Fred Lives
By Lee Bandy
SouthCarolina Insider
(9/11/07) Fred Thompson drew large crowds Monday as he crisscrossed
South Carolina on his second day in search of Republican support
for his candidacy.
The former Tennessee senator kept a light schedule: a town hall
meeting at the Greenville Marriott and a meet and greet at Doc’s
Barbecue and Southern Buffet in Columbia.
Each event attracted crowds estimated at 500. He and his campaign
staff traveled aboard a mustard-color coach.
On his second day as a full-fledged candidate for the White House,
he was greeted in Columbia by a dozen placard-carrying supporters
of Ron Paul, a Libertarian.
U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, a Republican from Westminster and the
only S.C. congressional member supporting Thompson, introduced the
candidate.
“He has the character to make the tough decisions,”
the congressman said.
Thompson was greeted warmly by South Carolinians.
“We’ve been waiting for you,” a woman shouted.
“I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, honey,”
he responded.
Thompson emphasized traditional conservative themes on national
defense and fiscal discipline.
“There’s something special going on in the country,”
he maintained.
And he said he wanted to be a part of it.
“I don’t have all of the answers,” he acknowledged.
But he would seek to do what is best for the nation.
“I’m determined that we make the decisions that will
leave us a stronger nation, a more prosperous nation and a more
united nation, and that’s why I’m running for president
of the United States,” he told 500 cheering South Carolinians
at the Columbia rally.
He was accompanied on the trip by his trophy wife, Jeri, 40, their
three year old daughter, Hayden, and their infant son ,Sammy.
His two sons from a previous marriage were not there.
His late entry into the race was a topic of conversation among
many who were present,
“I don’tcare what the pundits say today,” Thompson
said. “We’ll win this election next year when it counts…You
don’t need to be in somebody’s face for two years to
get elected.” |
