Writes Glenn Reynolds:

Thompson is running the kind of campaign — substantive, policy-laden, not based on gimmicks or sound-bites — that pundits and journalists say they want, but he’s getting no credit for it from the people who claim that’s what they want.

The problem is, however, that I don’t think that this is an accurate description of the Thompson campaign. Every time I have seen Thompson he’s been mostly fluff and no substance. I have seen a whole lot of platitude and not much policy, quite frankly.

I am sympathetic to the notion it is nice to have a candidate who doesn’t ooze “I want it and I’ll do anything to get it”¹ , but I think one has to be a Thompson supporter to start with to look at Thompson and see substance. I don’t think that Thompson’s aloof approach is about some virtuous approach to the presidency, but rather simply because he is an aloof individual.

And the fact that he doesn’t need the White House for fame and fortune probably has something to do with it.

1. See: Romney, for example, amongst others [↩]

2 Responses to “Thompson: Unappreciated or Just Uninspiring?”

1. MSS Says:
   January 2nd, 2024 at 11:42 am

   Yeah, the Basset Hound’s website is pretty much all fluff, too. If there is one place where a candidate can be substantive and policy-laden, it is on the issues pages of his website. But not the tired old Basset Hound.

2. PoliBlog ™: A Rough Draft of my Thoughts » It’s the Iowa GOP Edition of the Toast-O-Meter Says:
   January 6th, 2024 at 3:35 pm

   [...] PoliBlog: Thompson: Unappreciated or Just Uninspiring? [...]