Fred Thompson "Reconsidered"... is He Really Republican "Red Meat" Material?

Upon finishing Jo Becker’s valentine to Fred Thompson in today’s Times, I wonder anew about his potential to win the Republican nomination. He seems less interested in the religious/social issues that motivate GOP activists than is necessary for victory— and only intermittently committed to the sort of reform agenda that might pry loose some of Giuliani’s more 'moderate' base. Despite Becker’s sympathetic read on Thompson’s character, the article does little to shore up the candidate’s credentials as a spear-carrier for the hard-right voters who can be counted on to get to the polls in a primary battle.

Thompson’s appetite for anti-abortion and pro-gun legislation seems not to match his grand rhetoric on the red meat issues of the party faithful. Instead, Becker portrays him as more focused on budget and constitutional issues, favoring congressional oversight of the Executive and reduced mandates to the states. These aren’t the kind of issues that will inspire jingles or passionate followers.

Or maybe the old fox just spent his interview hour with a New York Times reporter chatting about the kind of topics that make him look reasonable and moderate— for a publication his party doesn’t trust anyway. It’s hard to tell what’s behind this ‘reconsideration’ piece. It certainly won’t hurt him with insiders in Washington and it likely has little effect outside of the Beltway.

It will be interesting to see whether Thompson can get traction with current Romney followers, or begin to push out some of the far-right splinter candidates by grabbing away their supporters. And, you have to wonder whether he can do that without turning into a cartoon version of his crusty codger DA from “Law and Order.”