Any time a candidate with acting chops and right-wing credentials toys with a presidential run you can bet the conservative base begins to tingle with excitement. Such is the case with former “Law and Order” star Fred Thompson, who formed a presidential exploratory committee yesterday causing many Republican faithful to quiver in anticipation.Things have been looking pretty bleak for the GOP since the '06 elections. None of the front-running presidential candidates have been able to generate much excitement among the conservative base, due to the sin of not being conservative enough. Rudy Giuliani is already taking heat from his former progressive constituents and causing a panic among the right. Mitt Romney’s religion is an obvious stumbling block for many conservatives. And John McCain is just too damn old. Enter stage left: Fred Thompson, who will no doubt bring his thespian gravitas to bear while vying for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination. Thompson often garners rhetoric like “presidential” or “strong” and why not? The liberal New York Times once summed up Thompson’s characters in this wise:
"The glowering, hulking Mr. Thompson has played a White House chief of staff, a director of the Central Intelligence Agency, a highly placed F.B.I. agent, a rear admiral, even a senator. When Hollywood directors need someone who can personify governmental power, they often turn to him."
Oh my gosh, can you say Reagan-esque?
The Republican’s love the idea of someone acting his way through office. Except this seems to work best with former actors dreaming of a larger stage. The current president was last seen way off-script and totally over budget. Fred Thompson on the other hand brings a certain professionalism and experience to the task. He’s even played two former presidents (Ulysses S. Grant and Andrew Jackson) while carrying a striking resemblance to Gerald Ford. Hello? The man is pretty much overqualified for the role of real-life president of the United States.
And you know who left the door open for Thompson’s vie for power? Yes, Al Gore. Thompson won the 1994 Tennessee Senatorial election to take Al Gore’s expired seat. Does it get any more delicious than that? The man who could cripple the Democratic Party got his start by replacing the man who once crippled the Democratic Party. That’s like something out of a movie!
The GOP faithful are watching Thompson closely as he prepares to strap on a set and star in a role that will shock you. Yes, you’ve seen him put criminals behind bars. You’ve seen him star along side Alec Baldwin while searching for Sean Connery in a rogue Russian submarine. But you've never seen anything like this. Now Fred Thompson is back, and this time it's personal. Are you ready for his greatest performance yet? Fred Thompson *is* Presidential! Coming soon to a ballot near you.
One of my previous articles is now being featured on the front page of Helium. Helium is a web page for opinionated writers (how could I resist?) and the article features my thoughts on Fred Thompson. It was written about four months ago so it's a little dated but the gist of it continues to ring true in my opinion. Fred Thompson, who has not even declared his candidacy, is currently ahead of John McCain and Mitt Romney and only trails Rudy G. 
