Did You Know...

I make no secret of how impressed I am with both Fred Thompson’s grasp on big-picture ideas and his ability to communicate them. Looking back, I think one of the main wellsprings of support for his candidacy right at the beginning was his series of radio commentaries, where he filled in for Paul Harvey on ABC radio (and filling in for Paul Harvey? That itself was a pitch-perfect choice of venue.)

Those transcripts were published, and I was surprised to see they held up on their own in black-and-white, even without Fred’s serious-but-warm rack ‘em, stack ‘em, and pack ‘em rumble coming through the speakers. Bloggers linked his commentaries and discussed them, and the Fred Bubble was born. The commentaries stopped, and the bubble began to deflate.

Even Fred’s detractors on the right acknowledged that he really had something in his platform–they just doubted whether he was the one to deliver it. I’m glad we got to know him, but it makes what we’re forced to settle for all the more bitter.

Well, here’s a silver lining within the radioactive cloud of choking, deadly malaise and defeatism gripping the GOP: Townhall has signed up Fred to blog.

Bookmark it.

First entry is a humdinger:

…change – whether it “real change,” “bold change” or the “change we can believe in” variety others are selling – isn’t itself an innovative policy or a particularly strong leadership stance. In fact, from Burke to Buckley, there has been an acknowledgement that change in the political arena is inevitable and necessary, and we in the U.S. tend to experience it in regular, 2, 4 and 6 year intervals, so 2008 is hardly our first rodeo. The challenge for conservatives is calibrating whether the change being proposed is consistent with our principles and our philosophy, and whether that change is appropriate.

The man can work Edmund Burke, William F. Buckley, and a rodeo metaphor into a single post. And it gets better–he’s talking about relating current policy to our fundamental principles, and says that’s what he wants the blog to be all about, and he even gets in a dig at the Tom Davis “endorse S-CHIP!” Republicans who want to turn the party into Democrat Lite (now with 40% less appeasement!)

_____________
Speaking of appeasement: it’s not just Barry O who bristles when you bring that up. Warren Christopher doesn’t like how he’s portrayed in an HBO movie about the 2000 Florida election crisis, either:

He is depicted as backing away from confrontation during a meeting with Mr. Baker, seeking compromise and negotiation as the Republicans prepare for war.

A Democratic Secretary of State, seeking compromise and negotiation in the face of committed adversaries? Pure Hollywood fantasy, of course. Perish the thought.

______

P.S.–Remember how we weren’t supposed to vote for Fred because he was bald, old, and as a U.S. Senator, lacked managerial experience?

Whew. Glad we dodged that bullet.

_____________________

UPDATE: Michelle points out that the reaction to Fred’s return in his comments is not quite as enthusiastic as mine.

Fair enough. But he’s a better advocate and pundit than he was a candidate. I’m glad to hear someone talking about fundamental principles and conservative ideals; shame it’s not the nominee or the party leadership.

{Post by See-Dubya, not Michelle.}