Fool me thrice

Like President Bush, the younger Sen. Thompson gives off conservative vibes. And as with Bush, those vibes are largely, if not entirely, misleading. According to the American Conservative Union's ratings, Sen. Thompson is little more conservative than Sen. McCain. He voted for Sen. McCain's attack on free speech, voted for first-trimester abortions and, despite his recent opposition to the Bush-McCain Amnesty act, has a mixed record on immigration. In light of his record on immigration and the extreme unpopularity of immigration amnesty, his disavowal of the amnesty act should be taken no more seriously than Bush's pre-presidential rejection of nation-building.

Thompson is actually one of the less conservative candidates; he is markedly less conservative than Tancredo, Brownback, Hunter, or Paul and only looks halfway conservative in comparison with the overt liberalism of Giuliani. Of course, it also helps that the so-called “conservative” commentariat is running interference for him and trying to burnish his appeal to the party polloi, as they did on behalf of George W. Bush in 2000.

Vox Day

Thompson is probably the only candidate running, aside from Ron Paul, who even understands what federalism is. That being said, I too am wary of Thompson's "conservative" credentials, especially now that Bush's lemming gallery among the punditry have latched on to him en masse. I don't watch Faux News any more, but if they decide to convert from their all Giuliani, all the time format to back Thompson, he will really begin to worry me.