IF FRED THOMPSON were to become our next president, what would he be like? Where would he stand on the issues? Although the former Tennessee senator has yet to declare, support for a Thompson candidacy is steadily growing. The Draft Fred Thompson President '08 website (fred08.com) is already up and running. Former Senate majority leader Bill Frist has said he would endorse Thompson were he to run. But what do really know about the man?
Sure, Thompson has much political experience, including as an assistant U.S. attorney, minority counsel during Watergate and special counsel to both the Senate foreign relations and intelligence committees. In 1996, Thompson won election to the Senate with 61 percent of the vote and remained highly popular throughout his term. He supported a ban on partial birth abortion, opposed a prescription drug benefit, and voted for education savings accounts. Although he decided against a reelection bid, Thompson has remained active in politics, recently helping shepherd Supreme Court nominees through the grueling confirmation process.
But a career in politics can only reveal so much. Film and television, on the other hand, provide us deeper insight into the individual, his thoughts and inclinations. And because Fred Thompson has been in the acting business since 1987, appearing on both the big and small screens, there is much we can learn about what a President Thompson might be like: his views on foreign and domestic issues, the presidency, and what to do if terrorists take over Dulles International Airport.
No Way Out
(1987) :In this Kevin Costner-Gene Hackman political thriller, Thompson plays CIA director Marshall. His Central Intelligence colleague Kevin O'Brien explains that a murder suspect was likely having an affair with the victim:
Kevin O'Brien: Get ready for this. We think she's either David Brice's or Scott Pritchard's mistress . . . .
CIA Director Marshall: Well, spilt milk. And you can forget about Pritchard. He's homosexual.
Kevin O'Brien: I'll be damned.
CIA Director Marshall: So will he, if you believe the Old Testament.
Eternal damnation for homosexuals? Thompson could be a real hard-liner when it comes to gay rights, which might work to his advantage in the primaries but prove tricky in the general election.
The Hunt for Red October (1990): In this Cold War classic, Thompson plays Admiral Josh Painter, commander of an aircraft carrier involved in the search for a Soviet submarine that may be trying to defect. Painter questions CIA analyst Jack Ryan about the Kremlin's next move:
Adm. Painter: What's his plan?
Jack Ryan: His plan?
Adm. Painter: Russians don't take a dump, son, without a plan.
Though a bit scatological, Thompson displays the keen insight of a Sovietologist, fully aware of how Russians think and act--and without having to look into anyone's soul. (Incidentally, during an editorial lunch at THE WEEKLY STANDARD, Senator Thompson said he considered The Hunt for Red October to be his favorite film to have worked on--even more than Curly Sue.)
Days of Thunder (1990): NASCAR dads will love Thompson as the burly racetrack owner Big John in this Tom Cruise vehicle. In this one scene, Big John lets loose on Cruise's character, Cole Trickle, and another driver for their on-road antics:
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