CNN

Hey FPohl, I don't think the Dems sling any more insults than Reps. I always hear the complaints about Clinton, but never any details. You obviously don't remember the eight years and millions spent wasted to find out Bill had an affair. Atleast he didn't hang out in men's bathrooms and/or with young Whitehouse pages. Give me a break. The republicans need an actor to present the BS on their agenda and make it sound good for us..

It's amazing how petrafied these candidates are of Hillary.

Freddie boy just came out and is already pointing at her, funny.

By the way, I wonder what Karl has been up to lately. Don't go believing he just went back to Texas to go hunting and spend time with the family.

Headline: Fred Thompson dives into presidential race.

Yup. Face first............

Whos next Toby Keith? I just love Republicans.

GO HILLARY!!!

All I hear are a bunch of Dems playing their regular game of total disregard and insulting one of our citizens.

I see fear in their comments.

I support Fred Thompson.!

GO FRED GO!

This guy is a homo-phobe, antigay, antigay marriage, and therefore, is unfit to be president. He's a baffoon and anyone who votes for him is sealing the coffin on this country. If he's president, I'm sending for my papers to move to Canada, or even England!

Now from stage right (way right) comes Freddie Thompson as the republican savior... American voters are looking for a smart hard worker ready instead of someone pretending to lead such as Bush. Unfortunately for him, he is neither. He just wants to lazily ride the cushy talk show couch into the White House.

We don't want another ACTOR who can't take any decisions without consulting his wife. Go back to your studio and rehearse the lines given to you by the director.

Dives?

He's 'tested the waters' for so long that a DIVE has been out of the question for months! He's barely dipped his toes in and has yet to get ankle deep...unless 'debating' with Leno counts!

Values? You say this guy has values??? Remember Watergate?? WOW! How easily you have been fooled. He is an ACTOR! He'll say whatever is read to him! Do you really want to replace a Lame Duck with a Puppet? Come on America!! WAKE UP!!!!!

This man has the values of the Republican party. You could be looking at our next president.

Who cares about conservatives after several years of them we all see what a corrupt bunch thieves they are anyone would be a fool to vote for a republican I know the dems are far from perfect BUT they seem to be a lot less hypocritical, judgemental, and corrupt..I say give the dems the same chance given to the GOP for 8+ years and if things don't get better vote the hypocrites/religous right back in office.

the only one that makes any sense out of the GOP is Ron Paul.... oh Freddie what a joke u r....

We've already had one actor too many in the whitehouse.Mr.Thompson should run alright,and he should keep on running until he gets to Canada or Mexico.Maybe we could get Bruce Willis to "take him out" of this race.Thompson will do nothing but set this country back a hundred years!Maybe he could make a movie about what his presidency "might have been like".There would be child labor,women could return to being "property" and slavery would be his solution to illegal immigration!Nobody would be sneaking into the country they would be sneaking out.Of course it would end just like "DR.STRANGELOVE" did because even Matthew Broderick wouldn't be able to stop it!

No one cares. Party's over Freddy Boy...

McCain now has your spot...

Great...

As if we didn't have enough clowns running, the actor from Law and Order throws his hat in...

The guy is just a southern version of Gulianni anyway...but people will figure that out over time...

Huckabee '08!

How can anyone be tough on anything when they're too scared to even debate their opponents or more importantly, can't even make up their mind whether they really want to be president of the United States? Was he affraid his ratings might be affected?

Fred, go back, powder your nose, keep rehearsing your lines and leave this race to those who are truly committed.

US Health Care may leave some people in the dark, yet the it has one of the highest satisfaction ratings from its own citizens. Healthcare may be free in Canada, but for some reason more people have complaints about it than Americans do...and 1 in 10 Americans can already complain they aren't covered. So if we are already that bad off, how can another country recieve worse evaluations that gives everyone care. There is more to this than meets the eye.

Environmental study...what a joke. As a scientist I have to once again reiterate: THERE IS NO CONCENCUS ON GLOBAL WARMING. Climate study models are based on huge extrapolations that can only accurately model small sections and a few elements of the climate curve. This type of thing is classified as "junk science" in the mainstream. It doesn't stand up to peer review, and that's why it relies on politics, not science, to push it along. Kyoto was filled with politicians evaluating science. Many engineers and scientists have signed petitions against the protocol. The math simply isn't there. We will fight CO2 emissions only to discover the world is going to warm and cool on its own. The ice caps have not been here forever, and they will not be here forever. The world changes...science adapts, politics come and go.

Education in the US is a nightmare unless you can afford it. If you can afford it, it's the best in the world. Thousands come to America every year to study in its Universities because they are so plentiful and so good. THAT is driving up education costs along with a number of factors (like rising costs as more students live away from home then ever before).

You can't just simply claim there are problems and not offer viable evidence or solutions. This is all EITHER party wants to offer this election. NONE of these men and women are good enough to be my President. We obviously have a leadership problem when two family names govern the country for 20+ years. Wake up, sheep!

God, help us! another neo-con CFR cronie in the race.

Why did Thompson wait this long, you ask? Because from 9/6 he has ten days to officially file with the FEC. From 9/16 he has fifteen days to report fundraising totals. And what is 10/1? The start of the new fundraising quarter. Thompson intentionally delayed his announcement to get another few months of virtually scrutiny-free raising and spending. Is this the kind of double dealing and duplicity we want in a president?

Thompson is right on the money on what made America a great nation and what it will take to keep us that way. Contrary to popular belief on the left our greatness comes from the power of free and independent individuals working together to solve problems at the lowest level of government – not from centralized government solving our problems for us. This is what our founding fathers envisioned and we sorely need to get back to our roots.

Our salvation certainly will not come from embracing the failed practice of socialism just because other countries are doing it.

The world may have changed, but that does not require a change in basic moral values. Embracing change for the sake of change has led this country to its current sorry state. Immigration laws are not enforced, criminals out on bail are committing more crimes, and politicians on both sides of the aisle create divisiveness for the sake of political favor. We need someone like Fred Thompson who will state the obvious, regardless of how it hurts. We need someone who looks to the future of the country, not the future of their political party.

I guess he had to wait until Carl Rove was free to help him with his speeches. How can anyone take a guy serious when he just now enters the race after the others have been on the road for months. I have noticed that Republicans these days, seem very uniformed and ignorant to what is really going on. It is all about "White Power" for the rich in this country. Poor "white" folk do not see that they are not for them either. No one cares about the poor, black, white, or other. Our gasoline prices are this high so Bush can fund his war, that is why he has not raised taxes, they have been raised through the gas prices. But, once again no one is outraged. We need to start protesting again, people wake up, we are losing our civil liberties each day. We must stop these guys from destroying this country. History dictates that countries can only rule for so long and then their time is up, our time will be up, if they stay in any longer.

Who? I was watching Ron Paul teach everybody a lesson in the debate last night.

Boring, nothing new. Yawn

In Thompson's mind, America needs to re-dedicate ourselves" to the conservative way of life. He thinks thats what made America great. While I agree that the citizens of the U.S. need to dedicate themselves to what makes a country great, conservative ideologies are not that. If that were the case U.S. systems of health care, environmental study and preservation, education, and gun control would not pale in comparison to those of other countries throughout the world. The thing that will make this country great is not low taxes, a war on terror, or the right of every 12 year old to own a gun. No, the saving grace can only be one thing; the ability of the people to adapt their thinking to better fit the world that evolves. Growth comes from change, progression, and new ideas; not from stagnancies, over commitment to the past or dreaming for ideals that have run out of time. The world has changed, my friends, many of the problems we face now exist simply because we have refused to change, find better ways, and look to the examples of our friends and allies.

Maybe some one could answer the question of: when was the last time a senator was elected president? Was it John Kennedy? Just because he hasn't been in office recently doesn't mean that he isn't connect with the Washington system.

So Fred opted to Jay Leno instead of a debate? Is he really a presidential candidate or just playing one on tv?

I'm curious to hear what other readers think...

Either you are running or you intend to run........Fred, as a real person you actually have to make decisions and not follow a script.

Next!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe this guy is still attacking the Clintons. This so called moral family values party has shown to be much less. This republican controlled government has grown and become more expensive than any in history. The special interests are more in control now than ever before. The current president, previous congress and present congress have spent more on their own projects and contractors than our troops. Fred was a lobbyist and will continue to support his buddies in that business. Things were better under President Clinton and yes I would love to see another Clinton in the Whitehouse.

If Freddie Thompson is so doggone happy about being the race...someone should tell his face.

What dirt does Fred Thompson have on CNN? Could you talk about the real candidates for at least half as much as you talk about this goofball?

Southern-Fried Reagan - But, Was He Tall in The Saddle?

Sen. Fred Thompson turn on the "The Tonight Show" was a fairly effective articulation of his emerging "Southern-Fried Reagan" positioning. Strong, plain-spoken, and clear, Thompson focused on restoring pride in America at home and abroad. Was it a "star turn"? Maybe not, but he conveyed the semi-folksy "aura of authenticity" that ought to resonate with the Republican primaries "values voters," while simultaneously priming the general public with what some might describe as the kind of paternal, comforting personality that often resonates with voters in uncertain times.

For skeptical readers - particularly Democrats - who are unimpressed by Sen. Thompson's qualifications, his age, and his experience, we have two simple words: Ronald Reagan. American Presidential campaigns might include clashes of big ideas - but, in the end, elections weigh heavily on tests of likability and faith in a candidate to represent their supporters ideals. And, in the primaries, whether party faithful believe that their preferred candidate has the potential to motivate the base, and turn out more moderate and independent voters in the general election.

That said, Thompson's real contribution to the Republican primaries is a positioning that he is the "real conservative" who has fought for and will continue to fight for the traditional American values held dear by the conservative core of the Republican Party, who also has the name recognition to be electable. Romney, Guiliani, and McCain, each possess backgrounds that challenge their abilities to convey a clear enough "aura" to resonate with the GOPs values-oriented core. Thompson's background is somewhat more "authentic."

At the same time, there is a strong argument to be made, particularly by the Guiliani campaign, that "vales" are not, necessarily, the critical driver of this election, that "national security" is, and that only a more socially-moderate Republican candidate can win a general election. And, under this scenario, Guiliani is the only candidate that can put states such as New York, California, Florida, and New Jersey into play. Possible? Yes. Likely" No.

If Thompson can mobilize Republican "values voters" to win the GOP nomination, he has a very reasonable chance of convincing general election voters that he represents a "safe" and "comfortable" choice in very uncertain times. Americans like to talk about "change," but changes requires the acceptance of "risk."

However, if the regional economies in battleground states such as Ohio get bad enough, "change" won't be view as a risk; it will be viewed as a requirement for basic survival. Here, "values" will matter less than "ideas" and Thompson, or any Republican nominee, will have very tough sledding.

Peter S. Cohl
The Political Brandwagon
http://www.politicalbrandwagon.com

We are with you Fred!

Mr Thompson asks "what kind of country are our children and grandchildren going to grow up in?"

It's a good question Fred. I shutter to think of the kind of country you'd like to leave our kids.

It is a crime, at such a time, to talk about cutting government programs for education, health, etc. while we are languishing due to billions upon billions spent in foreign wars that have eroded our infrastructure almost past the point of no return.

You are showing how out of touch you are, sir, by ignoring healthcare, ignoring global warming, and ignoring the vast majority of American people that recognize Iraq for the complete lie that it is, was and will be whether you're your parties nominee or not.

Even in a race of Republican all time lows, you reach lower. You reach only for the convenient sound bite and the "aw shucks" mentality that George Bush so loves. It is as if you are living in a vacuum since Sept. 11, 2001, and have ignored the events and information that have come to light since.

Would our grandchildren benefit by the continued torture and spying that the current administration has endorsed and you have further advocated?

Would our children be safer in the womb when you consistantly choose the position on abortion that suits your wallet and your political needs rather than your heart?

how dare you lobby for a pro abortion group like Planned Parenthood during your time as a Washington Lobbyist, and then turn around now and tell us how staunchly opposed to Roe v. Wade you are and how in your administration it would be immediately overturned.

This is playing to the stands in the most base, politically pornographic way that I can possibly imagine. You know, as a lawyer, sir, that the President of The United States could never declare such a law totally unconstitutional, it would be up to the states as it is now, but you speak out of political expediency instead of integrity.

That is your way, and it has been for years, even since you accused Nixon of having the Watergate tapes out of one side of your mouth, when you knew damned well he had them because you called him three days earlier to warn him you would ask the question, because now, like then, you like to hedge your bets.

I am SICK and TIRED of double speak and politics as usual. I refuse to allow another politician charm his way into the oval office by whispering sweet nothings into the ears of scared, desperate citizens that men like you have convinced are in constant, mortal danger from all sides.

What you are not telling us, but which you also surely know, is that there is as much danger from internal factors as external, and that no country like our battered Republic has ever fallen due to external forces, they always fall from the internal, the insideuous, the forces like yourself, Mr. Thompson, who can lie with a straight face and blame bad memory or your "everyman attitude" for anything you actually manage to get caught doing.

I am angry at your careless words. I will not stand by the side and watch you grin and pretend to be an ordinary American when in fact, sir, you are a fraud.

You were during Watergate, you were when you were lobbying for the very issues you pretend to now abhor, and you will be every time you step onto a stage big or small and tell the biggest lie of all...

the lie that you care what kind of country our children and their children will grow up in.

All you care about sir, is the same thing you always have... money, power, and fame.

Isn't that what all actors are about after all? That, and their own insecurities, which will no doubt excert themselves by the size of the nuclear weapons you'd just love to build, and use, against any enemy that provides profit and motive for further fear mongering to you.

I wish you luck in your race Mr. Thompson, because you sure as hell need all you can get and if logic, God, and the American people have anything to say in the matter you will be relagated to the dust bin of history next to the neocon hogs that have devastated this country and others.

Thank God he is in the race! Not only a real Republican who understands the proper role of the Federal Government, but an articulate, understandable and electable Republican!

The Nation needs Fred Thompson as President!

As a Tennessean, I think Fred is a good man – as well as a good actor. But his views on abortion and the War of Terror™ aren't going to fly.

Thank you for this video. What a refreshing change to hear Sen. Thompson's ideas and more importantly to hear a candidate talk about his own accomplishments, and not make vague promises for "change". The Democratic candidates promise everything to people through the government. Sen. Thompson says not every issue has a federal answer. "A government big enough to do everything for us, is powerful enough to do anything to us."