For the last month or two I have been following closely the possibility of Fred Thompson entering the race for the Republican presidential nomination. I was not even aware of who he is until I read some report on a blog or saw some video of him speaking. I have to say, I am quite impressed. Fred has been involved in politics for a while, including serving as a senator from Tennessee.

Since that first encounter with Fred I have been impressed by his ability to speak plainly and clearly about his positions and by the fact that he has been consistent and not wishy-washy the way so many politicians are. A great example of this is his comments on the Second Amendment of our great Constitution. In his short comments [audio], Fred actually stated an opinion on the interpretation of the amendment, even going so far as to quote a well-respected second amendment scholar. He has also stated very clear opinions on everything from immigration [audio] to Cuban health care. His recent comments on Israel's restraint [audio] in the face of growing rocket attacks from Gaza are spot on, and a wonderful breath of fresh air in the collective PC paper plant that is Washington. To top it all off, Fred actually understands Federalism, which has been minimized, ignored, and re-invented by the bureaucrats and pork-mongers in DC for too many years to count.

Now, I realize that many of my friends do not share my political leanings. I am not a Republican, though I do agree in principle with quite a bit of the historical platform of that party. I have leaned libertarian and off-the-wall in the past, and have been generally unhappy with politics and politicians. Fred Thompson is starting to change that. It looks like we might actually have a true statesman in our midst. Even if you differ from me in your view on politics, I encourage you to watch Fred Thompson in the coming months. I know I will.

Update: David Hardy over at Of Arms and the Law has created a website called Sportsmen for Fred Thompson. There is no such group yet, but he says that he will give the site to any such group that forms. He has three points about why gun owners should support Fred Thompson for President, and I suggest you check them out.

For the unconvinced, here is another reason to support Fred: As long as his position has not changed (which I would be extremely surprised to hear) he supports term limits for congress... and he supported them before he was elected, not when he was leaving...

I have also had another thought. Who would make the best running mate for Fred? I think Joe Lieberman might be. The two disagree on a wide variety of issues, but since our country seems to be split down the middle anyway the combination would be fitting. Both men seem to me to be true statesmen, and I think both have the intestinal fortitude to stand up to the status quo in D.C., which is what we really need.

Labels: Politics