddle Me Up” T-shirts, likely in support of Sen. Thompson. Don’t count out Ol’ Fred.
December 31st, 2007 at 8:04 pm
#13: “Look for Fred to break some very big news in the next couple of days”
FDT, Thursday Jan 3rd: I hereby withdraw from the Republican Primary race.
What else could it be?
December 31st, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Romney reminds me of the main guy in “Catch me if you can”
December 31st, 2007 at 8:16 pm
What do people think of a Fred Thompson/Jim Gilmore ticket?
December 31st, 2007 at 8:18 pm
#19 ajay,
I’m sure Leonardo Dicaprio will play John McCain in the movie that they make about his life.
December 31st, 2007 at 8:25 pm
“will play Mitt Romney”* rather
I’m tired today…
December 31st, 2007 at 8:29 pm
JA, surely you jest!
December 31st, 2007 at 8:38 pm
It’s actually too bad Fred doesn’t have more energy. It’s not that I think he wouldn’t do a good job as president because of that, it’s more that I don’t think he could win a general election due to his ho-hum nature of campaigning.
December 31st, 2007 at 8:49 pm
#24
You kind’ve need energy to be president too. I can’t even imagine the strain of that job.
December 31st, 2007 at 8:52 pm
freds only problem is comunication skills. Thats it but its a big problem.
December 31st, 2007 at 8:59 pm
If there was a little more of Reagan’s energy in Fred, we wouldn’t be having this uncertainty about our nominee.
Fred would have a fairly easy road to the nomination.
There still may be life in them old bones, but it better show up fast or I think McCain will pick up most of Fred’s support and become the compromise choice: the guy not loved by many,but the one most every wing of the party could vote for.( admitingly some holding their nose!)
December 31st, 2007 at 9:23 pm
hey, lay off on Tommy. Romney supporters want fred to do well anyway. he needs to derail mccain in iowa. he needs to get third or second place. i hope he finishes strong. he is better tahn mccain or huckabee.
romney/thompson ticket would be the right ticket given bloomberg’s planned charade.
December 31st, 2007 at 9:30 pm
#28,
“Romney supporters want fred to do well anyway.”
We do? I think Fred would get a bigger bounce from finishing 2nd in Iowa than Huck would because he can spin it as a win more than Huck can.
December 31st, 2007 at 9:43 pm
#28
Actually, a 2nd place finish by Sen. Thompson in Iowa would be problamatic for Gov. Romney. With the strange way the media works, Sen. Thompson could easily get a boost from such a finish and, at least, compete in some of the southern states.
Sen. Thompson actually gained some life this afternoon.
January 2nd, 2008 at 7:45 am
[...] Limbaugh’s brother shares his thoughts on Fred Thompson: I must confess that Fred is the only one I don’t have major reservations about [...]