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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Picture of the Day - 2
















I don't get the Thompson "mancrush." Even in his suit, he just does not look presidential to me. He looks old.

(I liked this photo because it captures the lie of the red pickup. He's in his Iowa state fair clothes with his hokey popcorn about to board his private jet.)

(Former Tennessee U.S. Senator and potential Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson holds a bag of popcorn before boarding his plane at the Des Moines International Airport after visiting the Iowa State Fair August 17, 2007. The picture was taken through a fence. REUTERS/Joshua Lott)

posted by mikevotes at 2:27 PM

6 Comments:

  • So, what, is Fred supposed to drive from Virginia to Iowa in a pickup,and then drive back? This is a national race, not one confined to a single state. With his schedule, it would be a waste of Fred's time to do anything other than what he's doing - which is leasing a small bizjet.

    By Blogger Josh Painter, at 5:17 PM  

  • No, not at all. The mention of the red pickup was to highlight the fact that even as he pretended to be a simple man from Tennessee, he really wasn't. It was a part he was playing.

    Just like the part he was playing at the Iowa fair, just like the part he's playing in his campaign.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 9:08 PM  

  • Maybe that was too harsh. It's a gut reaction to the "Gucci loafers at the Iowa State Fair" narrative.

    Thompson was a well heeled insider for many, many years in Washington, and now that he needs the public again, he's trying to put on the "aw shucks/little lawyer from Tennessee" part again.

    I think that's what I'm reacting to.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 9:13 PM  

  • Fred comes from a modest blue-collar background. He was the fist one in his family to go to college, which he paid for by working various jobs from driving a truck to working in a bicycle factory.

    So his film and TV appearances have made him well to do. So what? Gucci loafers or no, he hasn't forgotten his humble beginnings.

    By Blogger Josh Painter, at 9:57 PM  

  • I'll certainly agree on the humble beginnings.

    But I find it hard to believe that this longtime Washington lobbyist is much of an outsider. (And his flashy wife doesn't say humble so much either.)

    And, I don't want to argue. These are things that resonate with the impressions I have of Fred Thompson. My comments are about my feelings towards the guy.

    Maybe I overexpress because I just don't see what everyone else does that puts him in the top tier.

    To me he's a short term, fairly undistinguished Senator who has an actors polished delivery.

    I'm not trying to argue. Just expressing an opinion.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 10:08 PM  

  • This is nuts. If it wasn't for L&O, we wouldn't be talking about Fred Thompson.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:18 AM  

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