Fred's Sails In The Sunset

Mark Steyn not only crafts that superb headline, he also succinctly captures my views on Fred!

I wrote about the Republican and Democrat presidential candidates last weekend, and got a lot of mail from Fredheads and others demanding to know why I hadn't mentioned Senator Thompson. The reason is I've no handle on what it is he thinks he's doing. Every time I see a Fred policy plan, he seems to have by far the best ideas, and the necessary zeal for reform, on taxes, Social Security and much else. But every time you see him in these TV debates he has the listless air of a bored grandparent at a dreary school play.

And seeing him live in person isn't that easy to do. I get campaign e-mails about New Hampshire appearances by John McCain and Mrs Clinton and lots of others. Mitt's guys clogged up my in-box with so many urgent releases in the hours after last night's debate that it's seriously impacting my ability to order generic Viagra and e-mail my bank details to Nigerian dictators' wives. But nary a word from Fred.

What's the strategy here? Why does he have great ideas but no campaign?

Senator Thompson had a superb interview on Kudlow & Co. Where were the YouTube clips? I get fund raising mail from his campaign, but where's the Fred! who responded to Michael Moore? Steyn is right about the plans. Thompson's Social Security and tax proposals are good polity models, but as I told my Fredhead Brother-in-law, I don't see the intensity that will be required to beat the Clinton machine.

Posted by jk at November 29, 2007 12:14 PM