Pretty pathetic when your savior is fred frikkin' thompson.

[Philosoraptor]

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1647164,00.html



For those not paying close attention, and others simply in denial, it is worth taking a moment to review just how bleak life has become for members of the Grand Old Party. Last fall Republicans were swept from power in both houses of Congress. This summer the incumbent Republican President is setting standards for unpopularity not seen since the Nixon Watergate era. In recent weeks the campaign of the war-hero Senator who was once the party's presumptive nominee has all but collapsed in debt and blame. The latest financial reports show that the gop's always reliable money advantage has vaporized, with Democratic candidates out-raising Republicans by more than $100 million for next year's federal elections. Adding a little salt to his party's wounds, Newt Gingrich, leader of a Republican revolution that seems but a misty memory, summed up the current field of would-be gop Presidents as "pygmies."

Faced with this litany of despair, many Republican faithful, from the grass roots to the Capitol, have concluded that Fred Thompson, the preternaturally avuncular actor and former Senator from Tennessee, is the cure-all for their party's ills. Thompson has yet to enter the presidential race. He has, in fact, postponed until after Labor Day an official announcement that was supposed to be made in July. And yet Thompson already shares front-runner status with former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani in some national polls of gop voters. "People are not inspired; everyone's flat-lining," says Ken Duberstein, former chief of staff for Ronald Reagan. "Right now, Fred is all things to all people. Everyone's waiting to see if he can live up to expectations."

[Robbien]

1. This latest to-do over Fred telling lies over his lobbying for pro-choice

is getting really rotten comments over at freeper hateville.

They all got behind him when he said that if he did it, he didn't remember. Now that Fred finally owned up to the truth, they are upset that he lied to them.

Idiots.

[Philosoraptor]

3. 'Fred is all things to all people'. Just like Jesus!

They're upset that he lied to them? Yet dubya gets a pass.

[Robbien]

6. They are still clutching to the tired old meme of Bush is an honest man

They may not support some of the stuff that Bush puts through, but they still tell themselves that at least Bush is honest.

Really.

Visiting freeper hateville is like taking a tumble down the rabbit hole.

[Lint Head]

13. And he lobbied with a bottle of Jack Daniels in one hand and

a young woman in the other. Oops, forgot the Cuban cigar. Someone with a cell phone camera will eventually capture the truth. His narcissism knows no bounds.:dem:

[radfringe]

2. best they can do?

heh - I said that about bush back in 2000...yet he was planted in the oval office - twice

[Philosoraptor]

4. If a chimpanzee can do it, so can a hack 'actor'.

Literally any schmuck off the street can be the president, we've been working 6 years WITHOUT one.

[radfringe]

5. yep and look at all the "progress' we've made... *smirk*

[KharmaTrain]

7. A Threadbare Bullpen

From one suffering through a disaster of a baseball season, with a bullpen that implodes nightly...it reminds me of the GOOP "franchise"...and it's in pretty sad shape.

While Democrats have evolved and grown with the times and the country...including women, blacks, hispanics and other "minorities" we've also tapped into a braintrust of future leaders. When you look at the Democrats debate, you see a far greater reflection of this country than you do with the Repugnicans.

They're still an old white man's club...they haven't broken the color barrier and live in the deadball era. For years, they built a strong organization...one that learned how to win at all costs...bully the refs, rewrite the rules and buy "championships"...but time has begun to run out.

Now look at the Repugnican debate...you're seeing the residue of 20 years of neglect...a party that barely kept up with the times and through its own ideological straighjackets and exclusiveness have spent all their effectiveness. Repugnicans are now splintered and on the edge of political implosion...what we're seeing and hearing are death throes.

[Philosoraptor]

8. They dress alike, they talk alike, at times they even look alike.

You could lose your mind.

I like to think that they've finally been given enough rope to hang themselves, and that they are soon to be extinct.

[KharmaTrain]

9. It's Become A Parallel Universe

Seeing that bit on Hanity reliving the "good old days" of Vince Foster made me think of how sad these doofus have gone. Cut that image with one of the hands going up when the question about evolution was asked. Next we go to the chickenhawk chest-thumping...while running away from why they never served. It just goes on and on. As Yogi said..."it's so mind-boggling, it boggles the mind".

If we are to believe the polls, the rope and noose are already in place and all we need to do is kick the trap door in next year's elections.

I've long felt we're still gonna see a third party schism from "disenfranchised" Repugnicans as we get close to the primaries. My bets have been on Gingrich forming a "true believers" party...or trying to become the next Perot.

[salin]

10. I have pondered the idea for several years - that we may be in one

of those rare eras when a major political party dies out and/or morphs into something else. I don't think we are going to see it before the election - as far too many GOP (esp clear when looking at the Hill GOP behavior) are still acting as if party unity and pretending voting for the pres. stands is really still the partisan game they created under Gingrich (that is - the point is developing law and policy - but "winning" over democrats on all things). I think it is one or two more cycles before a true schism occurs - in the meanwhile I do see more and more individual office holders switching party affiliation and peeling away from the GOP.

[Ganja Ninja]

11. The GOP goes through this every time they have to pick a ...

presidential candidate. Unless they're running someone for re-election or in the case of George the first a VP, they can't find a candidate. So they settle for familiarity, a Ronald Reagen, a Bob Dole or a George W Bush, someone who doesn't offer inspiration so much as name recognition. It's sad and pathetic if you think about it. A party desperate for power with no real idea of who is going to lead them.

[MiniMe]

12. I'm not a President, but I played one on TV

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

14. Stephen Colbert cited quotes of GOPers calling Thompson "lazy" It was pretty great! :)

[Philosoraptor]

15. ..............

[spanone]

16. he's no forrest gump

[RB TexLa]

17. "These waters feel pretty dog gone good"

That was how he determined the "waters" to feel yesterday here in Dallas. They didn't mention if anyone was "fussing" at him when he got here.

[cynatnite]

18. So, why hasn't the savior officially tossed his hat in the ring?

Avoiding the debates?

[Crankie Avalon]

19. Nice photo. Looks like ol' Fred is waiting for a checkup...

..."Cough, cough, y'all."

[H2O Man]

20. "cancel my subscription

to the resurrection" -- James Douglas Morrison

[TwilightGardener]

21. Somebody posted a report here yesterday from MSNBC that his fundraising

under the bogus "testing the waters" status has not met its mark. His wife is controlling every aspect of his campaign, and she recently hired Spence Abraham, a hire that the Freeps are upset about because he has very close ties with the Arab community here and abroad and lobbied for them. He also hired Rick Santorum's old campaign staffer, who is openly gay. So in the course of 4 weeks, Fred's been tied to homosexuals, abortion rights, and Jihad! Now that's the way to win a Republican primary! I have a feeling Mittens and Rudy are going to start to look better and better.

[KansDem]

22. NPR had a Thompson "gush-fest" this morning on Morning Edition

Complete with clips from his TeeVee show and pithy/witty comments from the actor himself at one of his town-hall meetups, complete with oglely-eyed supporter (who referred to the "Republican and Democrat parties") eager for his "announcement." Sounded very much like a campaign ad. Not bad for someone who isn't even a candidate.

[TwilightGardener]

23. He's been a candidate since March. Just refuses to make it official

to avoid debates, unflattering scrutiny, and to raise funds without being hampered by rules.