It is this mindset that seems to have shrouded Fred Thompson during the first stages of what is likely to be his bid for the White House. Critics, especially Northern critics, have labeled him as "slow, unfocused, and gloomy." Is it gloomy to present the reality of things to the American people rather than doing the standard dance of rhetoric? I think not, and in Jonathan Martin's Fred: Sober and Serious, I find that I'm not alone in thinking so.
The latest polls show Fred slipping ahead of the pack of the Republican front runners. That little factoid seems to complete be out of the grasp of comprehension of Steve Benen, who has this to say at TalkingPointsMemo.
By any reasonable measure, Fred Thompson, the actor-lobbyist-presidential candidate, is off to a rough start. Particularly on policy matters, Thompson has been confused and uninformed about everything from Social Security policy to drilling the Everglades for oil to the 2005 Schiavo controversy.
But this has to be my favorite.
NBC's "First Read' reports that when Thompson was asked Thursday about Louisiana's "Jena Six" protest of Old South racism on his way into a San Antonio fundraiser, he replied: "I don't know anything about it."
Bush fielded a question about it at his news conference the same day, saying the events in Louisiana had "saddened" him. Thompson's staff said he knew all about the issue but was unfamiliar with the expression "Jena Six."
So what? I knew about the situation and the incident as well, but until this week I, too, was unfamiliar with the term "Jena Six." And I keep up with the news all day while I'm working.
With SO MUCH going on on the international level, especially with that little tin god from Iran coming onto OUR SOIL, THIS is what Benen picks as showing Thompson as being unaware? AND THEN has the audacity to put up another blog on his OWN site about NITPICKING?
Well.
Put me in that same boat, amigo, and hand me the damned oars. I certainly don't mind rowing the "I'm not fully up to date with all the bullshit catchphrases coined by the media" boat. How asinine.
They're grasping if they're going after him for things like this, and for taking stances on issues that are more common SENSE rather than being politically correct. Politically correct doesn't have much weight where we come from down here in Tennessee. Common sense goes a long way.
Maybe Mr. Benen needs to come down here for a while. We might even convince him to try some grits and join us in the long standing debate: with gravy or sweetened?
That's my kind of debate. I'm in favor of both.
OH YEAH, and while I'm thinking about it, I don't know anyone who isn't of the Jesse Jackson/Al Sharpton mindset (you know, stirring shit up and creating situations out of things where they should stay the hell away) who thinks that criminals being prosecuted for committing a crime is "Old South Racism."
There just may be a rubber chicken award in that whole situation for this week, methinks.
Just a few thoughts regarding people blow off when they don't know what they're talking about from:
Once and Always, an American Fighting Man
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