The entry into the Republican presidential primary of one
candidate named Thompson, and the prospective entry of another by
the same name, highlight both the potentiality and limitations of
the field just below the first-tier candidates — Giuliani, McCain,
and Romney — all of whom are still struggling to claim the
loyalties of a critical mass of GOP loyalists.
Both Thompsons are estimable conservatives embodying a solid
fusion of all elements of the Reagan Coalition. Any TAS
reader, at least this one, would be proud to cast a ballot for
either one.
Former Wisconsin Governor and HHS Secretary, Tommy Thompson, has
already taken the plunge and participated in the recent debate between
all ten pachyderms currently in the race. He is letting it all ride
on a victory in Iowa to leverage his record and limited
funding.
Thompson has an executive resume comparable, if not superior, to
that of the three front-runners. He does not bring strong defense
or foreign affairs experience to the contest, but that was hardly
an obstacle for either Bill Clinton or George W. Bush.
Yet, in terms of domestic accomplishments, Thompson cut taxes
relentlessly, vetoed appropriations with abandon, created the
national model for welfare reform, and actually implemented a
school voucher program in a big city. And he kept on winning
elections in a state made up of voters notorious for their
independence of mind. I know. I sleep with one (OK, OK. I have been
married to her for over three decades.).
Tommy Thompson also has federal experience running a behemoth
federal agency for the Bush Administration.
Thompson is a stout, beefy guy, certainly no show horse. He
could be a front lineman out of central casting. Not for him the
pretty-boy, blow-dried look of a John Edwards with his $400
haircuts. In Wisconsin you get thrown out in the snow all night for
such extravagances.
Despite his outstanding, real-world accomplishments in policy
matters near and dear to the hearts of Republicans, Tommy Thompson
does not get much attention in the conservative media outlets and
blogosphere.
THE OTHER GUY, OF COURSE, is former Senator Fred Thompson of
Tennessee, currently supporting actor as a district attorney in the
hit series Law & Order. He has a commanding, deep
voice with good timber and a soothing Southern accent. I recall
Thompson when he worked for Howard Baker on the Senate Watergate
Committee. He was impressive in his role as chief minority counsel
to the committee and displayed many of his confident and pleasing
traits even then.
Now Thompson is a tall, beefy guy, certainly no show horse. He
could be a front lineman out of central casting — except for the
fact that he is a prosecuting attorney on TV and a commander of an
aircraft carrier in The Hunt for the Red October. (Stay
with me here. This is a political column, not a personality piece
for a fan magazine.). Thompson is an appealing, “cool media”
personality who communicates well through the medium of television.
Robert Novak has criticized Thompson’s recent, bland speech delivered in California; but the Senator
generally receives great reviews as a convincing and credible
speaker. Recall that he replaced Al Gore as senator from Tennessee
and won that seat with a record margin in the history of that
state.
From everything I have read, Fred Thompson voted the right way
on most of the big issues while maintaining collegial relationships
with all wings of the Republican Party, not to mention Democrats.
In his speeches and articles, he puts forth stimulating ideas on a
variety of subjects from federalism to tort reform.
But, as the Germans say, try this thought experiment: name a big
accomplishment of Fred Thompson in public life? As a matter of
fact, Thompson was very active on regulatory reform issues as
Chairman of the Senate Government Affairs Committee which I just
happen to know because I work in environmental regulation.
OF COURSE, RONALD REAGAN, a former actor, was always criticized for
his supposed lack of substance or even accomplishment as governor
of California. When foes called him a great communicator, they
often meant it as an insult.
No matter, Reagan’s accomplishments as President were of a
higher order all together. He was a successful President because he
possessed an inner, philosophical gyroscope and an ability to
communicate and persuade his fellow Americans.
Today the arts of rhetoric are often derided as a superficial
thing. “Oh, that is just rhetoric,” is a common complaint. Yet,
Aristotle understood the importance of rhetoric, the means of
persuasion, in public life. He characterized the elements of
effective rhetoric as ethos, logos, and
pathos. These categories relate to the character or
integrity of the speaker, the logic or substance of the argument,
and the empathy or connection which the speaker must attain with
respect to the listener’s emotional state.
Both Tommy and Fred Thompson score high on ethos and
logos. The tie-breaker will come down to pathos
and their respective abilities to insinuate themselves into the
hearts and minds of their fellow Republicans.
