Tennessean's quick take on "Fred Fred Fred"
Sam T. Harper
September 2007
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Tn -- A Tennessean's quick take on "Fred Fred Fred"
During my windshield time over the last few months, I have seen the following bumper stickers along I-24 here in Tennessee: "Fred"; "Fred Fred Fred"; "F"; "Run Fred Run"; "I'm for Fred"; "Vote Fred"; "When Fred is in, so am I"; and "I'm waiting for Fred."
These sightings have triggered my mind into developing my Pros and Cons about voting for Fred:
Pros
Lorrie Morgan was his girlfriend
OK she has had 5 husbands but I might be willing to vote for one of them if he was running.
Steady
Fred is unflappable. Not a bad attribute when we are at war.
Worked for Howard Baker
Howard Baker helped make Tennessee a serious GOP state. He is also one of the most decent Washington politicians in the last 40 years
Was on our side during Watergate
Read Silent Coup by Colodny and Gettlin, and you will begin to view Watergate as a classic liberal railroad job. I suspect Fred knows this.
From near my part of southern Middle Tennessee (west of here a bit in Lawrenceburg)
This is an area where people grow up, learn to shoot guns and hunt, go to school, get married, have kids, vote, work hard, enjoy southern football, fight in our wars, retire comfortably, and are then quietly buried on a hillside overlooking a picture perfect "holler".
Fairly strong conservative record
OK, he did not score in the high 90's but he was pretty darn close.
Lorrie Morgan was his girlfriend
I mean absolutely no offense to Mrs. Thompson; I just don't know who she is. Lorrie is worth two votes!
One of his inner circle guys is Lee Atwater trained
Bob Davis. This will serve him well. I also was fortunate to learn some of my campaigning skills from Lee. Lee was the best. RR loved him.
Received record votes in Tennessee
Fred collected the highest vote total in Tennessee history when he ran for his 1st full senate term; in a still heavy (though dwindling, thankfully) population of yeller dog democrats.
Tennesseans LOVE him
I have never heard that New Yorkers LOVE Hillary, South Carolinians LOVE Edwards, Arizonians LOVE John McCain, .... People did LOVE Ronald Reagan.
His womanizing was NOT while he was married
Have I mentioned that he dated Lorrie Morgan? Let's see Hillary's hatchet people bring that one up!
It has been a long time since Andrew Johnson
Tennessee gave us the first President to break up a snobbish string of presidents from Virginia and New England with Andrew Jackson; then gave us the most underrated and possibly the most visionary President with James K. Polk; and then the Unionist Southern President that stood by Abraham Lincoln in our darkest hours, Andrew Johnson.
Dated Lorrie Morgan
I snuck this one in again when my wife wasn't looking.
Former girlfriends do not claim that he raped them or that he exposed himself to them
Heck, from what I have read, they are all 100% behind him; even his ex-wife and her family.
Former girlfriends do not look like they are from trailer parks
Another Lorrie Morgan point
Did the right thing when high school girlfriend got pregnant
He married her.
"I read Sen. Barry Goldwater's book, The Conscience of a Conservative, and the ideas were as clear as a church bell on a cold winter night," Thompson says.
A near biblical experience.
Bumped Jim Cooper from office
Congressman Jim Cooper (in Al Gore's old district; where I live) ran against Fred in the 1996 Senate race. Cooper saw himself as the next Al Gore. He is nothing but a professional politician. He later moved to Nashville because that is one of the few liberal pockets left in Tennessee and was re-elected to Congress by the dumb urban liberals that are trying to take over Music City.
Shepherded Chief Justice John Roberts through the confirmation process
This will be a "fur shure" sticking point with Hillary and Company. The majority of us are thankful that Fred was successful.
Cons
Only 8 years as senator
That is not a whole lot of time except to figure out that you don't want to be one which he apparently did.
Name one accomplishment from his Senate years
I can't remember any.
He was a senator
Senators don't fair well as presidential candidates or as presidents. Governors work out better.
Not a great speaker
I pay attention when he speaks, but I suspect it is because I already like him.
No military experience
As a veteran, this always bugs me a bit. I suspect Romney's veteranless sons (five of them!) will, in retrospect, hurt him with those of us with honorable discharges. It has with me. Playing military in Hunt for Red October does not count, though Fred was great in a great movie.
Where does he stand on immigration?
I haven't heard anything on this. In future articles I will outline my views. Hint: I am not a "ship 'em all back" kind of conservative.
Headed the 1990's senate investigation into Clinton campaign finances
He did not find anything! With Hsu fresh in front of us, this may prove very embarrassing.
Did not run for Senate after 1st full term
I switch this point back and forth between the Pros and the Cons. Today it is in the Cons. Clearly, though, he does not need politics to make a living; which is a Pro.
Name one accomplishment from his Senate years
I am still thinking.
Does he have time to define "the vision thing"?
His first two messages are 1. We are at war; 2. Entitlements are a train wreck coming at us. Both true. But what are the principles he will use to solve them.
The Tonight Show announcement
I understand and agree with all the logistical reasons of why he did it. How does this fit into the principle of respect for the office that the led Ronald Reagan to ALWAYS were a coat and tie while in the Oval Office?
Is he serious about wanting to be President?
I am not sure that there is the customary "fire in the belly".
Does he have the energy?
I am only a few years younger than Fred and have an 11 year old. He wears me out. Fred has two kids younger than 11 years old. Where will he get the energy to be President?
