Friday, September 23, 2011

Another Thompson

In the late hours of the night I occasionally get a strange notion. Tonight it has occurred to me that Rick Perry might be this election season's Fred Thompson.

By that I mean a candidate who appears highly plausible, personable and experienced, but who upon further examination is in some way (or ways) found lacking. Fred had the Reagan stage presence, plus good ideas, but lacked drive.

I begin to wonder if Perry might not similarly lack the single-minded ambition which running for president requires. Pundits have not been impressed with his debate performance, and his recent book Fed Up constitutes a carefully aimed, self-administered bullet hole in the foot.