Did I tell you about Fred, or did I tell you about Fred? I know is was just one debate, and a terrible on at that, but the timing was perfect.

Why do I think his campaign will find new life?  Simply put, I think he is the best man for the job, and I see little impediment to him demonstrating that.  He has the foreign policy experience, strong commitment to small government conservatism, and his ability to communicate these ideas successfully. Finally, he has a good chance of beating Hillary or Obama.  It is on these grounds that The Slowdown endorses Fred Thompson.

 
 Is it too late?  I have no idea.   How late into the primaries was Howard Dean in the lead?

The fact that Fred isn’t walking away with this election is because of the Bush Backlash.   The Bush Backlash is the term I am going use to encapsulate a concept I have been unsuccessfully trying to explain for years. Here comes one more try:

 
The worst thing about Bush is that his poor performance will cause people to reject good ideas and characteristics that they associate too closely with Bush.   The first and most important effect of this Backlash is going to be National Defense.  The odds of us doing the right thing in Iran, Korea, and elsewhere have been greatly reduced, because the right way might  too closely resemble the Bush way.  This will embolden our enemies.  This is a very Dangerous situation.

There a few more grand examples of the Bush Backlash. The nature of  Conservatism in general has been compromised.   The role of Religion in our political debate has been effected.     The Bush backlash also affects the expectations many have of the Executive Office:  Bush campaigned as a delegating, hands off, visionary executive.  If you were to create the Anti-Bush you would end up with a wonkish, polished, career politician.   Mitt Romney anyone? For most of my life people cursed ‘typical politicians’ but when they stepped up and voted for W, they got burned. Now they will retreat back to what they know.   The specter of Bush will be haunt anyone who doesn't conform.  This will hurt anyone with an outsider’s image.

 
Which brings us back to Fred.   The Bush Backlash is only going to show up in the Primaries  when voters view the candidates in terms of general electibility.  This has helped Romney, and marginally hurt Thompson.  (Huckabee has too many entries on each side of the ledger for the effect to kick in)

The “He doesn’t really want the Job” meme that haunts Thompson draws sustaining breath from Bush Backlash, specifically that part about Career Politicians. Without it, conservative primary voters would have never thought to view his refreshing down-to-earth approach as a negative. Face it, he is a strong communicator, with great foreign policy expertise, who champions Federalism, and looks and sounds like one of them!   

 
Thankfully Fred’s communication skills will drawf the Bush backlash.   Bush failed in many ways, but the common thread that ran through his failures (and successes) was an inability to communicate.  The differences between the two are legion, but this one will shine the brightest.