OPTICS BEFORE PRINCIPLES. The apparent appeal of Fred Thompson to Republican voters is something that, as Sam is finding, can be a bit mystifying to those on the outside of such circles. During the course of a long conversation last night with a leading figure in the Iowa Republican Party, I asked why so many people think Thompson will come in and quickly transform the race for the G.O.P. nomination. His three-part answer:
One. Star power. "Fred is a celebrity and God knows politics is being celebrity-driven."
Two. Optics. "Can you imagine what debates are going to be like with great big Andrew Jackson-looking Fred and Hillary on her stubby little legs, stamping her feet?" Thompson, if elected, would be the tallest president ever. Republicans are not just looking for the usual John Wayne-type signifiers as they go about selecting a candidate, but thinking about who can best loom over Hillary Clinton and make her look like a shrill, small, silly little woman. Thompson's booming voice will make her "sound like Madame Defarge."
Three. The prospect of ideological unification. Thompson is both a social conservative and a fiscal conservative. "He unites the party." The money people will be happy, as well as the values voters. All of which is to say that, for some Republicans, ideological correctness and the optics of leadership continue be more important than governing skills.
--Garance Franke-Ruta
