NYT, Gail Collins, "Calvin Coolidge Redux": "If Fred is a man of the people, I am Jennifer Lopez."

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Calvin Coolidge Redux
By GAIL COLLINS
Published: October 11, 2007

Fred Thompson did great in that debate! He stayed upright the whole time! And he knew the name of the prime minister of Canada! No question, this man is ready to lead....

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When you watch a bunch of presidential candidates on a stage, you are almost invariably looking at a bunch of very rich people. Some of them were born into privilege, like Mitt Romney and John McCain. Some had privilege thrust upon them, like Rudy Giuliani, who parlayed his 9/11 moment into an extraordinarily lucrative public speaking career and consulting business. Thompson rose from humble roots thanks to friends and one well-connected ex-wife....

...What exactly is the point of Fred Thompson? He once got elected to the Senate by driving around Tennessee in a red truck (which, critics carped, he ditched as soon as he was out of sight of the last voter).

He persuaded people that his opponent was wrong when he claimed Thompson was nothing but a “Gucci-wearing, Lincoln-driving, Perrier-drinking, Grey Poupon-spreading millionaire Washington special interest lobbyist.” Of course, that was some time ago, and things have changed. Thompson is now a Gucci-wearing, Lincoln-driving, Perrier-drinking, Grey Poupon-spreading millionaire Washington special interest lobbyist and actor....

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So there we are. Thanks to two hours of Republicans talking, Americans can now rest assured that Fred Thompson A) has all his marbles and B) is a terrible candidate. All actors, it seems, are not Ronald Reagan. Thompson not only isn’t charismatic, he doesn’t even seem pleasant. If Fred is a man of the people, I am Jennifer Lopez....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/11/opinion/11collins.html?hp