After frustrating political followers for months with his teasing about getting into the presidential race, Fred Thompson's entry into the Republican field was actually rather impressive. He explained his actions -- and inactions -- and was actually pretty reasonable in suggesting there was no sense in campaigning before the traditional Labor Day start.
With deference to the coincidental beginning of the football season, here's an early-game look at what Thompson needs to do to capture the imagination of the American people -- not just Republicans who will vote in the primaries -- but all of us.
1. Continue with the plain talk. Some of your primary opponents have yet to give a straight answer to any question. Americans are now tired with the too-cute-by-half approach, which is why John Edwards is buried in the polls and Barack Obama can't get traction with voters in his own party. People want clear answers to some hard questions that face us.
2. Don't apologize for your conservatism. There's a lot about your ideology that works, and has been proven to work. Just because some Republicans in Congress, and President Bush, have often strayed from the philosophy, that's not your problem. The trouble is with your party, not you or your ideas.
3. Remain tough on terrorism. The things you said on The Tonight Show were right on point. We have to remain on the offensive. If the past six years have proven anything, it's that they attack when we let our guard down. When the left complains, feel free to ignore them.
4. Continue to assault the conventional wisdom. Also on The Tonight Show, you brilliantly challenged the widely held notion that the world hates the United States. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. The left and many of the world's elites hate the United States because we've proven that normal people like yourself can run things better than they can.
5. Stop dilly-dallying. As long as you're in, stay in. All the way. No time for cold feet now.
6. Your wife is an asset. Your opponents have been making disparaging remarks about her and her impact on your campaign. When they call her a "trophy wife," your answer should be "heck, yes" or "damn right." Let America get to know her and see her as the positive force you know she is.
7. Show voters how you will deal with a Congress that will almost certainly have a Senate in Democrat hands your first term. Since many of them are, at best, worthless blowhards, we want to know how you will get them to follow your lead and adopt your initiatives, not the other way around.
8. Follow the doctrine of the center. It's right on the top of the page.
