Commentators are citing the unpredictability of the Republican primary
contests as proof that Reagan conservatism is dead when precisely the
opposite conclusion is warranted. The main reason the conventional wisdom is being shattered in
the primaries is that conservative voters, so far, have not been
persuaded there is an electable, reliable conservative in the race.
But as I've stated before, I believe Fred Thompson is a
reliable, consistent conservative. There are others in the field I
could support, but not without some reservations. The more I learn
about Fred and observe him in action, the more convinced I become that
he's the right choice.
I was among those who urged Fred to step up and prove to the
people he wanted the job. Regardless of whether Fred actually had "fire
in his belly," the unmistakable perception out there was that he did
not, so I encouraged him to add a little spring to his step.
But I've also appreciated Fred's unwillingness to be somebody
he is not. He will not respond like a puppet when a debate moderator
tells him to raise his hand to signify a childishly simplistic approval
or disapproval of a certain policy. He will not be goaded by
interviewers into saying things he doesn't feel comfortable saying. He
won't divide us with class envy or pretend we can be friends with rogue
regimes or terrorists. He does not promise a chicken in every pot or pander to liberals on global warming.
He will not otherwise tailor his positions to suit the demands
of particular constituencies. For example, he has the courage to preach
that Social Security is in trouble, but unlike most others, he doesn't
surrender to the oppressive populist seduction to urge government fixes
for it or for healthcare. Instead, he courageously tells us — if we'll
listen — that the answers lie in greater market forces. (Listen up,
conservatives.)
Fred does not run from his record; more to the point, he
doesn't need to. He shoots straight without the constant self-serving
reminders that he does, as in telling us he's driving the "Straight
Talk Express."
More importantly, Fred is right on the issues, and there's
little doubt his positions are firm. Research his stances; read his
position papers. You'll find he's very strong in all areas important to
mainstream conservatives, including national defense, taxes, spending,
life, immigration, federalism, appointing originalist judges,
healthcare, and education.
I'm not drooling over Fred or saying his record is flawless,
but I am saying he's the real deal, and it's a bit disappointing that
more haven't taken a closer look.
I think this is due partly to his laid-back personality and
partly to his timing. He peaked about the time he was contemplating
entering the race but not acting on it. By the time he jumped in, it
was anticlimactic, and he still hasn't recovered from that reversal.
There has also been a negative momentum hovering over his
already-stalled campaign, acting as a psychological barrier to his
catching fire among conservative voters.
There is simply too much herd mentality among us about
electability. We tell ourselves a candidate is not inspiring, then
pretty soon we're convinced he's unelectable, and, voila, he almost
becomes so. Yet, at that very moment, he's proving to us that he is
quite presidential, quite electable and quite motivated for the job —
if we can only shed our predispositions against his "electability." Since electability is often a matter of collective perception,
it can turn on a dime, as with the reversal of the respective fortunes
of screaming Howard Dean and somniferous John Kerry in 2004.
This primary season, relatively speaking, has just begun. But
Fred is now up against the wall. How can we expect him to have done
much better than he has to date with everyone prattling on about the
overwhelming odds against him? The "experts" continue to be wrong at
almost every turn, so why can't they be wrong about Fred, too?
It's time to quit empowering them by following their dictatorial
doom-prophecies. It’s encouraging that John Zogby's latest South
Carolina poll shows that while levels of support for McCain and
Huckabee "have remained static," Fred is starting to move up. Supporters have asked Fred to step up, and he has — he has
shone brilliantly in the last month, setting himself head and shoulders
above the pack in many cases. Now it's time for conservative voters to
step up and quit placing artificial limitations on Fred, and on
themselves. Fred has answered the conservatives' call. Shouldn't we answer his?
David Limbaugh is a writer, author, and attorney. His book
"Bankrupt: The Intellectual and Moral Bankruptcy of Today's Democratic
Party" (Regnery) was recently released in paperback. To find out more
about David Limbaugh, please visit his Web site at
www.davidlimbaugh.com.
© 2008 Creator's Syndicate Inc. | 
