Support grows for Fred Thompson White House run
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Support grows for Fred Thompson White House run

Jim Brown

OneNewsNow.com

March 30, 2007

He has yet to formally announce his candidacy, but former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson is moving up in the polls among Republican presidential hopefuls. A close friend of Thompson's who represents the Volunteer State in the U.S. House says the rising popularity of the Law & Order star can be attributed to his "innate leadership ability" and principled conservative views.

A new USA Today/Gallup poll shows Thompson has surpassed former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and is running third behind former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Senator John McCain.

Tennessee Representative Zach Wamp has been leading an effort to rally support in Congress for a Thompson bid. Wamp says when people are looking for a president, they are looking for "strength and trust" -- two things he says Thompson has personified all of his life. "I know his record," says the Tennessee lawmaker. "I am looking for a strong conservative to support -- and I think he can win. I think he can compete and win."

Wamp is not alone in his support for the former senator. "You've got very strong conservative members of Congress like Gresham Barrett in South Carolina, Lynn Westmoreland in Georgia, Jeff Miller in Florida, John Carter in Texas [who] have already said 'I'm on board,'" he shares.

And like those conservative lawmakers, Wamp says people are looking for an alternative to the current Republican field, noting the party needs a "standard-bearer" and a "tough conservative who can stand up to the rest of the world."

"It's pretty obvious the only [GOP candidate] that's gained any traction actually is Rudy Giuliani, and most people don't think that he'll win the nomination because he's not conservative on the major issues," says Wamp. On the other hand, he states, Thompson has a "principally conservative record -- and that's going to be a big issue," he adds.

Thompson, says Wamp, appeals to "a whole lot of people, including Reagan Democrats and Independents. He speaks with authority; he's very comfortable in his own skin. He's a whole lot like Ronald Reagan, and everybody knows it."

The Tennessee congressman says the popular actor is not waiting too late to enter the 2008 presidential race, but rather the other candidates have jumped in too early. He believes Thompson "could enter the race as late as August and not have any problem whatsoever."

The former senator will be in Washington April 18 to meet with more than 50 members of Congress to discuss his possible White House bid. Wamp says the only thing that may prevent Thompson from launching a campaign is the fact that he has two young children; but his wife Jeri is encouraging him to run. Thompson also has contractual obligations to Law & Order and "The Paul Harvey Show," he says.