Ya Gotta Save It

(First published  December 15, 2007)

AN OPEN LETTER TO FRED THOMPSON:

Events in the political world sure do turn on some awfully strange things. After what seems like months waiting for your campaign to catch fire, it looks like the lightning has struck. By turning the tables on an incredibly uppity “schoolmarm” moderator from Iowa Public Television, ( and on the most un-Republican issue of climate change) you have literally pounded a home run into the bleacher stands, captured lightning –in-a-bottle or any other metaphor that you want. After your gutsy refusal to play hand-raising exercises over global warming (while your opponents weakly went along- watch the tape), you might have heard two sounds. The cheer that went up from your front was from onlookers who wondered why it had taken so long for somebody, on that stage, to take back some control in this debate from this dictator (who didn’t seem to share even our political orientation anyway). Fred, this was your “Reagan Microphone Moment” and it was a beaut. Even David Yepsen, of the Des Moines Register, agrees on this. The other sound you might have heard came from behind you. It was that “whoosh” sound of the wind filling your sails as you take off to complete the rest of the Iowa campaign.

In a nutshell, you have this moment to seize and to exploit, and really only twelve days to get the job done before the holidays end the campaign season. The only game that really matters is who the final frontrunner ends up being. Its all in your hands now. This opportunity you have made, is also totally yours. A few things I recommend:

1)      Your follow-on interviews last night were forceful and first-rate. Find a train, name it the RESPONSIBILITY EXPRESS or the TENNESSEE CANNONBALL or some such, and whistlestop across Iowa until the place is worn-out from seeing you.

2)      Make a campaign advertisement that shows that moment in the debate and put it up against the backdrop of the ROCKY song or the theme song from RUDY. Have your staff start doing the prelims to seeing if you can’t adopt John Mellencamp’s song “Your Time is Now”. Its midwestern and the lyrics might be right up your alley.

3)      Make a side-trip to Washington. Meet with the insurgent House Republicans (you know: Flake, Ryan, Sensenbrenner,Hensarling, Campbell and the others who have stood so forthrightly for responsible spending- even against their own President), sign on with their recent tax plan (even if you have to drop your own), and take as many of them back to campaign with you in Iowa as you can.

4)      While in D.C., grab Bill Bennett and take him back to the cornfields to campaign with you too. He might not end up being your choice for VP, but the implication never hurts either.

5)      Seize this moment you have made, go flat out for another twelve days, run only positive commercials between Christmas And New Years (while your opponents continue to flail uselessly- again-at each other). You seem to be the only adult in the race- a message that has finally hit home. Use the wind in your sails to ride this tide in for a landing. GET BUSY. This will not recur. The timing couldn’t be more ideal. It really is your time. Good for you. CONGRATULATIONS! 

THE COUNTRY NEEDS YOU

GOOD LUCK!

For The Nonce———PV