Phil, you write that "Thompson's Southern accent and folksy
charm create the impression that he is a social conservative." What
then are we to make of this, from MSNBC this morning (scroll
down)?
In an interview with a handful of reporters yesterday
in South Carolina, Thompson acknowledged that he's not a member of
any church. He says he attends church when he's in Tennessee; he
usually goes with his mother. He does not attend church regularly
in the DC area.
The impression here is that such details will undermine what
appeal he can have as a social conservative.