. . . over at The Tygrr Express. Most of these queries are things I'd ask those people personally, and all of them would put 'em through a head trip I'd like to watch.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 01:21 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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They discuss taxes, Fred's political/philosophical development, the stakes involved in when/how we leave Iraq, military spending, abortion and the Supremes—and why a guy with a happy home life and a new family would want to run the horrific gauntlet of a Presidential primary/campaign.

Best quotes:

"Having one more good man in the primaries isn't going to hurt."

And: "I've told John [McCain] that we were friends before this, and we'll be friends after it's over—unless he beats me." (Note to my other proofreader friends: it was a joke.)

One of the most interesting moments in the video was when Robinson suggested, "so, you have a gut feeling that you're the most electable, but you'll let the voters decide that." Thompson agreed, remarking that he simply didn't think this was the moment for someone from "the other side of the aisle" to take the reins.

I was impressed by his assertion that it was time for average Americans to make some sacrifices in order to win the War on Terror—and to face our other upcoming security challenges. To me, this suggests that he may plan on actually communicating with the country—keeping the American people in the loop. I think the country is ready for that. Ready for some communicating, Great or otherwise. [/obligatory Reagan reference; how tiresome to make it—and yet, this issue of communication/PR has been a non-trivial deficiency in the Bush '43 administration]

So an announcement will be formality at this point. Fred's in. And, yes, James: as a matter of fact, I am excited about it.

Via Insty.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 04:24 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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Apparently, CNN is in rare form:

CNN supposedly picked "likely Republican voters" -- both actual Republicans and right-leaning indepedents -- to ask the candidates questions.

Let's see how scorchingly liberal the questions are.

Off to a good start -- a woman who lost her husband brother to the war wants to know how to get us out of Iraq.

I'm so surprised CNN found this questioner!

Why, you'd think liberals had some sort of premeditated strategy to put forward victims to push their policies or something!

More! Environmentalism, prescription drug subsidies, and now, from the affiliate's handpicked (liberal) blogger, a question as to whether or not to install a Canadian style single-payer national health care system!

Wow! These "likely Republican voters" sure are reflecting my concerns and interests!

I'm glad I skipped the debate. Maybe someone will bait Fred! into another mini video tomorrow, which would at least liven things up a bit.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 03:20 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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. . . it begins.

The "I'm With Fred" slogan/identifier is very clever, reminiscent of "Join Arnold," or "I Like Ike." And using it as the site's URL is another way of separating F. Thompson from the rest of the pack.

Hackbarth is concerned about how the Fred! strategy will affect the primaries:

If Thompson goes the “travel little but make up for it with big gulps of the internet” he won’t win the nomination. Iowa and New Hampshire voters are spoiled. They expect and demand candidates suck up to them in person in private homes and at town hall meetings. How can a candidate have a good ground game when the he doesn’t bother covering much ground?

The question becomes: how addicted are voters in Iowa and New Hampshire to having their asses kissed? Or, to put it less bluntly, will they get enough hard data on where Fred stands to feel comfortable voting for him without a lot of hand-holding? And if they are accustomed to acting as the presidential gatekeepers, can they set their egos aside and vote for a man on his merits, rather than based on how much time he spends in their states?

Fred!'s advantage here is the fact that he doesn't necessarily want the job of President: he's being drafted. So an unorthodox campaign might just work. The danger, as I see it, lies in the fact that most people still get their news from the mainstream media rather than the web. And the producers of segments for television like soundbites. They like to send reporters to cover the news on the ground. So people like my mother won't have much of a sense that Fred! is really running, unless he makes a splash despite being physically absent.

The whole thing is a huge gamble, but if Thompson wins, he wins big. A strong showing in the first few primaries despite the "travel little" strategy will be big, big news.

And then the MSM will come to Fred!

Posted by: Attila Girl at 05:35 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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