« War News From The Front ~ Gen. Petraeus Positive and Cautious ~ Dems Pout | Main | Football Week Seventeen »
December 30, 2007
Thompson A Contrast to Manic Mitt and Apology Huckster
Thompson: Too Much Belly Fire Not Good
WASHINGTON, Iowa
Fred Thompson said Saturday he's not consumed with winning the White House and that a president with too much fire in the belly is not necessarily a good thing in a dangerous world.
"I like to say that I'm only consumed by very, very few things and politics is not one of them," Thompson said at a town hall meeting in nearby Burlington. "The welfare of my country and my kids and grandkids are one of them. But if people really want in their president a super type-A personality, someone who has gotten up every morning and gone to bed every night thinking about for years how they could achieve the presidency of the United States, someone who could look you straight in the eye and say they enjoy every minute of campaigning — I ain't that guy."
Thompson said some candidates have become too absorbed by the process and have lost sight of the ultimate need to serve the country.
"Nowadays, it's all about fire in the belly," he said. "I'm not sure in the world we live in today it's a terribly good thing that a president has too much fire in his belly."
Burlington attorney Todd Chelf, whose question elicited Thompson's response, said he appreciated the reply.
"It's almost refreshing to see that kind of response as opposed to what we get normally," he said. "I think there's a passion there. I think that it's an old-fashioned passion."
"I am not consumed by personal ambition," Thompson said. "I will not be devastated if I don't do it. I'm not particularly interested in running for president." He said others encouraged him to run and he decided it was the right thing to do.
"I approached it from a standpoint ... of kind of a marriage," he said. "You know if one side of the marriage has to be really talked into the marriage, you know it probably ain't going to be a good deal for either one of them. But if you mutually think that this is a good thing — in this case you think it's a good thing for the country — then you have an opportunity to do some wonderful things together. I'm offering myself up. I'm saying that I have the background and capability and the concern to do this."
However, he said people who question his commitment should realize that he dropped lucrative television and radio contracts to run and no longer accepts paid speaking tours to make the run.
"I and my family have made sacrifices for me to be sitting here today," he said. "I haven't had any income for a long time because I'm doing this. I guess a man would have to be a total fool to do all those things and to be leaving his family, which is not a joyful thing at all, if he didn't want to do it."
Thompson said he just wants voters to know what to expect from him.
"I go out of my way to be myself cause I don't want anybody to think they're getting something they're not getting," he said. "I'm not consumed by this process. I'm not consumed with the notion of being president. I'm simply saying I'm willing to do what's necessary to achieve it if I'm in synch with the people and if the people want me or somebody like me."
At his stop in the community of Washington, Thompson joked about Democrat John Edwards, who had an event at the same time just a few blocks away.
"I understand my friend John Edwards is in town. He's over at the library. I hope he learns something while he's over there," Thompson said. "I like our bus better. Go out and check them out."
Wild Thing's comment........
"I understand my friend John Edwards is in town. He's over at the library. I hope he learns something while he's over there," Thompson said. LOL!!
"Thompson said some candidates have become too absorbed by the process and have lost sight of the ultimate need to serve the country."
Absolutely spot on!
I have mentioned on here how I wish Fred Thompson had fire in his belly, I know others on here have said the same thing. This is a two fold feeling I have from this.
One, is how nice it is to have someone running that is not the typical politician, such as a person like Obama that has wanted this since he was a kid ( the power and position), and someone like Hillary that has directed her life and marriage to get herself in a place of power OVER the people and take things away from them for their own good as she has said. Or so many others on both sides of the fence that are obviously eating and sleeping their goal of obtaining the power of being the President of the most powerful country in the world. Willing to sell their soul to the devil to get there, and take us along with them and our country into some nightmare of socialism and or global new world order as BOTH the Bush's have directed their terms.
It is refreshing like the man with the question said in the article. It feels clean and good and strong and not someone more concerned with the power as much as wanting to do something for his country. That can never be a bad thing.
The other side of the coin is the passion., that fire in the belly that was mentioned. I know about passion I live my life from it and with it 24/7. It uses a lot of energy to have it believe me and I am a B personality not a Type A, but it does keep a person from brining out. It drives ones soul even when exhausted, it stirs the deepest part of ones being to keep on and never give up.
When faced with foe on any topic it sends alarms off inside ones gut, and the backbone to not weaken and stay strong even if it is not popular with those demanding you to go along with the crowd and take the low road on something.
Passion not obsession and there is a difference. Mitt, Huck, Obama, Rudy, Hillary, McCain, and the others have obsession and there is a huge difference. Obsession causes a person to make mistakes, to lower their standards, to lie to try and reach their goals, to deceive at any cost to get the power they crave.
All of this of course is my opinion, but because of having passion I have thought a lot about it, the why, and how it works.
Even this blog is a form of my passion. Passion for our military, for our Veterans wanting to make sure they know how much they mean to me, and to my living in the land of the free.
My passion for politics knowing to stick ones head in the sand IMO is not being a good American, I prefer to be a citizen living on the field when others live in apathy and sit comfortably in the stands of life. They never have the feeling the extreme pride in our Nation, tears in their eyes and their heart swelling with tremendous pride in those that made all this possible, this country America, compared to those not caring as long as it does not effect their drive to work or their getting the morning paper.
Fred mentioned he has not been paid since he started his campaign. OK let me just say this, as an actress( retired) and Nick as a Stuntman and actor ( retired) we receive residuals. Checks that come in the mail from Screen Actors Guild, on a monthly basis. These are paid out to us from former movies, and TV shows we were on. The more they run these things the less the check becomes, but it is still income. And we pay taxes on it which also proves it is income. Fred Thompson, I think he is a good man and I would for him to win. But I just want to clear up his statement as to no income. He has worked a lot in showbiz and therefore when they air let's say " Law and Order" for instance he will receive residuals for every show he has done. And that is for life and on as the checks will also be sent to the person that is his beneficiary. I am not saying he lied, I know what he means, he means recent newly made income and yes he is right, he has stopped all his work to run for President.
If I could speak with Fred Thompson I would say everything I have written in this post and only add this.
Mr. Thompson, fire in the belly is not a bad thing, obsession is and totally sick. But fire in ones gut, passion for wanting to give back, passion for loving this country so much, and being concerned and outraged at how it has made a LEFT turn headed for socialism, PC ruling even our military causing more accidents, more injuries that never had to happen. THAT is fire in the belly and THAT is a passion I pray you obtain. Till then you and Duncan Hunter will be my choice for President. If one of these do not make it, America will be in serious trouble I think.
And I would ask he read this.......................
" It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
Shame on the man of cultivated taste who permits refinement to develop into fastidiousness that unfits him for doing the rough work of a workaday world.
Among the free peoples who govern themselves there is but a small field of usefulness open for the men of cloistered life who shrink from contact with their fellows. Still less room is there for those who deride of slight what is done by those who actually bear the brunt of the day; nor yet for those others who always profess that they would like to take action, if only the conditions of life were not exactly what they actually are.
The man who does nothing cuts the same sordid figure in the pages of history, whether he be a cynic, or fop, or voluptuary.
There is little use for the being whose tepid soul knows nothing of great and generous emotion, of the high pride, the stern belief, the lofty enthusiasm, of the men who quell the storm and ride the thunder. Well for these men if they succeed; well also, though not so well, if they fail, given only that they have nobly ventured, and have put forth all their heart and strength.
It is war-worn Hotspur, spent with hard fighting, he of the many errors and valiant end, over whose memory we love to linger, not over the memory of the young lord who "but for the vile guns would have been a valiant soldier."
Pres. Theodore Roosevelt
CITIZENSHIP IN A REPUBLIC
"The Man In The Arena"
Speech at the Sorbonne
Paris, France ~ April 23, 1910
Posted by Wild Thing at December 30, 2007 12:44 AM
Comments
How refreshing!!! First Fred is spot on about the motivation, it worries me a lot when a person is obsessed with power, ergo Hillary. They do not have the nation's best interest at heart, only their personal agenda or the hidden agenda of their Socialist party. One only has to look at the Clinton's, both of them, to understand that they have an anarchist, Marxist motive for their being in power, likewise all the so called progressives in both houses of Congress formed by Komrade Bernie Sanders, an avowed Socialist.
That section by Teddy Roosevelt has some revealing phrases: "Shame on the man of cultivated taste who permits refinement to develop into fastidiousness that unfits him for doing the rough work of a workaday world." ~ John Edwards the Pompadour
"Among the free peoples who govern themselves there is but a small field of usefulness open for the men of cloistered life who shrink from contact with their fellows. Still less room is there for those who deride of slight what is done by those who actually bear the brunt of the day; nor yet for those others who always profess that they would like to take action, if only the conditions of life were not exactly what they actually are." ~ John McCain and Mitt Romney The Tantrum and the Power Monger
"There is little use for the being whose tepid soul knows nothing of great and generous emotion, of the high pride, the stern belief, the lofty enthusiasm, of the men who quell the storm and ride the thunder. Well for these men if they succeed; well also, though not so well, if they fail, given only that they have nobly ventured, and have put forth all their heart and strength." ~ Mike Huckabee the Clinton's all in one with the Jesse Jackson collar.
Enough of the apologists in government, I'm sick of the appeasers who kiss the enemies ass to make them 'love' us, I want a leader who at the slightest umbrage from the ragheads whips out that club and kills the idiot sumbitch then looks around and softly asks who want's to be next. What you have said is true and Fred had better develop a fire in his belly or hand off his loyal followers to another candidate and hope they will vote for that candidate. If he's hurting for campaign funds, show a bit more life and maybe we'll feel more positive about investing in a winner. I have no intention of voting for McCain, Romney or Huckabee, preferring to write in, in protest, if need be, in the knowledge that wasting the vote will bring in another Communist to the Whitehouse. I only have my vote and my conscience and I have to follw my conscience, after all Bush has let us all down and I can't see putting another 'Bush' in office to finish what Jorge started.
Posted by: Jack at December 30, 2007 02:02 AM
There are two words paired together that we don't hear too much about these days. They are "personal responsibility". Fred Thompson is right on how the election process should work and I praise him for his attitude and honesty. However, the other half of the process requires voters with the personal responsibility to understand the issues, listen to the candidates, and find out what the candidates have done and accomplished on those issues before running for President. Too many potential voters just listen to 30 second sound bites or headline news and remain ignorant on the issues. Admittedly, many just don't care and many of those that do vote, pick a candidate for all the wrong reasons.
Fred Thompson will never be President and serve the country as he would like if he doesn't wisely play the game as necessary to win it. He doesn't need to be anyone other than himself but he does need to get the media coverage necessary to reach a larger audience with his message. His honesty is a refreshing contrast to many of the other candidates and if he demonstrates a little more enthusiasm people will listen to what he has to say.
Fred has my vote in blue state NJ if that helps.
Posted by: Les at December 30, 2007 03:16 AM
Nice moral attitude, bad plan of inaction. Thompson will not even win the primary. He has obviously not encouraged financial support. While the front runners have tens of millions of $$, Fred was begging for less than $100,000 to run an ad in Iowa.
I do not know what his real objective is. The result is that he is confusing his supporters. The real conservatives will vote for him, but he is doing nothing to attract the large number of moderate Repubs or any crossover votes. He is playing right into the MSM game plan which is to ignore him. If he is only running because "others encouraged him to run", then he should not be in the game. That is not a legitimate or honest reason to run.
When the primary is over, we Conservatives are not going to have a candidate we can support. We will only have a candidate(Dem) we will absolutely have to vote against.
In looking back I have to think that the Bush father and son team basically destroyed the Republican Party that was so well built by Ronald Reagan. They were not solely responsible as many RINO Senators and Representatives also demoralized and divided the Party. And crony appointees and the RNC did their share of damage. But as the flag bearers and most prominent members of the Republican Party, the two Bushs have basically been disasters. I bet their libraries will say otherwise.
Posted by: TomR at December 30, 2007 07:54 AM
Good points, not a conservative candidate we can agree with. We will get the republican version of Jimmi Carter aka, Huckabee and Huckabee 'don't need a weatherman to know which way the winds blowin'.
They say, in a cesspool the big chunks rise to the top, the same as in politics, the best we can do is Huckabee and Clinton.
It will be another election before the country actually wakes up. Because in both parties there is no way the front runners of their respective parties shoud be leaders.
Posted by: Mark at December 30, 2007 09:41 PM
Les... visited some family members in South Joisey and I see Corzine has let the the pot holes get even bigger? And the illegals were all over Rt. 295! The Northeastern stench was typical blue state sulphur... And your Dummycrat Reptard Menendez is a scoundrel as well in the Soprano State? Sooooooo sad Les.
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at December 31, 2007 12:05 AM
Jack thank you for the breakdown on the quote, that is great!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 31, 2007 12:36 AM
Les that is so true about personal responsibility.
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 31, 2007 12:39 AM
Tom......."Bush father and son team basically destroyed the Republican Party that was so well built by Ronald Reagan."
I agree with you Tom 1000%!!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 31, 2007 12:45 AM
Mark I am still crossing my fingers and praying. Praying that somehow, some way Thompson will pull this off and win and then pick Duncan Hunter as his VP maybe. I know that is a dream but reality is so ugly right now about politics. waaaaa
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 31, 2007 12:47 AM
