NJ Supports Fred Thompson

New Jersey Thompson Supporters to Back Mitt

2008-01-24T08:58:00.001-08:00

Breaking News: Guy Gregg, Sean Connelly, Tim Howes and Donald O'Sullivan all have agreed to back Governor Mitt Romney. Governor Romney is the last, best hope we have for a politician who can unite the Reagan coalition in this election cycle.

John McCain, while an American hero, has a legislative record that makes him poison for conservatives. Indeed, a new poll released yesterday reveals that only 4 per cent of former Thompson supporters would support McCain.

Mike Huckabee, as reported in this blog, is a pro-life liberal with suspect ethics. In addition, he left the Arkansas GOP in a shambles.

Rudy Giuliani is a great leader and would be strong in many areas, but he will not be able to lead a coalition that includes social conservatives. Without social conservatives, he can not win a national election.

Ron Paul is just flat out not an option. He is a good guy, but he is not an option.

Mitt Romney is the only candidate that has been effective in reaching out to all parts of the Reagan coalition. His service in the private sector and his experience as a leader in the private and public sectors is impressive. He deserves the support of FredHeads.

Thompson Switchboards, Website Light Up With Calls from Supporters

2008-01-21T14:13:00.000-08:00

While the punditocracy and Republican opponents are speculating about Fred leaving the race, and writing him off all together, the switchboards and servers at Thompson headquarters tell a different story.

Well-wishers and supporters from all over the nation have flooded HQ with calls pleading with Fred to continue. Contributions online have continued, so supporters are putting their money where their mouth is.

The New Jersey contingency is no different. We are united in our desire for Fred to continue. He is the only consistent conservative in the race and the candidate with the best chance to unite all portions of the Reagan coalition.

The Huck was mortally wounded by his loss in South Carolina. He limps into Florida. Rudy is not even leading in his own backyard (Connecticut and New Jersey now lean toward McCain). he limps into Florida. Paul hasn't registered much actual support. He is irrelevant. Hunter and Tancredo, good Republicans both, have withdrawn. This race is still up in the air.

The nation and the GOP are waiting to hear what Fred will do next.

Of all sad words of tongue or pen . . .

2008-01-19T16:53:00.000-08:00

the saddest are these: 'It might have been'.

Fred did everything you can ask of a candidate. He raised money. He won debates. He worked a heavy schedule of campaign stops. Victory just wasn't there to be had.

He is the best president in the race, but he is not going to be elected, sadly. He's a great American.

Fred Beats All Republicans Entered in NJ Straw Poll

2008-01-19T15:01:00.000-08:00

Team Thompson showed well for the second week in a row at a straw poll. Following on our strong second place finish in the Middlesex GOP Presidential Preference Straw Poll, Fred finished second in the Conservatives with Attitude! straw poll in Woodbridge today.

He finished second to the trespasser from the Libertarian Party, Ron Paul. Judging from the bumper stickers, the band of merry men and women who infested the event were for the most part Libertarian interlopers. Of the Republicans, the finish was as follows:

Fred Thompson 27
Mitt Romney 22
Mike Huckabee 15
Rudy Giuliani 15
Duncan Hunter 4
John McCain 2

The event was a beautiful event, hosted by GOPUSA-NJ at the Forge in Edison. Organizers Richard Ross, Dan Gallic, Mike Ilions and Hank Butehorn should all be applauded for a top shelf event that featured two sitting assemblymen and one former assemblyman speaking as surrogates for the candidates.

Hon. Guy Gregg, former 24th District Assemblyman, spoke eloquently on behalf of Senator Thompson. Guy once again showed why he is considered one of the best, if not the best, conservative orators in the State of New Jersey. He was the best of an excellent bunch of speakers.

Fred Rides Wave of Success into Today's Primary

2008-01-19T04:56:00.000-08:00

First National Right to Life endorsed him. Then Fred refused to raise his hand in answer to a question from a liberal debate moderator, and won the Iowa debate. The Hands Down bus tour catapulted Fred to a strong third in Iowa.

On to South Carolina. Human Events, the gold standard of conservative publications endorsed Fred. This week David Limbaugh endorsed Fred, then conservative radio commentator Mark Levin urged South Carolina Republicans to vote for him today. Hundreds of Fred Heads from all over the republic, including one of our own, Jim Granelli, flocked to South Carolina to campaign. The Hands Down bus tour has made fifty-plus stops. Fred has spoken to Republicans in packed venues.

This sounds like a recipe for success. Republicans in South Carolina vote today in a presidential primary that could change the course of our nation's history. The polls close at 7:00 pm EST.

Huckabee Makes "10 Most Wanted" List of Corrupt Pols

2008-01-18T12:37:00.000-08:00

Judicial Watch is a non-partisan legal group that investigates and prosecutes civil suits against corruption and corrupt politicians. At the close of 2007, Judicial Watch announced Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians List for the year.

The list consisted of four Republicans and six Democrats, all of whom are nationally prominent.

Maybe there is something in the water in Little Rock. The line leader is former Arkansas First Lady, Hon. Hilary Rodham Clinton. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee was number six on the list. The Judicial Watch site contained the following summary on the Huck's record.

"Governor Huckabee enjoyed a meteoric rise in the polls in December 2007, which prompted a more thorough review of his ethics record. According to The Associated Press: “[Huckabee’s] career has also been colored by 14 ethics complaints and a volley of questions about his integrity, ranging from his management of campaign cash to his use of a nonprofit organization to subsidize his income to his destruction of state computer files on his way out of the governor’s office.” And what was Governor Huckabee’s response to these ethics allegations? Rather than cooperating with investigators, Huckabee sued the state ethics commission twice and attempted to shut the ethics process down."

In Huck's defense, he is a former Baptist minister, and is pro-life.

But then again, so is former New Jersey Assemblyman Al Steele. Steele is a pastor of a protestant church in Passaic County NJ. Steele was charged by the feds last year in a corruption sting. He will be taking a leave of absence from the pulpit as he spends time in the Greybar Hotel.

Huckabee: "Constitution is a Living, Breathing Document"

2008-01-18T07:38:00.000-08:00

On CNN this morning, Governor Huckabee made a remarkable statement, one that sounded like it could have come from Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton or the late Justice Brennan. He stated that the United States Constitution is a "living, breathing document"!

Conservatives believe that there are core principles embodied in the consitution. Conservatives want to appoint judges and justices who are strict constructionists because jurists who believe in a living, breathing document are jurists who will impose their own ideology through raw judicial power.

This message needs to get out.

Huckabee Supporters Slime Fred in South Carolina

2008-01-18T05:43:00.000-08:00

Common Sense Issues, Inc. has brought the political dark arts back to the South Carolina Republican Primary. The ironically-named group is running unethical and misleading "push poll" telephone calls.

Push polling is a technique in which a negative message is cloaked in a telephone call that pretends to be an opinion poll. The following hypothetical telephone call would be considered a push poll:

Question: Whom do you support for the Republican nomination for president: A. Fred Thompson, b. Duncan Hunter, c. John McCain, d. Mike Huckabee, e. Mitt Romney, f. Ron Paul, g. Rudolph Giuliani?

Answer: D. Mike Huckabee

Question: Would it change your opinion if you knew that Mr. Huckabee's son had been thrown out of Boy Scout camp for animal cruelty?

or

Question: Would it change your opinion if you knew that Mr. Huckabee and his son sodomized cadavers?

Now, clearly neither Mr. Huckabee nor his son have ever sodomized cadavers, but you get the idea. Hopefully, South Carolina Republican voters are smarter than all that, and can look past this dirty trick performed on behalf of the Lord's Candidate.

There is only one consistent conservative in the race. That is Fred Thompson.

NJ Leftists Setting Up Future Whining

2008-01-15T13:46:00.000-08:00

The far left is at it again. The Coalition for Peace Action is already trying to undermine the public's confidence in the election provess. The Coalition for Peace Action, a collection of moveon.org types, has been pushing the State of New Jersey to use paper ballots in the presidential primary.

That's right, they WANT paper ballots.

For whatever reason, they don't trust the machines. I don't know why they don't trust the machines in NJ. After all, the bulk of them are manufactured by a close ally of Venezuelan Marxist Hugo Chavez. Chavez, a close ally of the Kennedy family (see Chevron Oil ads in which Kennedy appears), is no friend of the Republican Party.

Nevertheless, the left's template has a spot for complaining about valid election results.

Paper ballots cause problems - see Palm Beach County 2000. They are a last resort, to be used only in an emergency. Where hundreds of thousands of ballots in 21 counties are used, you are just asking for a problem, and for an increase in recounts and election challenges.

New Poll Confirms Rudy's Garden State Chances Withering

2008-01-15T07:58:00.000-08:00

In a recent post, I reported the results of the Middlesex County GOP straw poll, and observed that Mayor Giuliani's support in that poll had dropped dramatically. In a new poll, for the first time, Rudy is not leading in NJ.

In a poll released this morning, Senator John McCain is leading in New Jersey. This is a disaster for the Giuliani campaign, which has no doubt been counting on NJ's 52 delegates. The Giuliani campaign employs some outstanding New Jersey people. His campaign manager is a gifted and devoted New Jersey Republican. One of his key field people, Amanda Gasperino, is a respected Republican operative.

New Jersey is key for Giuiliani. The campaign is desperate to keep NJ in Rudy's column. Indeed, one person recently asked to be a county coordinator for Rudy is actually a Fred Thompson voter. The request was an offer that the person couldn't refuse. Just another anecdote that indicates where Rudy stands in NJ.

All of this points to a McCain-Thompson show down.

Should Fred "hit" McCain?

2008-01-14T11:56:00.000-08:00

I have been hearing a lot of calls for Fred to attack Senator McCain. Certainly Senator McCain has gained momentum thanks to the publicity following his win in New Hampshire. With that attention will come some attacks from different quarters, and the urge to attack the perceived frontrunner.

While people have encouraged the campaign to attack McCain, Fred has not done so. Frankly, I support the strategy, at least for the present. For now, Fred must resist the calls to attack Senator McCain.

Fred has established that this Republican primary is a battle for the heart and soul of the national Republican party. To win the fight for the heartsand minds of the Republicans, Fred must first establish himself as the standard-bearer for the conservative wing of the party, the philosophical heir of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan.

Fred has established his conservative bonafides. No one disputes that he is a consistent conservative. However, there are still pretenders to the conservative mantle: Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney. (For better or worse Duncan Hunter is not a factor. He is a good Republican and a conservative, but not really a factor.)

Both Governor Huckabee and Governor Romney are flawed. Governor Huckabee is a pro-life liberal. Governor Romney has taken some strong conservative positions during the campaign. However, only time will tell whether these are really his positions. In order to become the conservative standard bearer, Fred must first defeat the conservative pretenders, or at least knock them back considerably.

So right now, Fred is not in direct competition for votes with Senator McCain as much as he is in direct competition with Governor Huckabee and Governor Romney. To start a war of words with Senator McCain at this point would not be prudent. You can not fight on all fronts at all times. It just does not work. Fred has chosen the candidate with whom he is in most direct competition, Mike Huckabee, and has drawn some very strong contrasts.

Once Fred wins South Carolina and emerges from Super Tuesday with some other victories (say Georgia and Tennessee), it will be more clear that he is the conservative leader. As the Giuliani campaign continues to deteriorate, the Rockefeller Republicans will look to their second choice, and that second choice will probably be Senator McCain.

Then the time will come when Fred is matched up against Senator McCain. Fred would be the Reagan to McCain's Ford, or the Goldwater to McCain's Rockefeller. Then the strong contrasts will abound, but not until then. First things first.

Vote Your Conservative Conscience, Dammit!

2008-01-13T18:23:00.000-08:00

I have never heard anyone say that Fred Thompson was unqualified to serve as president of the United States. I haven't heard too many people say that he was wrong on the issues. But I have heard from people are reluctant to vote for Fred because he (1) got in the race too late or (2) it's too late for him.

People like to sound smart. If I had a nickel for everyone who thought they were smart, then I'd be about as rich as Mitt Romney. People like to sound smart by talking about the horse race instead of talking about the issues. That is, they overthink the thing.

Like Crash Davis said to Nuke Laloosh in Bull Durham: "Don't think. It hurts the team."

That's right. Some people think TOO MUCH. The simple fact is that if people would just go into the voting booths in the Republican primary and vote their consciences, then Fred would win. So you just need to go out there and remind people to just vote their conscience.

And don't forget the Conservatives with Attitude! straw poll this coming Saturday in Woodbridge.

Middlesex Result Shows Rudy Dropping Even in Jersey

2008-01-13T15:30:00.000-08:00

Rudy Giuliani, once the inevitable Rudy Giuliani, is now just plain old ex-mayor Rudy Giuliani. His campaign professionals are now working as volunteers, and his poll numbers are plummeting.

Yes, he won the Middlesex County GOP straw poll yesterday. He won it with 38% of the votes. Fred ran second with 16% and according to one conservative blogger had the best organization at the event. While he won, his margin and share of votes plummeted since the last time the Middlesex GOP held a straw poll.

Last year, he won with 60% of the vote. Thus, his share has plummeted by 22 points.

Today one of Rudy's key supporters in NJ, a member of what used to be the NJGOP machine, acknowledged that he and other Giuliani supporters should be thinking carefully about their second choice for president.

Rudy is beatable in New Jersey. Should Fred's surge continue, he might just be the man to upset Rudy here.

Fred Finishes Second at Middlesex GOP Convention

2008-01-12T13:07:00.001-08:00

This morning the Friends of Fred Thompson made a statement in the Garden State. They showed that Fred has very strong support, even in the shadow of the city that Rudy Guiliani ruled for eight years.

The Middlesex County Republican Committee held its presidential preference convention this morning at the Forge in Woodbridge. The Thompson Team arrived early, and decorated the place with Fred08 signs. They distributed literature and worked the floor. And they got results.

Despite the fact that Senator McCain and Governor Romney have very high level support amongst the NJGOP - basically every machine Republican in New Jersey that is not supporting Rudy - their political muscle could not stand up to the Thompson surge.

When the convention cast its votes, Fred finished second behind the favorite of the NJGOP machine, Rudy Guiliani. Congratulations Fred.

Fred Picks up some delegates in Wyoming

2008-01-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

It seems that the punditocracy has forgotten how a nomination is won. A nomination is won by the candidate with the most delegates. So far, Governor Huckabee has ZERO delegates. Under GOP rules, the caucuses don't determine delegates in Iowa. In the most unreported story of the day, Fred Thomspon came in second in the Wyoming GOP caucuses, winning two delegates to the national convention.

Mitt Romney won. There are two reasons for Mitt's victory: (1) he used his money to flood Wyoming Republicans with mail; and (2) there is a large Mormon presence in Wyoming.

That being said, Fred's consistent conservative message won him actual, real-live, in-the-flesh Republican delegates. Combined with his solid third place finish in Iowa and his victory in the New Hampshire debate last night, the little quiet win in Wyoming should keep the Good Ship Thompson on course toward the inevitable victories on Super Tuesday.

Romney in Huge Trouble; Fred meets expectations

2008-01-03T18:11:00.000-08:00

Mitt Romney spent a small fortune to win 24% of the vote in Iowa, putting him in a must-win scenario in New Hampshire. It's not just the second place finish, but the fact that he was closer to third than to second that gives him the whiff of death.

If the numbers hold up, Fred is meeting expectations with a solid third place finish in Iowa. Conventional wisdom says that there are three tickets out of Iowa, and Fred appears to have one of them.

Showdown Tonight in Iowa

2008-01-03T13:32:00.000-08:00

At 7:00 pm Central Time, some 80,000 Republicans in Iowa will go to caucus to determine the Iowa GOP's presidential preference. They will sit down at a location in their precinct, take care of some local business, then discuss their presidential preferences.

After the discussion, they will vote by paper ballot.

One thing is for sure: The race will not be settled in Iowa.

If either Huckabee or Romney win, they were supposed to do well, after all. A win or a strong second in Iowa does not propel them to the nomination. It merely keeps them in the game. But what happens if Fred wins?

"Friday Night Lights"

2008-01-01T19:32:00.000-08:00

The book of "Friday Night Lights" was most directly about an elite high school football team from the Texas oil patch. There were, however, some high quality political insights that help us understand what Mike Dukakis and John Kerry lacked, and what Mike Huckabee has.

The season was 1988. George HW Bush was running for president in an era in which the Texas-Louisiana oil patch was in a severe depression (not recession) because oil was at an all time low, as low as $11 per barrel, due to Republican policies, namely the mutual defense treaty that President Reagan signed with Saudi Arabia in 1982. Still, Bush 41 managed to win the oil patch in a convincing manner. How?

Author H.G. Bissinger was at his most eloquent when he penned the following passage:

"Dukakis forces in Texas thought they could win the state on the basis of the economy. They thought that the issues of gun control and the Pledge of Allegiance were emotional fads that would quickly die out. They never thought that Bush's rhetoric, a kinder, gentler version of the 'Morton Downey Show' would have much lasting effect. . .

Perhaps just once Dukakis should have left the rarfied atmosphere of Boston and Harvard that seemed to entrap him no matter where he was, hopped in a car by himself, and taken a drive down one of those lonely, flat-as-a-pancake roads to the gleaming lights of a Friday night football game. . . . He could have pulled down his tie and unbuttoned his collar. He could have gone to the concession stand to eat a frito pie and a chili dog . . . he could have sat in a corner of the stands to listen to th econversations around him as well as take note of the prayers both before the game and after. . .

There was a heartbeat in those stands that dotted the Friday nights of Texas and Oklahoma and Ohio and Pennsylvania and Florida and all of America like a galaxy of stars, a giant, lurking heartbeat.

Michael Dukakis never heard that sound, and even if he had he probably would have dismissed it as some silly tribal ritual rite practiced in the Amercian boondocks by people who made no difference. But his opponent didn't make the same mistake."

Gifted politicians understand the heartbeat that lives under those Friday night lights. Bill Clinton understood it. Our current president understood it. Mike Huckabee understands it. They knew how to connect to the people in whom that heart beat, and by connecting on that spiritual level, they could lead and win despite their shortcomings on the issues.

The fact is that Mike Huckabee is connecting to Republicans through religion and values, and is doing so in a way that has obscured his very liberal record on taxes, government spending, criminal justice and illegal immigration. He has lured the Values Voters with the siren song of the Right to Life and preservation of the family, and by parading around his own religion. It is a naked appeal to white, evangelical and mostly southern, rural voters.

It is time for Republicans to awaken from their trance, to steer away from the siren call before it is too late. Fred Thompson understands family values; he has lived family values; he has consistently voted the right way on family values.

For goodness sake, he has a 100% voting record on the Right to Life. He has been endorsed by Right to Life groups all over the country. He has been consistent and strong in favor of the Second Amendment. He has done those things.

But he has not sacrificed in other areas! His record on taxes and government spending would do President Reagan proud. His proposals for Social Security reform are genius. His proposals for tax reform are the best out there. His proposals for illegal immigration reform are the only ones that can be trusted.

We all need to drop what we are doing and win this campaign.

Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa) Endorses Fred!

2007-12-17T10:08:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday's debate victory by Fred Thompson was the turning of the tide in Iowa. It was a hands down win. Not even the press disputes that Fred prevailed.

The campaign promised that Fred would move to Iowa, leaving only to spend Christmas in Tennessee with his family. Today Fred began his "Clear Conservative Choice: Hands Down!" bus tour of the Hawkeye State, and he began it with a bang!

That big bang was an all-0ut endorsement from Iowa Representative Steve King. Congressman King represents Iowa's Fifth Congressional District, and represents most of Western Iowa. To him, immigration in the top issue. He indicated this morning that after meeting with all of the Republican presidential hopefuls face-to-face, he made his choice based on Fred's principles.

The Thompson campaign issued the following statement:

"Congressman King's leadership in support of the sanctity of life and his efforts in the fight against illegal immigration have made him one of Iowa's great Republican leaders. He's a tireless fighter for the 5th District of Iowa and I am honored by his support. I look forward to working with Congressman King over the next three weeks and into 2008 in support of the traditional conservative values he and I share."

And this endorsement is MORE than just a press release: Congressman King will campaign with the bus tour for the next 17 days.

Our own Hank Butehorn Goes National!

2007-12-16T09:04:00.001-08:00

Hank Butehorn is the Friends of Fred Monmouth-Ocean area coordinator, and a member of the Friends of Fred NJ Legal Team. He is also on the board of Conservatives with Attitude! which hosts one of NJ's most traveled political websites.

This past week, Hank published an article on www.conservativeswithattitude.com, which is a must-read for all Thompson supporters. Hank's eloquent post has now gone national. It now stands on the leader board of top reader posts on www.realclearpolitics.com.

Hank has received an unusually high number of emails praising his article.

If you haven't read the article, then go to www.realclearpolitics.com and read Hank's article under the favorite reader posts, then vote for Hank!

Fred's Focus on Issues Results in High Positives in Poll among NJ Conservatives

2007-12-14T07:26:00.000-08:00

Fred Thompson is leading the way among conservatives in NJ, according to an email poll conducted this week. The poll was conducted by email to a conservative Republican email distribution list associated with Conservatives With Attitude!

Conservatives were asked to name the two candidates that they were most likely to vote for in the February 5, 2008 GOP Primary for President, and the two candidates they were least likely to choose.

Fred had the highest positives: He was named on 52% of the responses as one of the two candidates the respondents were most likely to vote for. He had the lowest negatives: He was named in only 11% of the responses as one of the two candidates the respondents were least likely to vote for.

Three candidates were viewed positively by respondents:
positive negative net
Fred Thompson +52% 11% +41%
Mike Huckabee +34% 19% +15%
Mitt Romney +34% 21% +13%

Three had upside-down numbers, being viewed negatively:

Ron Paul +32% 45% -13%
Rudy Giuliani +27% 45% -18%
John McCain +18% 57% -39%

Among New Jersey conservative Republicans, Fred Thompson has the best overall standing. He has very low negatives, and for good reason: He has focused on the issues of taxation, Social Security reform and illegal immigration reform. All of his proposals have been detailed and well-reasoned, and appeal to voters across the board, but most especially conservatives.

Reagan's Eleven

2007-12-13T10:59:00.000-08:00

This morning, I read Hank Butehorn's insightful article "No Once Criticizes Thompson's Policy or Message" ( see http://gopusa.com/wordpress/). After reading Hank's post, I experienced an epiphany.

My epiphany had to do with President Reagan's Eleventh Commandment: "Thou shalt not speak ill of thy fellow Republican." For the first time, I understood a very important reason why conservatives especially must abide by this imperative.

As Hank so eloquently argued, conservative ideas in general and the consistent conservative message of Fred Thompson in particular wins elections. When we stoop to attack our fellow Republican on his or her character or religion or kindergarten essay we stray from our conservative ideals. And when we abandon our ideals, we eventually lose.

Pundits like to distract us from our message. I guess it sells their media. But honestly it is not our job to sell their media. It is our responsibility to our candidate, to our party and indeed to our nation to make sure that Fred Thompson wins this nomination and then the 2008 general election. Thus, as individual Fred Heads, we must resist the temptation to engage in mud fights. We should certainly compare the candidates records, but continue to emphasize Fred's consistent conservative record.

To that end we should all take the time to learn more about the issues at www.fred08.com.

If we continue to do these things, and if Republicans just vote their conscience, the Fred will win the nomination.

Raise Your Hand If Your Think Fred Won the Debate

2007-12-13T05:42:00.000-08:00

Lest you think that yesterday's entry was mere spin from a partisan spin doctor, the political pundits agree that Fred won yesterday's debate in Iowa. If we had a show of hands among the punditocracy, they would all be raising their hands to signify that Fred kicked butt.

According to the Weekly Standard, voice of the thoughtful conservative: "The winner was Fred Thompson. Fred came to play. . . . Fred had his best day of the campaign. He was serious, thoughtful and authoritative. It was a wonderful day for him."

Local writer, David Yespen of the influential Des Moines Register wrote, "Fred Thompson did himself the most good in Wednesday's debate among presidential candidates in Iowa."

Not one but three journalists at the American Spectator called the debate for Fred (Phillip Klein, Jennifer Rubin and John Tabin). Mr. Klein was very complimentary:

"Fred Thompson was the only candidate who stood out . . . . He demonstrated conviction, showed that he was able to stand up for his convictions, that he was a man who valued substance, a leader rather than a follower . . . In short, today Thompson was everything that conservatives hoped they'd be getting when he announced his candidacy . . . Thompson stands to be the major beneficiary of any Huckabee fall."

Jim Garaughty of National Review Online really understands our candidate: "This guy looks like he could eat most of the rest of the field for lunch."

And in trash talk terms, Marc Hemingway wrote, "it's like Thompson came to the debate in Des Moines today to do two things: Kick butt and chew gum. And it appears that he's all out of gum."

In all, twelve commenatators that we can find so far have declared Fred the winner. This will be remembered as the moment the tide turned in Iowa and in the entire race. It will be remembered as the debate where Fred acted like a president, one who does not answer a request for a show of hands from a reporter. Take heart, Thompson supporters, Fred is still the man.

Fred Kicks the Door Open in Iowa Debate

2007-12-12T15:35:00.000-08:00

Early reports are in from Iowa, where the GOP candidates debated for the final time before the Hawkeye Cauci. (Limbaughese for the Iowa Caucuses.) By all accounts Fred Thompson stole the show. After the debate, Brit Hume commented that Fred had some Reaganesque moments.

Senator George Allen exclaimed that Fred Thompson kicked the door open in Iowa!

With Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee in a mud-wrestling holy war, the opportunity was there for Fred, and apparently he took it.

Fred's numbers have held strong at 14 percent in Iowa - third place behind the dueling governors. His performance today can only help.

Thompson's Jersey Guys Wearing Out Shoe Leather

2007-12-12T13:21:00.000-08:00

Much like their leader, the Friends of Fred are working feverishly to win the hearts and minds of New Jersey voters. While Fred and Jeri cross the highways and by-ways of Iowa and South Carolina, our team members are traversing the state from Wantage to West Cape May and from Bridgeton to North Bergen.

"We started with a mission - to get Fred on the ballot for the New Jersey primary," said state coordinator Tim Howes. "We accomplished that and far more. Thirty-eight volunteers collected signatures, and along the way, we built a fully functional organization statewide. I really did not expect the enthusiasm that I discovered."

Team Thompson volunteers have secured endorsements from Mayors and Municipal GOP Chairs. Team Thompson secured the endorsement of distinguished legislator, Guy Gregg and of the pro-life activist group Catholic Voices. Team Thomspson introduced Jeri Thompson to a group of conservative activist. And Team Thomspon accomplished all that without one paid campaign staffer or one square foot of office space in the state.

January promises to be a very full month of rallys and surrogate appearances for our speakers. "We are very energized," said Sean Connelly, "we're energized because we have the right candidate. When the race is over, Thompson will still be standing head and shoulders above the rest."

From your mouth to God's ear Sean!

Jeri Thompson Brings Consistent Conservative Campaign to NJ Tele-conference

2007-12-11T09:02:00.000-08:00

This morning, the Tuesday Group, a private forum for center-right activists, held a telephone conference and roundtable on the 2008 presidential election. One of the featured participants was our future First Lady, Jeri Thompson.

Ms. Thompson spoke eloquently on a variety of topics during the forum, and showed once again that she has an intellect and understanding of policy that is second to none. Alan Ashkinaze, the forum moderator and group leader, expressed gratitude for the appearance.

The appearance is the first of any kind by either Fred or Geri in the Garden State during this election cycle. This appearance should signal to Republicans and to New Jersey conservatives in particular that Friends of Fred is serious about New Jersey.

Fred's consistent conservative record and message resonates with New Jerseyans. He has a 100% pro-life voting record and has received the National Right to Life endorsement. His economic policies recieve a good review from the Club for Growth. The Wall Street Journal and Washington Post have given Fred rave reviews for his detailed proposals.

Guy Gregg to lead Thompson campaign in Jersey

2007-12-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

There are but a few recognized conservative leaders in New Jersey. Assemblyman Guy Gregg is one among those few. Sources say that the Friends of Fred Thompson will announce this coming week that Assemblyman Gregg will chair the Thompson campaign here in the Garden State.

Guy Gregg has represented the 24th Legislative District, which covers Sussex County and parts of Hunterdon and Morris Counties since 1994. A fiscal watchdog, he has held leadership posts with the Assembly Republicans over the past decade.

Guy is a restaurant entrepreneur, who owned and operated the Publick House in Chester for many years. During that time, he became actively involved in the National Restaurant Association and the National Federation of Independent Business, two groups that are powerful advocates for fiscal conservatism.

Guy's fiscal conservative record and his support of the Second Amendment make him the ideal leader for Fred in New Jersey.

Thompson NJ Legal Team: Not the Usual Suspects

2007-12-07T07:38:00.000-08:00

At the core of the Fred Thompson campaign in the Garden State is an experienced and savvy legal team with decades of experience in ballot access, election law and election recounts. Meet the leadership of the Thompson legal team:

SEAN CONNELLY (Jersey City NJ). Sean is the best dressed member of this or any other legal team. Sean is a partner in Barry, Tiernan & Wettinger, where he specializes in civil litigation. He is former Corporation Counsel in Jersey City, serving under legendary Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler. Sean played a prominent role in Mayor Schundler's victory in the 2001 GOP gubernatorial primary.

DONALD O'SULLIVAN (Hoboken NJ). Don is a matriomonial attorney with offices in New York City. Coming from a public relations background, he has been part of presidential campaigns in the metropolitan area for over thirty years.

HANK BUTEHORN (Port Monmouth NJ). Hank is a litigator and a political activist. He serves on the board of Conservatives with Attutude!, a division of GOPUSA. Hank has been the leader of the ballot access team in Central New Jersey.

TED MACIAG (Montgomery NJ). Ted's election law experience dates back to the Kean-Florio recount in 1981. Ted has served as Mongtomery Mayor, Montgomery GOP Chair and has represented many state, local and county campaigns. He served as co-chair with Tim Howes of Lawyers for Schundler, 2001 and 2005.

TIM HOWES (Gladstone NJ). Tim is a partner in the firm of Howes & Howes. He is past Borough Council President in Peapack-Gladstone and past State Chair of the National Federation of Independent Business Leadership Council. He served as co-chair with Ted Maciag of Lawyers for Schundler, 2001 and 2005.

There are many other lawyers involved in the campaign. Any attorney who is interested in joining the campaign should contact tim.howes@njcases.com.

FURTHER LEADERSHIP TEAM ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ENDORSEMENTS ARE COMING IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. STAY TUNED.

Another Arkansas Governor?

2007-12-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

Governor Huckabee appears to be on the move in the Republican primary for president. The former governor of Arkansas is engaging and charismatic. The country once elected an engaging and charismatic Arkansas governor, and the country suffered.

Now that is not to suggest that Mike Huckabee is Bill Clinton. There are clear differences. The first one is that Gov. Huckabee is pro-life. Governor Huckabee's position on the right to life is identical to Fred's position, and he deserves respect for his unabashed defense of the unborn while under the national spotlight.

But being pro-life does not make one a conservative. For instance, if Ted Kennedy all of a sudden started preaching pro-life doctrine would he be considered a conservative? Absolutely not! He would be considered a pro-life socialist. Similarly, the fact that he is unabashedly pro-life does not make Mike Huckabee a conservative.

For that, we have to look at his record as governor.

According to the Arkansas Leader (Editorial, November 30, 2007), Mike Huckabee raised more taxes in 10 years in office than Bill Clinton did in 12. According to their editor, Huckabee raised the sales tax by 1.5 cents on the dollar and expanded it to cover more services. He raised the motor fuels tax, the mixed drink tax, the cigarette tax and a number of other government fees and taxes. And according to the editor, the aggregate of Clinton's tax cuts dwarf any Huckabee tax cuts.

The Club for Growth has published a white paper on Huckabee's record on economic issues. It is very informative. The Club for Growth concludes: "While Governor Huckabee's record displays some flashes of economic conservatism, especially during his early years, the overwhelming evidence of his record and rhetoric over the past ten years leaves the Club for Growth and economic conservatives around the country to wonder if a President Huckabee would espouse the relatively pro-growth policies . . . circa 1997 or the anti-growth policies of Governor Huckabee circa 2004."

Gov. Huckabee's record on economic issues pales when set next to Fred's voting record. When all is said and done, Gov. Huckabee can not credibly claim to be the consistent conservative that Fred has been.

The Road to a Contested Convention

2007-12-02T09:29:00.000-08:00

The only thing upon which the pundits can agree is that the Republican nomination for president is up for grabs. Fred is likely to score a considerable number of delegates on Super Tuesday (see most recent blog entry), but the nomination will not be decided on that day.

With no clear frontrunner and several contenders, it appears that no candidate will enter the convention with enough comitted delegates to win the nomination. The last time the party held a contested convention was in 1976.

In 1976, President Ford had won more delegates than President Reagan, but did not have enough to secure the nomination. There was a real, clear sense that either candidate could win. Ford was a true Rockefeller Republican in every sense of the word. Indeed, his vice president at that time was Nelson Rockefeller. Reagan was the favorite of the strong national defense conservative wing of the party.

Strong national defense was then, like today, the issue of the day. We were facing what appeared to be a militarily strong enemy in the Soviet Union, and were coming off of the divisive period of Vietnam and Watergate. The Right to Life was then, as it is today, a major issue. On the heels of Roe v. Wade, the party's platform first included the pro-life plank.

Fred's personal and political history is strongly rooted in the 1976 convention. His mentor, Tennessee Senator Howard Baker delivered the keynote address. In his address, he spoke words that resonate today with the timeless ideals of Republican Party:

"My friends, for decades the Democratic Party have peddled the patronizing notion that only in Washington are officials wise enough or far sighted enough to decide for us what our priorities should be, how we should spend our taxes, what our goals should be, how we should organize our communities . . . "

It was at the right hand of Senatory Baker that Fred learned about limited government and less taxes, those cornerstones of Republican beliefs.

In the end, the Republican Party nominated Gerald Ford by a vote of 1187 to 1070. That Reagan was able to come that close against an incumbent president speaks volumes about the power of conservative ideas. After Ford won the nomination, Reagan was given the podium. He delivered an historic speech that electrified the party.

It is quite likely that no one, not even Fred, will win enough delegates to enter the convention as the nominee. We must learn the lessons of that 1976 convention. Ford won the nomination but lost the general election to Jimmy Carter, and a disaster ensued. This time, we need to nominate someone who can credibly carry the Republican banner, whose history does not include wholesale lapses into liberalism. That candidate is Fred Thompson.

New Hampshire: More reporters than delegates

2007-11-30T13:57:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of hoopla about momentum and the importance of the early caucus of Iowa and the first in the nation primary in New Hampshire. But it is mostly air. Every state is important, and Fred treats every state with respect. Others candidates have essentially run campaigns that are tantamount to a campaign for governor of Iowa or governor of New Hampshire.

The fact is that there are more reporters and news cameras in both Iowa and New Hampshire than there are delegates.

The importance of New Hampshire is that it is now one of two major locations of the news media. When the delegate count starts, however, New Hampshire shrinks in stature, with a mere twelve.

Compare New Hampshire's twelve with some other Super Tuesday behemoths, where Fred is going to win. Georgia, where Fred enjoys a 2-1 lead over his nearest rival, sends 72 delegates. Fred's home state of Tennessee sends 55. Fred has held the lead in Colorado, which sends 46 and in Alabama, which sends 48.

From those states alone, Fred can win 221 delegates!

Once the bright lights leave New Hampshire and Iowa, their importance fades. Where is the victory if Mitt Romney, a governor from a neighboring state who has spent a small fortune on advertising in New Hampshire and a half a lifetime practicing retail politics there, wins New Hampshire with 33% of the vote? That will be worth, what, four delegates?

The delegate rules favor Fred. Fred is strongest in more heavily Republican states. According to the national rules, a state receives bonus delegates for having a Republican governor, for each Republican US Senator and if it cast its electoral votes for President Bush. Georgia earns twenty, for instance.

FredHeads everywhere should take heart in the numbers. Not the polling numbers out of Iowa or New Hampshire, but the numbers of delegates that Fred will win on February 5.

Fred Proposes Real Solutions to Serious Problems

2007-11-26T07:34:00.000-08:00

Of all of the contestants for the GOP nomination, Fred has established himself as the most consistent candidate. What he stands for today, he stood for yesterday and will stand for tomorrow. He does not tailor his message to the office he seeks. Fred has now also begun to distinguish himself from his GOP counterparts by making very serious and very detailed policy proposals.

He was the first to make a concrete proposal on immigration reform, a move which distinguished him from Governor Romney and Mayor Guiliani, both of whom ran sanctuaries for illegal aliens in their previous incarnations. It distinguished him from Senator McCain, who proposed the nightmarish federal Dream Act, and from Governor Huckabee, who has advocated privileges for illegal alients.

In early November, Fred proposed a comprehensive plan to reform the financially threatened Social Security system. The other major candidates have shied away from an issue thought of as a "third rail" of politics. The roundtable and press conference in which he made the proposal earned Fred over a half hour of prime time on CSPAN, and it won the praise of the Washington Post.

Then after Thanksgiving, Fred made a very detailed plan for tax relief, a plan that was applauded by the conservative Club for Growth. (Note: Gov. Huckabee has referred to the group as the Club for Greed.)

The best part of it all is that these are not just hollow election year promises, or recent conversions. You can bet on Fred because of his consistent, conservative voting record in the United States Senate, and his opinions as vocalized in years of addresses. This man has what it takes to serve as president.

Welcome to NJ Supports Fred Thompson

2007-11-25T06:48:00.000-08:00

Welcome to NJ Supports Fred Thompson, home to the Garden State Grassroots coalition for Fred Thomspon. NJ will support Fred in the February 5, 2008 primary election and again in the 2008 general election. The trends in New Jersey are now toward the center-right. The results of the most recent election showed clearly that New Jersey is not a died-in-the-wool Blue State.

The embryonic stem cell bond referendum failed by a 53-47 margin. The results there showed that a campaign based on ethics, morality and fiscal sanity can indeed prevail here in a general election.

Atlantic County Executive Denny Levinson won a landslide election against a challenger who was a countywide elected official. The 77-23 margin, which came in a county where statewide Republicans have struggled to keep their heads above water, shows that a good candidate, coupled with good leadership and a good grassroots campaign can win in Atlantic County.

Republicans scored unexpected wins in municipal elections in Union County, and won almost every local election for mayor in Somerset County, including in the heavily Democratic Franklin Township, where Republican Brian Levine will govern as mayor while the Democrats hold all council seats. Republicans also held the Reagan Democrat towns of Manville, Bound Brook, Raritan and South Bound Brook.

Republicans swept back into control of Hamilton Township in Mercer County. This city of over 90,000 is one of the keys to winning statewide. A Republican must win Hamilton to win New Jersey.

The bottom line is that New Jersey's fifteen electoral votes are in play if the Republicans can nominate a the right candidate. And that candidate is Fred Thompson