Thompson in Virginia
by Ryan Sager
Sun, 3 Jun 2007 at 11:57 AM
updated Sun, 3 Jun 2007 at 12:04 PM
The Washington Post this morning offers this report on Fred Thompson's speech in Virginia last night, his first since it came out that he was setting up a testing the waters committee:
Actor and former senator Fred D. Thompson of Tennessee rallied a crowd of several hundred Republicans here last night, offering a bluntly conservative appeal in his first major appearance since taking a formal step last week to run for president.
"Folks, we're a bit down politically right now, but I think we're on the comeback trail, and it's going to start right here," he declared in the deep Southern rumble made famous by his roles in film and on television's "Law and Order."
More:
"As a candidate, he's got instant credibility. He has very solid conservative credentials," said state Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, who has not endorsed anyone. "He's a pretty articulate voice for the conservative cause. He will be a force in the race right away."
Thompson managed to hit most major conservative themes in his 35-minute address. He traced the formation of his political philosophy to Barry Goldwater. While he did not directly invoke Ronald Reagan, to whom his supporters compare him, he closed his speech by echoing the former president's call for "optimism." He dwelled on the need for a strong national defense -- although he barely mentioned the Iraq war -- and urged an increase in defense spending, noting yesterday's reports of a foiled plot targeting New York's John F. Kennedy Airport as proof of terrorism's threat.
"This is a battle between the forces of civilization and of evil," he said.
Sounds a lot like his Connecticut speech.
Related Topics: GOP Primary
Latest Politics Homepage
|
Print
Send
RSS
