Today’s appearance of Fred Thompson on This Week with George Stephanopoulos does make me wonder why presidential candidates are so unprepared to talk about issues and why they even bother to appear on morning talk shows. It’s not just Fred Thompson that has come on to these shows unprepared. Tim Russert of Meet the Press is a master of interviewing. He invariably surfaces some really embarrassing contradictions in the previous campaign events (e.g. John Edwards’ interview on Feb. 4, 2007, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16903253/) or other events that fly in the face of the candidates current positions.
Fred appears to be a nice man who has had the benefit of small appearances on the TV series “Law and Order” and has filled in for Paul Harvey on ABC radio. His views or positions are not well thought out for a man running for president. Today’s interview brought out the following:
- He is in favor of state laws helping to determine the maintenance of life when someone is seriously ill or may be brain dead.
- We should address the coming social security funding issue now rather than later but offers no solution.
- The fight against radical Islam is primarily a military fight.
Fred offered no vision for America and no road map for the 21st century.
Candidates who have no message or vision are wasting our time. “The Audacity of Hope” by Barack Obama was at least a vision of the future. It’s too bad Mr. Obama has not followed up on his book when appearing on television.
Coast Contact 