Human Events Endorses Fred Thompson
One of America’s oldset conservative publications endorses Fred Thompson:
We make this endorsement on the basis of much research, having interviewed Sen. Thompson and some of his opponents, as well as examining what they have all said and done. We conclude that Thompson is a solid conservative whose judgment is grounded in our principles.
In his Senate years, Mr. Thompson compiled an American Conservative Union lifetime rating of 86.1, which is higher than both Sen. John McCain (82.3) and Rep. Ron Paul (82.3). The Club for Growth has praised Thompson as someone who has a strong commitment to limited government, free enterprise and federalist principles.
On the issues that matter most to conservatives, Sen. Thompson’s positions benefit from their clarity. He is solidly pro-life. He said that he was in favor overturning Roe v. Wade because it was “bad law and bad medical science.” As the National Right to Life Committee said in its endorsement of him Nov. 13, 2007, “The majority of this country is opposed to the vast majority of abortions, and Fred Thompson has shown in his consistent pro-life voting record in the U.S. Senate that he is part of the pro-life majority.”
Thompson’s record is solid on voting to preserve gun owners’ rights, cut taxes, reduce government spending and drill for oil in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He has voted consistently against gay marriage. Thompson is by no means perfect. He strongly supported the McCain-Feingold bill, did not support the impeachment of Bill Clinton on perjury and more than once voted with the trial lawyers against limitations on liability in defective product and medical malpractice cases.
We like the way Thompson unhesitatingly attacks the liberal ideologues and their activists such as MoveOn.org and the ACLU, and the way he reaches out to those we knew as the Reagan Democrats.
Rather glowing - and the conventional wisdom is that Thompson did quite well in the GOP debate. Thus far, Thompson has had no effect on the actual votes - but given that we’re only at the start of what may be a long process ending in a brokered GOP convention (something I’ve felt possible for a while now), there’s still plenty of time for Thompson to make his case to the GOP electorate.
One thing to keep in mind - other than the kooks at the bottom of the GOP and Democratic pile, none of he major candidates has any reason to back out of this race. Edwards said he is taking is fight all the way to the convention - and some thought that was just a bit of bravado from a man who had just lost his second contest…but it made complete sense to me. With Hillary and Obama set to clobber each other over the next month, Edwards might be well-positioned to pick up the pieces, especially if the Democratic convention winds up brokered (something I think far more likely than any time in the past 40 years, but still less likely than the GOP). Thompson, too, could benefit from such a thing - McCain, Romney, Huckabee and Giuliani pummel each other, and Thompson steps in to pick up the big prize.
Once again - keep buckled in for a long, wild political ride in 2008…
3 comments January 12th, 2008
