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  <title>Right Wing Watch</title>
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  <updated>2008-08-07T15:59:20-05:00</updated>
  <entry>
    <title>The Rise and Fall of the Great Right Hope?</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/rise-and-fall-great-right-hope" />
    <id>http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/rise-and-fall-great-right-hope</id>
    <published>2007-09-14T15:29:34-05:00</published>
    <updated>2008-08-07T15:59:20-05:00</updated>
    <author>
      <name>Kyle</name>
    </author>
    <category term="Fred Thompson" />
    <category term="Politics" />
    <category term="Religious Right" />
    <category term="ValuesVoters.org" />
    <summary type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Earlier this year, just as the   various Republican primary campaigns were getting off the ground, many on the   Right were discontent with their current choices and appeared to be <A title="http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=20225" href="http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=20225">pinning their hopes</a> on a possible run by Fred Thompson.</p>
<p>But that early enthusiasm appears to   have worn off quickly, at least for everyone who is <A title="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/individuals/richard_land/index.html" href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/individuals/richard_land/index.html">not   Richard Land</a>, with Thompson <A title="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/09/a_costly_nearmi.html" href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/09/a_costly_nearmi.html">failing to win   over</a> the members of the influential Arlington Group and then <A title="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&amp;sid=a82fSwuCHxUI" href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&amp;sid=a82fSwuCHxUI">stating</a> that he has no intention of talking about his personal faith during his   campaign, which probably explains why he will <A title="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/08/top_gop_candida.html" href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/08/top_gop_candida.html">not be   attending</a> the upcoming <A title="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/groups/valuesvotersorg/index.html" href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/groups/valuesvotersorg/index.html">Values   Voter Debate</a> in Florida.</p>
<p>Well, that and the fact that he   apparently doesn&rsquo;t like being <A title="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/14/AR2007091400539.html" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/14/AR2007091400539.html">treated   like a performing seal</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Later, in   Celebration, he was asked why he was not participating in the Values Voter   debate in Fort   Lauderdale on Monday. He said he will do his best to   participate in debates, but he can't make all of   them.</p>
<p>"Debates are   important, but let's don't let the tail wag the dog here. Standing up there 10   in a row, you know, like a bunch of seals waiting for someone to throw you the   next fish is not necessarily the best way to impart your information to the   American people," Thompson said. "I'm not above acting like a seal every once in   a while and waiting for the next fish. I just don't want to do it all the   time."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This remark came on top of his   refusal to say whether he supported Congressional intervention in the case of   Terri Schiavo, which was of <A title="http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0321/p01s03-uspo.html" href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0321/p01s03-uspo.html">paramount   importance</a> for the Right back in 2005, saying he didn&rsquo;t &ldquo;remember the   details of it.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p>If Thompson is going to try and live   up to his billing as the <A title="http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MDM4NTczZjE2MzE5NDNmYTk3NzU0OGVmNDQ1ZGRlOTY" href="http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MDM4NTczZjE2MzE5NDNmYTk3NzU0OGVmNDQ1ZGRlOTY">reincarnation   of Ronald Reagan</a>, he&rsquo;s going to have to do a better job of pandering to the Right than this. &nbsp;</p>
    ]]></summary>
    <content type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Earlier this year, just as the   various Republican primary campaigns were getting off the ground, many on the   Right were discontent with their current choices and appeared to be <A title="http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=20225" href="http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=20225">pinning their hopes</a> on a possible run by Fred Thompson.</p>
<p>But that early enthusiasm appears to   have worn off quickly, at least for everyone who is <A title="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/individuals/richard_land/index.html" href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/individuals/richard_land/index.html">not   Richard Land</a>, with Thompson <A title="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/09/a_costly_nearmi.html" href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/09/a_costly_nearmi.html">failing to win   over</a> the members of the influential Arlington Group and then <A title="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&amp;sid=a82fSwuCHxUI" href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&amp;sid=a82fSwuCHxUI">stating</a> that he has no intention of talking about his personal faith during his   campaign, which probably explains why he will <A title="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/08/top_gop_candida.html" href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/08/top_gop_candida.html">not be   attending</a> the upcoming <A title="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/groups/valuesvotersorg/index.html" href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/groups/valuesvotersorg/index.html">Values   Voter Debate</a> in Florida.</p>
<p>Well, that and the fact that he   apparently doesn&rsquo;t like being <A title="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/14/AR2007091400539.html" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/14/AR2007091400539.html">treated   like a performing seal</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Later, in   Celebration, he was asked why he was not participating in the Values Voter   debate in Fort   Lauderdale on Monday. He said he will do his best to   participate in debates, but he can't make all of   them.</p>
<p>"Debates are   important, but let's don't let the tail wag the dog here. Standing up there 10   in a row, you know, like a bunch of seals waiting for someone to throw you the   next fish is not necessarily the best way to impart your information to the   American people," Thompson said. "I'm not above acting like a seal every once in   a while and waiting for the next fish. I just don't want to do it all the   time."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This remark came on top of his   refusal to say whether he supported Congressional intervention in the case of   Terri Schiavo, which was of <A title="http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0321/p01s03-uspo.html" href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0321/p01s03-uspo.html">paramount   importance</a> for the Right back in 2005, saying he didn&rsquo;t &ldquo;remember the   details of it.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p>If Thompson is going to try and live   up to his billing as the <A title="http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MDM4NTczZjE2MzE5NDNmYTk3NzU0OGVmNDQ1ZGRlOTY" href="http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MDM4NTczZjE2MzE5NDNmYTk3NzU0OGVmNDQ1ZGRlOTY">reincarnation   of Ronald Reagan</a>, he&rsquo;s going to have to do a better job of pandering to the Right than this. &nbsp;</p>
    ]]></content>
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