THE RESURGENT FRED THOMPSON -THE SUNDAY COMMENTARY

For awhile many had counted Fred out. Even this Thompson supporter had questions concerning whether he would be able to hang on in the early Primaries. While never wavering in my support, I did wonder what it was going to take in order for Fred to catch on especially after the high numbers he had just prior to and immediately after first announcing his run for the Presidency.

The first indication that Fred was beginning to turn the campaign around came with the results of the Iowa Caucus. Fred had campaigned only twice in the State before his exhaustive bus tour just before the Primary and he literally went from Iowa obscurity to a respectable third place finish behind Romney who had spent untold days and millions of dollars on Iowa and Huckabee who had also spent much time in the Hawkeye State.

Then came the South Carolina Presidential Debate last Thursday. I had the opportunity to cover the debate throughout the day since it was in Myrtle Beach, SC where I call home. Fred was the first candidate to arrive at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center and had been in the area covering three cities the day before on his " Clear Conservative Choice Hands Down, " Bus Tour of the Palmetto State.

Behind the scenes most in the media were counting Fred out. Then the debate began and Fred stepped forward and took control with excellent detailed answers to every question asked him. He is the only candidate that took on the real Mike Huckabee in questioning and revealing the true Arkansas record and Fred had the most memorable line of the evening when he suggested that the Navy, if further provoked by Iran would be sending them to, "see those virgins," they have been wanting to see.

As I watched the other media sit up and take notice of Fred and actually quoting him on their lap tops while writing reports and having a somewhat , " Ho Hum, " attitude toward the other candidates, I thought, " Fred is starting to catch on. " As the audience began leaving the debate hall, most of the conversations where about Fred Thompson. When he entered the Spin Room after the debate reporters who had just glanced at McCain, Romney, Huckabee and Giuliani when they entered swarmed Fred with questions. In fact he was the only candidate to remain in the Spin Room and talk with reporters after his appearance on Hannity and Combs.

The Fox News Focus Group overwhelmingly selected Fred as the winner of the debate and the rest of the media followed suit the next day as the pundits and analysts began their post debate review. Most of the clips were of Fred and his stellar performance. In the polls he received a bounce after the debate and here in South Carolina while he remains in third place an interesting twist is taking place in the internal statistics of the State polling.

When respondents are asked what issue they consider the most important as they make their choice for the Primary on January 19th, the number one issue is illegal immigration at 24% and Fred Thompson is the choice for those who consider that the number one issue. The second issue for voters in this State is the economy at 23% and Fred is a close second, a statistical tie with Huckabee and McCain who lead in the overall polls for the State.

While Fred was talking to the media after the debate I asked him how important South Carolina was for his campaign. He stated that he, " was putting all of his cards on the table in South Carolina now that he was here in the South on his home turf." Fred is going all out in this State and his bus tour is visiting every city, town and township between now and the primary next Saturday.

Fred Thompson campaign posters that had been only scattered here and there are beginning to pop up everywhere and in large numbers. His campaign commercials are on the radio regularly as well as television and in the papers. The voters of the Palmetto State who had initially polled Fred in first place in the weeks after he first announced are beginning to take a fresh look at the former Tennessee Senator and his conservative values and ideas.

In fact of the candidates running Fred Thompson is the ONLY candidate who can honestly and truthfully claim the title of conservative and follow in the footsteps of the much touted , "Reagan Coalition." The other candidates invoke Reagan and try to claim his ideals, but Fred is the only GOP candidate who has a true track record throughout his political career that follows real conservative values and Reaganism.

Huckabee, as Fred so appropriately stated in the debate has a tax and spending record that resembles a Democrat and not a Republican. Romney changes his ideas with the weather. McCain, conservative on defense has been a traitor in the past to the GOP and the mantle of Reagan. Rudy is a social liberal who says he will act as a conservative if elected to follow the GOP platform. While that is well and good, Fred Thompson is the only candidate who actually has real conservative credentials and can honestly claim participation as part of the, "Reagan Coalition."

South Carolina is starting to see the truth behind the conservative masks of the other candidates and the honest and real conservatism of Fred Thompson. January 19th is less than a week away and Fred is taking his conservative message to the people of South Carolina and the people are responding. His fund raising is up, the crowds have been good and enthusiastic and the Thompson bus is rolling through the State bringing a clear and Conservative choice to the voters and the voters like what they are seeing and hearing!

Ken Taylor