"Who are the 'Fredheads'?"

*shrugs* "Beats me..."

This is a man who is really interested in the grassroots, I tells ye. Doesn't even know enough about his prime supporters.

Must make you feel good, Karol. All warm and fuzzy.

And my God, was he boring and slovenly. And lets not even think about the comb-over.

Has to be prodded to mention the campaign website.

He really doesn't look like he has even an ounce of energy or passion.

Debates "denigate the office of the job... there's stuff I wanna do as President." Can he sound more dictatorial? You don't get that same feeling of hubris when you listen to the words come out of his mouth?

But he was an actor, like Reagan. Good enough for some...

Sean, obviously it's not good enough for me but there are still a lot of things I like about Fred and one TV appearance isn't going to change that. Yes, the lack of energy or passion sobered me but the fact that he didn't know what a Fred-head was didn't matter--I never heard the term until tonight though supposedly I am one.

Sean,
I think your criticism of Thompson would be more interesting if you compared him to another candidate - somebody you'd rather vote for. I haven't decided who I'll vote for in primaries, and I'm sure there are many people like me reading this.

Not that I'm a Fred Thompson supporter, but I'm really surprised by your take. I thought he came off brilliantly well. His answers were articulate, funny, and dignified, not to mention short and to the point.

I guess you were more concerned about his body language than with what he was actually saying, but I thought that was well-done too: he came across as affable and not desperately seeking power (a perception that, I think, bedevils most of the other front-runners in both parties to some extent). If you didn't concentrate too much, you might think he already *was* president.

I'll look at the full thing later when I have audio, but I can make a fashion analysis for now. Fred is very, very tall and should generally wear a three-button jacket, which can be buttoned solely in the middle, especially if it's tailored in the British style where the left lapel rolls slightly over the top buttonhole. Fred's jacket was clearly American style but can still be done on the middle button only. I personally prefer to completely unbutton a single-breasted jacket when sitting down, so that the buttons' threads aren't stressed. Keeping it buttoned may have been why his jacket looked ill-fitting.

Still, I love the purple shirt and tie (diagonal, big-contrast stripes are IN, baby). A real man who isn't afraid to wear purple won't be afraid to stand up to our enemies. A black or dark blue suit would have better fit the shirt and tie colors, but he was probably told to wear something lighter so as not to look stuffy.

I don't really mind a not-doin'-much President. The Good Ship USA does a pretty good job of keeping itself going, and the captain really only needs to keep it from getting too out of round. The prospect of yet ANOTHER, I'm-a-dirty-conniver-and-selling-myself-as-a-builder-of-an-XYZ-utopia idiot makes me ill.