Michelle Cottle (subscription only) thinks Thompson’s record suggests that he’d be fairly ineffective. Her conclusion:

[T]here is every reason to believe that Thompson would be facing one or both houses of Congress controlled by Democrats. This means that, to get anything substantive accomplished, President Thompson would have to get in there and mix it up with the opposition–a messy, mud-slinging business even on a good day. A naturally combative leader (think Rudy) might seek out these sorts of fights as a way to keep his blood pumping. An ideologically passionate one (think Gingrich) might do it to keep the cause alive. But a kinda lazy guy who doesn’t really believe in much of anything? Well, he’d probably be happier just tinkering around the edges and watching reruns of himself on DVD.

Now that is my kind of Republican.

It oughtn’t be most Republicans’ kind of Republican, though. Right?