Fred Thompson's deputy communications director, stalwart Republican Karen Hanretty, blogged yesterday on Glamour magazine's "Glamocracy" column, which is quietly becoming a repository for political thought from all sorts of Beltway players. It's a surprising platform but that's the point — it's reaching a differnt audience from a different vantage point (and with a totally different color scheme. Away, red white and blue! Here comes pink!). Hanretty speaks pretty frankly here about what it meant to be a Thompson campaign staffer: All the stress of any other campaign — but without that little germ of uncertainty about whether you wanted it more than your boss! On the Fred Thompson campaign, everyone wanted it more than their boss. Still, refreshing to see it in print:
Running for president is a grueling task. Though Fred's campaign, in all candor, was not as grueling as others, and it showed. For instance, the week of the New Hampshire primary, Fox News held a debate in Manchester that began at 9 p.m. and ended around 10:30 p.m. Immediately following the debate, Fred boarded a chartered plane and flew home to McLean, Virginia. He had no appearances the following day. By contrast, I saw his opponents--Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee--campaigning and on TV the next morning at 6 a.m. so that voters might catch a glimpse of them before heading off to work.
Running for president requires a near-manic desire to win. Fred's take-me-or-leave-me nonchalance was refreshing, but perhaps not the right fit for the competitive game of presidential politics.
Though the hype about Fred Thompson running for president lasted at least six months (with February 2007 being the earliest recorded month I could find when rumors of a "Draft Fred" campaign first began to circulate), the former Law & Order star was a candidate for president of the United States just short of four months and three weeks.
So, as it turns out, the hype about Fred being the next commander in chief was greater than the reality.
Was it worth it? Was it worth having Fred Thompson in the race even though he didn't place better than third in Iowa or South Carolina? Certainly, it was.
He was the one true conservative who promoted limited government, lower taxes and the protection of life. To the extent he was able to focus the conversation on what it means to be a conservative, Fred Thompson had an important impact on this election.
It's too cliché to say a lot is at stake in this coming election. America is the most powerful nation on earth; therefore, a lot is always at stake. The next president will make decisions that affect our lives, and those of our family, far into the future. Or as Fred says, "We cannot allow ourselves to become a weaker, less prosperous and more divided nation. Today as in past generations, the fate of millions across the world depends on the unity and resolve of the American people." Those are wise words from a man who took the time to think about why elections matter.
My Final Days With Fred [Glamocracy]