The Fred Thompson Niche

The opening for Fred Thompson is created by the pitfalls of the top 3 GOP contenders.  Rudy Giuliani is pro-choice, and has been historically more liberal than most conservatives are comfortable with.  Mitt Romney has a YouTube problem.  Clips from Romney’s Senate and Gubernatorial campaigns directly contradict his current abortion stances.  His views on campaign finance have also been altered.  Regardless of whether or not these conversions are honest, some conservatives remain skeptical.  McCain’s campaign has found itself of the wrong side of 2 huge issues: Iraq and immigration.

With these shortfalls, an opening for Fred Thompson, a charismatic man with a conservative record in the Senate, was created.  As news of his lobbying efforts for a pro-choice organization surfaced, some media outlets dismissed the impact of this by saying, “Well, Rudy and Mitt are doing well despite the concerns over their positions.”

In my opinion, this argument just does not work.  Thompson’s viability depended on him filling a niche.  Now, he is looking more and more like the candidates who the electorate remain uncomfortable with.

Thompson still is able to portray himself as a “daddy figure.”  His Hollywood characteristics will serve him will.  His ability to inject humor, a la his video response to Michael Moore, will also be a benefit to his candidacy.  However, time will tell whether or not Thompson can withstand the scrutiny that comes with being a presidential candidate.