Redstate

Who, exactly?

As I recall, he hasn't done anything good for free market conservatives in the past decade.

He wants to be their CEO and shut them down or make them healthier.

Would make more sense.

...to "Tommy Thompson"?

Seriously, I assumed it was Fred and thought it was kind of rude to make the 'shrugging' comment.

Everyone likes Fred.

No one knows Tommy.

Interesting welfare reform in WI.  Worked well, we took it national in the 1990s.

And that's about it... otherwise, I got nothing.

I think HHS was a great prize for the work he did.  If he ran for SEN against Kohl, I'd support him in a heartbeat.  But PRES... nah.

Gingrich and Huckabee could both better approach the health care issue than Thompson.

Sorry, Tommy. Your best shot at the White House was the 2nd slot on the Bush ticket in 2000.

Hey, why not run for Senate against Herb Kohl in 2006? That's something constructive to do.

It is a big step up from New York County DA to President, after all.

actors in the past :P

Win one for the Gipper. (or something like that)

Not only no, but HECK no.

Not after that [removed to comply with Redstate.org rules] ephedra ban.

...that my first thought was, "But Hunter's dead."

And that my second was "Then again, it is Hunter that we're talking about, here."

Then I clicked the link and was immediately bored by the result.

I didn't know he was a GOPer. Isn't being dead an impediment?

I guess if you were talking about Tommy Thompson it would be a benefit, but otherwise...

It appears he did not offer his observations unsolicitedly, but rather was asked whether he would ever consider running for president. His response was honest enough: yeah, sure, in this position, anyone would.

As for running against Kohl, that would be great. But, as TGT has noted many times, he's not a legislative type, he's an executive. Compromise is not one of his strengths.

Increasing the size of government. Now, that's one of his strengths.

From Tennessee. For real, not just on screen. Too bad it's not Fred that's declaring.

I watched The Hunt for Red October again last week, and spotted a much younger Fred. I guess I just didn't know who he was when that movie was new.

I would support a TT for president run.  I would prefer a run for senate though.  My main concern for Tommy would be the fact that while he was governor WI's tax bill kept going up...

Fred was just that - an actor. Albeit one who had been a lawyer during the Watergate investigations.

I just really like Law and Order, and his chracter was refreshing after the two liberal DAs.

Exactly my line of thinking as well!

So would Hunter S. Thompson's runningmate be Andy Kaufman?

How bout a Condi/Rudy G ticket?

Now since when has the Senate been a place for people who are good at compromise?

Tommy would be fine in the Senate. There's a segment of senators on both sides who never compromise about anything anymore, and Tommy can just join that group.

The Bill The Cat/Kenny McCormick ticket would wipe the floor with them.

That would really win over the base.

One or the other... maybe.  Both, unlikely.

I am not excited by ANY of the current choices to be completely honest. I hope out of nowhere will come the suprise candidate that will take it all.

Jeb, Sanford, Pawlenty, Owens, and McCain are on my watch list right now.

Would Jeb not be considered too controverial (sp)?

Would that not make the libs need some cheese... a true Bush Dynasty!

Hmm.. Sanford and Pawlenty would be an interesting ticket.. any poll info on how they fair against Hillary?

But that's his only negative (oh and saying he isn't running in a very convincing way).

His positives are that he is very popular in THE swing state.  He puts FL in the R column without much effort.  He is Catholic (swing group).  His wife and children are Hispanic (swing group).  His son, George P, is a leading young Republican leader who oozes politician but with a Spanish tongue and a pretty face.  He would lock in the Bush/Republican Hispanic gains while keeping up the black voter outreach and the Catholic switch-over.

He is more conservative than his brother and more likeable.  He pushed school choice and now FL has some of the best public schools in the country.  No one really dislikes him.

Pretty much he is perfect in all the superficial ways (big swing state GOV, hispanic connection, Catholic) and he is ideological sound and he wins the "who do you want to have a beer with" contest.  Perfect.

Except his name ends with Bush.

differential is too high.  You really can't do head-to-head polls unless name recognition is similar (i.e. McCain vs. Hillary).

The Bush 'dynasty' charge would not work against Jeb  if his opponent is HRC.

What's she going to say "you traded on your famous name to get where you are?"

While she certainly has hubris, even that's too much for her.

I dont think being pro choice is that big a deal IF you take a pledge to appoint strict constructionist judges. After all, the President does not really have much to do with that issue.

  I would vote for Guiliani in a second.

"Except his name ends with Bush."

I voted - cheerfully - for President Bush in '04; if I was a Floridan I wouldn't vote for Jeb in the primary, and it'd take an absolute disaster of a Democratic candidate to convince me to vote for him in the general.  It's not that I dislike the man; but time for some fresh faces, y'know?

Moe

The imagery of hereditary government becomes a little too scary for me to even consider Jeb although what I know of the guy makes him seem far more appealing than his brother in my eyes.

I don't like the dynasty thing.

But first, he was already a politician it wasn't as though he started because of his brother.  They ran for GOV the same year (1994).

Second, he did well in his own right.  In fact, I'd argue he did better than his brother at governing a state both from a governance standpoint and a partisan standpoint (shifting FL to the right).

Third, I don't want to advantage anyone because of their name, but I also don't find it fair to totally cross someone off because of their name.  If he was just another somebody in the crowd of candidates, that'd be one thing.  But he is practically the ideal candidate, except for his last name.

or is hollowed out before the race, Guiliani is PRES in 2008.

If not, I think it will be tough for him.

Fred would be a natural. EVERYONE likes him.

He was also great btw in Die Hard 2, a bunch of episodes of "Wiseguy" in the 1980's, and a few other movies.

I get the idea though that he's sick of politics, particularly the partisan bickering and nonsense coming out of the extreme part of the Democratic Party. I honestly don't think he'll run.

"I don't like the dynasty thing."

It's like beer.  One beer, ever, isn't going to do a darn thing any which way.  Having one now and then is actually supposed to be good for you, overall.  Slamming three one right after the other (particularly when you alternate them with tequila shooters) is a game best left for the younger crowd, as they specialize in not being too bright anyway.

(pause)

Wow.  I actually took that about two metaphors farther than I thought I would before hitting the wall.  :)

Find the Democrat in State-wide office in Texas. Try.

You can credit anyone you like for that, but Bush has got to get some of the props on that. I'm a huge fan of his brother, but let's not forget that big bro' did some work of his own demolishing the Democrats in his State.

Fred Thompson, former Tennessee senator and actor (West Wing) would be great IF he can stay and LOOK healthy.

It's not heredity if the people vote the person in.  

Can we presume that you don't support HRC for the same reason?

Lots of our current government officials are related to previous government officials.  Off the top of my head I can think of:

Evan Bayh (IN) - Dad was a Senator

Lincoln Chafee (RI) - Dad was a Senator

Lisa Murkowski (AK) - Dad was a Senator

Mark Pryor (AR) - Dad was a Senator

Mary Bono (CA) - Husband was a Representative

Lois Capps (CA) - Husband was a Representative

Mrs. Matsui (CA) - Husband was a Representative

The Sanchez sisters of California (House)

The Levin brothers of Michigan (House-Senate)

The Salazar brothers of Colorado (House-Senate)

The Diaz-Balart brothers of Florida (House)

Kendrik Meek (Florida) - Mom was a Representative

Jesse Jackson Jr (Illinois) - (not technically I guess, but close enough)

Harold Ford (Tenessee) - dad was a Representative

Olympia Snowe (her husband was governor)

Ben Cardin and his nephew (nephew is running for his house seat)

The Kennedy father and son duo (and the nephew who left in the 90's) - senate and House

John Dingell (Michigan) Dad was a Representative for like 100 years

Lacy Clay (Missouri) - Dad was a Representative

Russ Carnahan (MO) - Dad was Gov, Mom was Senator

The Blunt father and son duo (MO - Majority Whip and Governor)

Judd Gregg (NH) - Dad was Governor and I think a Senator

John Sununu (NH) - Dad was Governor and WH COS

Elizabeth Dole (NC) - Bob Dole

Shelley Moore Capito (WV) - Dad was a Representative

And throw in Bob Casey Jr. who's running in PA. for Senate - his Dad was Governor

(Apparently I need a hobby if I can come up with this list off my head, I'm sure there's a few more here and there).

Heck, even put McCain in there since his Dad was a very powerful military figure in Vietnam (though I'll give McCain some slack on that since he ran on his own name and experiences).

Looking back through history we have the Presidents Adams, the Presidents Roosevelt, other father-son House-Senate pairings.

So it's not entirely unprecedented nor is it illegitimate for a sibling/relation to run for office even if someone else from the family already made it.

As I said elsehwere, while I don't think Jeb will run (though I wish he would) so long as his opponent is HRC, the whole legacy/dynasty issue becomes moot.  He would just have to explain what he would do as President.

Neither he, nor HRC, should expect to win on the campaign of 'Remember my brother (or husband), vote for me because you liked him so much.'

I could vote for Arthur Branch, but I'm not sure about Fred Thompson.

Both Bushes have done amazingly well in the partisan aspect of governance (as has Mr. Bush as President).  On the governance side, Jeb beats George hands down.  And I think we are seeing the difference at a national level right now.  Jeb would be much better at pitching SS reform, tax reform, and education reform that was conservative (less feds, more choice).  He also believes in small government, which would be nice.

But you are correct that the Bushes have made 2 of the 4 largest states "red" through their efforts.  And I thank them for that.

Presidents William Henry Harrison (his father signed Declaration of Independence and was Gov of VA. Brother and son served in the House) and Benjamin Harrison (grandson) in addition to Presidents Adams and Roosevelt.

Thought I think in the end - if Jeb decides not to run -McCain will get it and pick Fred as his VP. McCain and Thompson would carry 40 states. Even against an HRC/Warner ticket.