The 'Uncampaign' of Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson is now expected to announce his bid for the presidency within the next couple of days. After skipping yet another Republican debate on September 5, he will appear on The Tonight Show that same night, according to CBS. He will announce the announcement of his candidacy, which is set for launch the following day. Despite enjoying positive polling results, even though he hasn’t officially announced, Thompson has also faced criticism. If the “uncampaign” strategy was meant to help him avoid scrutiny, it hasn’t worked in that regard. Sponsoring and helping his friend John McCain pass McCain-Feingold didn't win him any favor, since many conservatives see the legislation as an attack on free speech. Thompson also came under fire for lobbying activities concerning abortion, which is a huge issue with many conservative voters. His voting record on abortion while a Senator may vindicate him with some but other troublesome issues continue to be raised, including other lucrative lobbying efforts. Thompson lobbied on issues that ended up making him over a million dollars but costing American taxpayers billions, such as Savings and Loan deregulation and a failed nuclear program. Perhaps most abhorrent was his effort on behalf of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the Haitian leader known for promoting “necklacing.” This tactic involves placing tires covered in gasoline over a person's head and starting them on fire. The sadistic Aristide was said to enjoy the smell of the burning tires, per Fox News, and he made other flippant comments regarding this ghastly practice. Yet, Thompson doesn’t seem concerned. He says his detractors have brought up his lobbying efforts before, and is quoted as saying, "Nobody yet has pointed out any of my clients that didn't deserve representation,” in the same story by Fox News. Will these issues prevent voters from embracing Thompson? He seems to remain popular, which may have more to do with the other candidates in the field than with his own record or his vision for America. Thompson strategists are presenting him as a “consistent conservative,” a phrase CBS reports was "repeated nearly a dozen times," in recent conversations. It is apparently an indictment of other Republican candidates, such as Giuliani whom they say is not conservative and Romney who paints himself as conservative but whom they feel is not consistent. If the phrase “consistent conservative” sounds familiar, that’s because former candidate Jim Gilmore, who dropped out of the race last month, used that very slogan while running. Is the former Senator/lobbyist/actor moving from an uncampaign to a borrowed one? Perhaps his supporters can find out what he has in mind if they tune in to Jay Leno later this week.