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Buy the Book
His Father’s Son
Fred Thompson’s priceless new memoir is coming out today.
Teaching the Pig to Dance: A Memoir of Growing Up and Second
Chances
By Fred Thompson
(Crown Forum, 262 pages,
$25)
Years ago at a Washington event, before he ran for president himself, then Senator Fred Thompson was introduced to a foreign dignitary who he was told might some day become president of his country. “My condolences,” Thompson quipped in that inimitable voice of his.
This anecdote is not included in Thompson’s delightful new memoir, Teaching the Pig to Dance, which is being published today, yet readers of the book will quickly recognize two things about it. It would have done Thompson’s dad Fletcher proud. For all we know it was even lifted from Fletch, one of the book’s several unforgettable characters and perhaps the man who shaped Thompson most, more by force of character (itself civilized by Thompson’s no less memorable mother) than by naturally irreverent wit — which he in turn had inherited from Pa Thompson, his father, who owned several restaurants in Lawrenceburg, the family’s “county seat” hometown in southern middle Tennessee.
Two of the restaurants were located next door to each other. One day Pa Thompson was standing in front of them, smoking a cigarette. A stranger came up, and asked him which of the two restaurants he should choose. Pa replied, “Don’t make any difference. Whichever one you go to, you’ll wish you’d gone to the other.” American original doesn’t begin to describe it.
The book is priceless on that level alone. By the mid-1950 Thompson grew out of his youthful chunkiness and became quite the high school athlete. A black umpire calling balls and strikes seemed to disregard Thompson’s 6’3” lankiness and called a strike on a pitch three or four inches off the ground. “My knees are way up here,” Thompson complained. “I can’t help it, buddy, I didn’t make you,” the ump replied, “quick as a wink.” Thompson couldn’t wait to get home to tell his Dad about that retort.
Anyone who’s ever suffered under mean and none too impressive high school coaching will relish Thompson’s just-so recollections. One of my favorites, from a summer basketball practice:
[O]ur coach gave us a somewhat emotional speech, which I thought was funny since it was only a prelude to running us until our tongues hung out. “Let’s get serious, guys,” I said. “After all, we’ve got a game in six months.”
Needless to say, “A verbal lashing ensued, and after that for some reason the coaching staff thought my attitude wasn’t exactly what it should be.”
To be sure, Thompson readily concedes that attitude wasn’t what it should be, most of the time, not then and not in most of his lost years in school, where he simply never applied himself or bothered to study and engaged in silly pranksmanship and even attempted to break into the principal’s files to remove all evidence of his countless “demerits.”
During his short-lived presidential run a few years ago there were some press efforts to make hay of Thompson’s early marriage to his pregnant girl friend before he’d even finished high school. Too bad the tut-tutters weren’t yet able to read Thompson’s illuminating and moving account of this life-changing turn. As a married high-schooler, his sporting career came to an abrupt halt and he was shunned in other ways. Yet “these things that may have seemed like tragedies at the time were the best things that could have happened to me.… [G]etting married saved me from wasting at least a few years of my life. I know now that I simply wouldn’t have made it academically and I wouldn’t have developed a sense of responsibility until I absolutely had to.” It was no picnic — particularly when Thompson had to work the night shift at a bicycle factory — but the Thompson we first came to know, as rising young lawyer (Vanderbilt Law) and Republican figure began to take shape then. From a clueless kid to Hayek reader and Goldwater backer — and father of three — in the space of half a dozen or so years. All of it helped by strong support from both his and his wife’s families. You will marvel at the novelist’s acuteness he displays in his description of his father-in-law Oscar Lindsey.
There is much, much more here, including accounts of Thompson’s first work in the movies – opposite Paul Newman, no less. What there’s little of is retail politics, whether of Thompson’s emergence during Watergate, his Senate career, or the presidential campaign of 2008. None of that is as important to him as the time he took down corrupt Gov. Ray Blanton or fought off the Teamsters. Not to mention the time when his parents and he moved back to Lawrenceburg after a year in Nashville. Fred Thompson knows where his home was.
About the Author
Wlady Pleszczynski is editorial director of The American Spectator and the editor of AmSpec Online.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (13) | Leave a comment
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http://spectator.org/archives/2010/05/18/his-fathers-son
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Cris Worth| 5.18.10 @ 8:41AM
In 1999, Thompson voted to acquit Clinton on the main charge of perjury but voted guilty on obstruction (cover up of the perjury). It doesn't follow...if Clinton was innocent of perjury why would he cover up a crime he didn't commit. Thompson is just another closet liberal GOP'er playing both sides of the aisle. Could it be half guilty to maintain his political viability and half innocent to appease Hollywood to maintain his economic viability?
Joe Sexton| 5.20.10 @ 10:07PM
There are different elements to each crime. You fail to account for this. You don't convict someone of murder for obstruction of justice (obstruction does not prove murder). This is called due process. And Thompson, being an excellent attorney, understood this. His competency, and your lack thereof as far as impeachment proceedings go, do not render him a "closet liberal." Thompson's record stands in rebuttal to your vague and unfounded charges.
Cris Worth| 5.27.10 @ 9:39AM
Sir,
Quote from Mr. Thompson..." I conclude that the statements concerning Betty Currie, and the statements concerning what he told his aides do constitute perjury. I also find that the President committed perjury with respect to item one of Article I with respect to his statements that he and Ms. Lewinsky's relationship began as a friendship, that it started in 1996, and that he had `occasional' encounters with her. These are the only examples of grand jury perjury that I believe have been proved in the entirety of Article I. The question then is whether these examples of perjury warrant removal of the President for the commission of high crimes and misdemeanors"
Mr. Thompson believed Clinton DID commit perjury but weaseled out of voting to convict using the specious argument impeachable offense or not. I think impeachable offense or not is decided by the House of Representatives...the Senate Yes-Guilty or N0-Innocent. His duplicitous judicial reasoning spiked his Presidential aspirations ending his political career and now he is back in Hollywood with his maintained economic viability. Case closed.
Anthony| 5.18.10 @ 2:56PM
Wlady; Good to have you back writing at TAS.
maverick muse| 5.18.10 @ 3:22PM
Teh Fred!
Of all Republicans, Fred Thompson's my favorite. His personality is so like my Grampa's and Uncles, reminds me of family. He's as close to a Constitutional Conservative as a political Republican can be. His Senate votes and potus campaign were solidly in accordance with Constitutional law, as well as requiring government employees to actually perform their job descriptions efficiently, particularly the Washingtonian pencil pushers. True enough, his strong support for the military aligns him with neoconservatives on national defense; but unlike neoconservatives, Thompson is NOT a PC guy and does not condone what PC socialist politicians (including neoconservatives) require of our troops--the Karzai 12 Rules of Engagement for instance that are punitive in the extreme to our warriors not only on the battle field, but then under prosecution in military tribunal in the brink for exercising self defense. Unlike most, Thompson will listen to his opponents including hardline Libertarian arguments before coming back with his take on matters of import.
Regarding relationships, Thompson's experience would dictate that practicality rather than pure idealism or ideology take a part in his determinations to support someone at all, whether it be Clinton during his impeachment or McCain's current struggle despite differences of opinion on serious legislative issues, McCain's ideas being unconstitutional and Thompson roundly opposing them for being unconstitutional even before the Supreme Court finally made determination accordingly. But Fred Thompson will not knife any politician in the back just to make hay while the sun shines. He's too decent a human being, down to earth when push comes to shove, all the while a Constitutional scholar with pretty accurate shoves.
I suggest ohne "H" Cris Worth contact Fred's blog or call in to speak with Fred to get Fred's reasons for a vote.
http://fredthompsonshow.com/stationfinder
Here's as good a place as any to mention the ire most conservatives felt with the 2008 potus primary campaign process. By the time our state finally held the primary, Fred had just removed himself from the race. Especially given that modern technology no longer requires any horse and buggy time lapse between states for candidates to travel and give a speech before each state's citizens vote, it would be marvelous to hold the GOP national primaries on one day, with a run-off planned between the top candidates the next week. Everyone's vote would count towards their favorite candidate, rather than the stupid situation we have still bungling the works with a last man standing "winning" the potus ticket.
Richard Baker| 5.19.10 @ 7:59AM
Still have my Thompson 2008 hat which I purchased 2 weeks before he left the race. Still, he is a breath of fresh air. Reminds me that Americans still live. I'd vote for him now but, like Rush, he wouldn't want to take the pay cut.