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Do You Have the 'Desire' to Be President?

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December 29, 2007 1:48 PM

ABC News' Christine Byun Reports: Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson's 'desire' to become the next President was probed by an undecided caucus-goer during a campaign stop in Burlington, Iowa.

"You say what I wanna hear. My only problem with you and why I haven’t thrown all my support behind you is that I don’t know if you have the desire to be President. If I caucus for you next week, are you still going to be there two months from now?" asked the man, who said it was his second time at a campaign event for the former Tennessee senator.

Thompson nodded, sitting at a table with a local radio talk show host, who had been interviewing him during the morning event.

"In the first place, I got into the race about the time people normally get into the race, historically. I guess the others started the process a lot earlier this time," Thompson responded, quipping, "For some of them, they were juniors in high school."

Thompson – who announced his candidacy in September – described himself as not "a super-type A personality."  He said his campaign is not driven by his own "personal ambition," but by his hopes the country will elect the "best" candidate for the job.

"I will not be devastated if I don’t do this. I want people to have the best President that they can have," Thompson said, adding later, "I’m offering myself up."

He explained it further in his usual plain-spoken manner, using the analogy of a "marriage" between him and voters.

"You know, if one side of the marriage has to really be talked into the marriage, it probably ain't going to be a good deal for either one of them. But, if you mutually think this is a good thing, in this case, if you think this is a good thing for a country, we can have an opportunity to do some wonderful things together," Thompson said of his presidential hopes.

And if the country accepts Thompson’s "proposal?"

"You’ll probably have the disadvantage of someone who probably can't jump up and click their heels three times, but [I] will tell you the truth and you’ll know where your President stands all times," Thompson said.

December 29, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (36)

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Carolina,

I totally disagree. Fred Thompson is exactly what the GOP and the country need as our next President. Let's put someone in office who is doing it out of civic duty rather than political hunger. That is how it used to be and it served our country well for quite a number of years.

Posted by: RobTN | Dec 29, 2007 2:30:05 PM

Carolina said ... "That is NOT what the GOP needs in 2008!!!"


Riiiiiiight. Because you must believe the GOP needs an actual liberal to represent the Party? That's what you get with Huckabee, Giuliani, Romney, or McCain.

Posted by: Gregor | Dec 29, 2007 2:31:17 PM

I gave FRED 25 dollars yesterday to get his commercials on in Iowa. Once the ball starts rolling ...it's not going to stop. Today, I kicked some Ron Paulnuts off my property.

Posted by: birdhurd | Dec 29, 2007 2:45:22 PM

George Washington didn't really want to be President either, you know.

Posted by: Sydney Carton | Dec 29, 2007 3:14:23 PM

Carolina, you're so wrong it's painful!

A proper leader should *never* desire to lead; they understand the importance and danger behind every decision they make. Fred! understands this, such is why he said he is offering himself up. This is not his desire for power -- the modus operandi of Huck -- but rather his offer of service to our country.

He is the *only* true conservative in this primary and perhaps the only politician who truly refuses to pander! Did you read his speech in Iowa that nobody -- not one MSM source -- felt worth printing? He told the farmers, straight up, that farm subsidies are going to have be completely rethought.

That is the mark of a leader. To admit the hard truths and to face them responsibly and articulately. Fred! is that man.

Posted by: h2u | Dec 29, 2007 3:17:38 PM

Since 1980, the GOP has needed three groups to win--call it the conservative tripod or the Reagan coalition or whatever. Those groups are fiscal, social, and national security conservatives. I assign a rank from 1-10 for te four leading contenders for each of these groups.

Fiscal conservatives--Romney (8) Giuliani (6) McCain (6) Huckabee (4)
Social conservatives--Huckabee (9) McCain (7) Romney (4) Giuiani (2)
National security conservatives-McCain (10) Giuliani (4) Romney (3) Huckabee (2)

Averages: McCain (7.67) Romney (5) Huckabee (5) Giuliani (4)

As Bill O'Reilly says, "tell me where I'm wrong?"

Posted by: prentman | Dec 29, 2007 3:20:50 PM

Fred Thompson has both feet firmly planted on the ground. How deeply refreshing to have a candidate who IS exactly what he appears to be. No song & dance, no 400$ haircuts while courting the poor, no subterfuge or trendmonger-endorsables.
GO FRED!!!!

Posted by: coldfront | Dec 29, 2007 3:21:11 PM

From the 22nd chapter of Fred, verse 42:
"America, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

Posted by: greeboch | Dec 29, 2007 3:56:16 PM

As Bill O'Reilly says, "tell me where I'm wrong?"

Posted by: prentman | Dec 29, 2007 3:20:50 PM

Ok, how about we just start with the fact that in a tread about Thompson, you convieniently fail to mention him? Your evaluation is meaningless without a statement of you methods....
Anything past that is a waste of time.

Posted by: greeboch | Dec 29, 2007 4:05:22 PM

Just wondering if this post's title reminds anyone else of the "Art Test" adds with the turtle and pirate pictures you are supposed to sketch and send in?

Posted by: TBinSTL | Dec 29, 2007 4:07:33 PM

I have to say, power hungry people make pretty sorry presidents. Case in point the Bill/Hillary Co-presidency.

Fred is a breath of fresh air.

I can honestly say I think he's more conservative than Ronald Reagan.

Not crazy about the way campaign finance turned but at least he admits it was a mistake. He's human and knows it.

He hits all the right notes on all the issues, and I'm convinced he'd driven by his core principles not by polls.

Posted by: Phil | Dec 29, 2007 4:13:23 PM

If republicans are looking for a conservative FDT is the man for the times.
The CA voters made a mistake I'll bet many of them regret when they passed up a true conservative for govenor. "But Arnold is electable" they said. So Rhinald Terminator taught CA a lesson we can all learn from.
Go with your convictions. Vote for Fred.

Posted by: Infidel Granny | Dec 29, 2007 4:15:36 PM

Sen. Fred Thompson is the only candidate who has detailed where he stands on the issues. The others tend to talk in Clintonspeak about what they believe, or what they say now is different than their record.

As President, I want a man who is uncompromising on his core beliefs.
I TRUST FRED to remain true to his principles.
Clear. Consistent. Conservative.

Posted by: Chris Fischahs | Dec 29, 2007 4:24:09 PM

The Best Republican Presidential Candidate for 2008

Former Senator Fred Thompson is the only real conservative in the race for the Republican nomination, and the only candidate who can unite all three pillars of the Republican Party, namely, fiscal conservatives; national security and defense conservatives; and religious conservatives.

The Republican party, given that the nation is divided, cannot afford to alienate any of these pillars, or they will lose in the general election, as a sufficient number of the alienated pillar’s constituents will simply not cast a vote for president when they vote. This is not an attempt to intimidate Republican voters, but merely a recognition that there are certain conservative voters who simply will not violate their own principles and vote for someone they have fundamental disagreements with, or do not trust. For example, Governor Romney, has not provided a satisfactory answer in the minds of many religious conservatives in his efforts to explain the change from pro-choice to pro-life. They want to know the motivation, and need to be convinced that it was not political. This matter remains unresolved, and thus alienates a proportion of religious conservatives who would otherwise support him as the party’s nominee - regardless of his own religious persuasion. Mayor Guiliani also has a similar problem with religious conservatives, given his personal position on abortion; and promising to appoint strict constructionist judges will not vitiate the conflict with pro-life constituents. Religious conservatives will not vote for a pro-choice Republican nominee - even if it means electing Senator Clinton president. They will not violate a moral conviction. They will simply adopt the attitude - God’s will be done, and maintain their conviction. Governor Huckabee alienates fiscal conservatives as a result of his tax and spend policies during his tenure in Arkansas. Senator McCain, terminally severed his relationship with a proportion of national security conservatives through his aggressive support of the proposed comprehensive immigration agreement, which failed as a result of a citizens’ uprising against this legislation; his opposition to the tax cut policy of the Bush Administration; and his opposition to aggressive interrogation techniques on high value captured terrorists.

For Republicans to win the White House, they must be united and have a large voter turnout among all three of their voting pillars, that is fiscal conservatives; national security conservatives; and religious conservatives. Senator Thompson, is the only candidate not alienating any of these voting pillars, and thus can galvanize their support. Accordingly, he is the best hope for Republicans in the 2008 national election. Indeed Senator Thompson can win the general election, and rest assured the other party knows it for the same reasons articulated herein; to wit: he unites the Republican constituencies and assures a large conservative voter turnout in the 2008 election.

Posted by: SheetAnchor | Dec 29, 2007 4:28:40 PM

So you want a power hungry monster like Al Gore or maybe Billary? You can have that "type" but you won't be served.
Fred is about serving his country and the people.
Have we been pushed around by our so called leaders for so long that we wouldn't recognize the real deal when it's offer to us?
Now that's sad.

Posted by: Infidel Granny | Dec 29, 2007 4:33:19 PM

Fred is so much more electable than any one running. Your shifty tactics @ abc news just isn't working in this election.

We're on to you...

The media is suppose to help the American public know TRUTHS, yet you twist and squirm like a naughty child in the front pew of church--have you not learned yet that it's undesireable to be untruthful to the public?

Fred is running for the main seat for us- The American Proud Citizens--we desire him to be there, and by golly he will make it.

Truth seekers are united in this country.

Posted by: Julie Thompson | Dec 29, 2007 4:39:05 PM

Fred Thompson is the perfect candidate and the obvious choice for President precisely because he isn't power-hungry or ego-driven as Huckabee and perhaps Romney, Guiliani and even McCain (otherwise he wouldn't keep running). I don't want a man in the Oval Office who has temper tantrums (i.e. Huckabee) and doesn't know his geography (since when is Afghanistan on the "eastern border" of Pakistan?). I want a knowledgeable man who truly cares for the country and for each of its citizens. I want a man who things things through before responding verbally and certainly before acting precipitously.

There have been great Presidents who have not been ego-driven or hungry to power; and that's precisely why they are great!

God forbid that anyone other than Fred Thompson is the choice of intelligent thinking Americans and hopefully that leaves out only a handful of citizens!

Posted by: Linda Fitzgerald | Dec 29, 2007 5:09:45 PM

Imagine a United States:

Where powerful corporations no longer have control over our President i.e. corporatism (fascism). Imagine a President that honestly and truly represents the interests of the People instead of the ultra rich.

Where our civil liberties and haebas corpus are restored, the Bill of Rights is respected, and the government no longer spies on citizens' phone calls, emails or supports torture.

Where the creation of honest money is controlled by Congress (as per the constitution) instead of being stolen by the Federal Reserve Corporation which is owned by foreign bankers, who receive interest on money, money that they have been creating out of thin air since 1913, which resultsg in inflation year after year.

Where out-of-control debt spending is halted, the 9 trillion dollar national debt is steadily reduced, and fiscal sanity is returned to Washington.

Ron Paul, a veteran who has a 20 year track record of integrity and support of the constitution, never voted to raise taxes or for an unbalanced budget, never voted to raise his congressional pay, and does not take the lucative congressional pension.
This establishes him as the only candidate who will honestly work for American people and restore the Republic. There is hope for America.

Posted by: greg | Dec 29, 2007 5:19:24 PM

Running for president is a grueling process and nobody would put selves through this if they weren't interested in being president. Fred has shown himself to want the job. Those who actually believe otherwise are being duped by the MSM spin.

We need a guy like Fred. He has just the right personality and just the right experience necessary for the current times we live in.

Posted by: Michael | Dec 29, 2007 5:59:56 PM

Courtesy of RedState.com, here is the actual quote by Fred Thompson:

"The first place, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. I wouldn’t be doing this. I grew up in very modest circumstances. I left government and I and my family have made sacrifices to be sitting here today. I haven’t had any income for a long time because I figured to be clean, you’ve got to cut everything off. I was doing speaking engagements and I had a contract to do a tv show. I had a contract with ABC radio…and so forth. A man would have to be a total fool to do all those things and to be leaving his family which is not a joyful thing if he didn’’t want to do it.

I am not consumed by personal ambition. I will not be devastated if I don’t do it. I want the people to have the best president they can have."

Posted by: RobTN | Dec 29, 2007 6:20:20 PM

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