Could this be the next Republican presidential candidate? Former U.S. Senator and "Law and Order" actor Fred Thompson.I found two interesting stories here that really show a contradiction within the Republican Party. Let's start with this first Washington Post story, titled A 'Law & Order' Presidential Candidate?
"Law & Order" star and former U.S. senator Fred Dalton Thompson is considering a bid for the White House that would test whether Hollywood can once again launch a Republican to the world's premier political stage.
His interest, confirmed in a brief interview this week, is generating buzz in Washington. He was third among Republican-leaning voters in a recent Gallup-USA Today survey, behind Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and ahead of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
The onetime senator from Tennessee is known to many Americans for playing New York District Attorney Arthur Branch on "Law & Order" and an admiral in the film "The Hunt for Red October." But his real-life record as a no-nonsense lawmaker who also served as the minority counsel to the Senate Watergate committee is appealing to party activists dissatisfied with the current crop of Republican hopefuls.
"He has a conservative bearing and a conservative presence, but he's independent in his thinking and his voting record," said Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who added that Thompson is "seriously considering" a presidential campaign at the urging of many friends. "He has a commanding television presence that makes every other politician in America jealous."
Alexander, a friend of 40 years and twice a presidential candidate himself, said Thompson is likely to take his time deciding and could wait to enter the contest until around Labor Day. Recalling a well-attended Washington cocktail gathering held Sunday, Alexander said: "Fred Thompson was the talk of the party."
So Fred Thompson is generating a lot of buzz as to whether he is going to run for president. And I would say that he's seriously considering it--even with the competition of McCain, Giuliani, and Romney. But not everyone seems to be happy for a Thompson presidential candidacy. I found this little story off Americablog, where the original source was U.S. News and World Report:
Focus on the Family founder James Dobson appeared to throw cold water on a possible presidential bid by former Sen. Fred Thompson while praising former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who is also weighing a presidential run, in a phone interview Tuesday.
"Everyone knows he's conservative and has come out strongly for the things that the pro-family movement stands for," Dobson said of Thompson. "[But] I don't think he's a Christian; at least that's my impression," Dobson added, saying that such an impression would make it difficult for Thompson to connect with the Republican Party's conservative Christian base and win the GOP nomination.
Mark Corallo, a spokesman for Thompson, took issue with Dobson's characterization of the former Tennessee senator. "Thompson is indeed a Christian," he said. "He was baptized into the Church of Christ."
In a follow-up phone conversation, Focus on the Family spokesman Gary Schneeberger stood by Dobson's claim. He said that, while Dobson didn't believe Thompson to be a member of a non-Christian faith, Dobson nevertheless "has never known Thompson to be a committed Christian—someone who talks openly about his faith."
"We use that word—Christian—to refer to people who are evangelical Christians," Schneeberger added. "Dr. Dobson wasn't expressing a personal opinion about his reaction to a Thompson candidacy; he was trying to 'read the tea leaves' about such a possibility."
Thompson has said he is leaving the door open for a presidential run and has won plaudits from conservatives who are unenthusiastic about the Republican front-runners. A Gallup-USA Today poll, released Tuesday, showed Thompson in third place among Republican and Republican-leaning voters, behind former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain.
While making it clear he was not endorsing any Republican presidential candidate, Dobson, who is considered the most politically powerful evangelical figure in the country, also said that Gingrich was the "brightest guy out there" and "the most articulate politician on the scene today."
Talk about a GOP self-destruction here! Focus on the Family founder, and all-around Religious Right, bat-guano-crazy James Dobson makes a wild accusation that Thompson is not a Christian. When Thompson spokesman Corallo responds by saying that Thompson is a member of the Church of Christ and Latter Day Saints, Dobson backpedals, saying that the only true "Christians" are Evangelical Christians. I would guess that means that Catholics are not Christians. Lutherans are not Christians. For all I know, Baptists are also not Christians--that's what James Dobson is saying.
In James Dobson's view, the only credible presidential candidate to succeed George W. Bush is another evangelical. Dobson appears to support former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Gingrich is a Southern Baptist. Now I know that the fundamentalist movement has been taking over the Southern Baptist church, forcing the denomination to turn to a staunch conservativism. But gee, Mr. Dobson--if you're so insistent that an evangelical Christian can only occupy the White House, then Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton certainly fits into your definition of an "evangelical" Christian, since Mrs. Clinton is a member of the United Methodist Church, which has its own roots in the evangelical movement when the Methodist Church joined with the Evangelical United Brethren back in 1968. Religious affiliation should not make a difference regarding one's qualifications for running for a public office--even that of the presidency. James Dobson doesn't understand that. He wants a George W. Bush-like successor to succeed President George W. Bush. For some reason, he believes that Newt Gingrich is that successor--and the rest of the candidates can go to heck!
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