Republicans on the Fringe: Why Fred Thompson Looks Oh-so-good

In open election cycle, the first in over three decades, both political parties are preparing for what is expected to be the most expensive election year in the history of the world, Democrats are celebrating their candidates, so why are Republicans holding their breath for a new choice?

Celebrity Republicans Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York City Mayor, and proclaimed hero of 9-11, Rudolph Giuliani are household names in America, especially in households that vote, which is good for them, because they are running for the Republican nomination for President of the United States.

Mitt Romney, the former Republican governor of deep blue Massachusetts, is also running for president, though not yet an established household name, he has raised enough money to buy such notoriety. According to a recent FEC filing that shows Romney as being the top Republican fundraiser for the first quarter of 2007. Much-to-do has been made about his Mormon religion, but with the liberal tendencies of the current front runner, Bible-Belt voters may find his faith is more akin to theirs than they think.

Tommy Thompson, former republican Wisconsin governor as well as former Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services; Sam Brownback, senior senator from Kansas who is among the most experienced republicans in the senate in the area of international cooperation; an area that the current President has demonstrated no expertise; and Mike Huckabee, the reddest of the red conservative southern former governor of Arkansas.

With a field this wide, that contains candidates with star power, candidates with a mass of experience in foreign affairs, and in executive offices, why is it that, in a recent CBS News/New York Times poll, a staggering 57% of republican voters are not satisfied with their candidates?

A Tent Too Big

Since the time that the Republican Party switched from liberal to conservative, and the Democratic Party purged its self of its more conservative "Southern Democrats" as they defected to the other side of the isle, the Republican Party has become more and more of a coalition of unlikely bed partners. The makeup of the current field exemplifies this sentiment; the most evident example being Rudy Giuliani.

Giuliani, is almost more of a Democrat than he is a Republican. His platform of supporting anti-gun legislation, his general stance against the death penalty, and pro-choice and pro-gay rights views are enough for the base of his party to see his as more of a close kin to the defeated liberal Massachusetts senator, John Kerry, who they helped to defeat in 2004.

The Left Field

A diverse field will be playing ball tomorrow night as the Republican nominees face off in their first debate. The A-list candidates will be joined by a large number of unknown and unconventional candidates, who traditionally do not perform well in national elections.

Duncan Hunter (R-CA) ­- the first Republican to declare his candidacy, Ron Paul, M.D. (R-TX), and Tom Tancredo (R-CO) are all congressional Republicans. The fact that a member of Congress hasn't been nominated by major party in over 100 years is enough to make them a long shot, but their positions in the political spectrum further confounds their candidacies.

Hunter, who has publically called for the resignation of Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and supports a constitutional amendment banning all forms of abortion, is perhaps the longest shot of all in a general election. For now, however, he is stealing the hearts and minds of grass root republicans and evangelical Christians who feel that the main stream of their party have abandoned them.

Ron Paul is a favorite among core conservatives, and his grass roots effort is catching on fire on all across the internet, reminiscent of Howard Dean fever in 2003. Paul, who won the Libertarian Party nomination and ran for President in 1988, is a true small government conservative whose message resonates strong with paleoconservatives who long for leadership in line with their ideals.

Not much can be said of Tancredo's candidacy, but that may change. He puts a strong emphasis on family values, but what little media coverage he does receive focuses on his strong stance against illegal immigration as the centerpiece of his campaign. Being an issue that the majors in either party won't approach, it's his best shot at gaining any traction.

The other Governors

Romney isn't the only candidate with executive experience. Mike Huckabee, a personable former governor of Arkansas who went from obese to in-shape while in office, is a hard working politician. A fiscal and social conservative, he represents the heart of the South in the eyes of Republicans, and being a Southern governor seems to be the best way to get elected. Despite these advantages, he is consistently far behind Giuliani, McCain and Romney in fundraising.

Former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore entered the race late in response to a strong draft movement. As the former governor of a state with politics so mixed that it can only be called "purple," he has the potential to not only emerge as the true Southern conservative big contender, but also to bring independents to his side and coral those unsatisfied with the current cream of the crop.

The Senators

Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Tommy Thompson (R-WI) are the two senators in the race who are not John McCain. Senators have had a tough time getting elected (not since Kennedy in 1964), but are easily nominated in both parties. Though they bring with them years of actual foreign policy experience, candidates from the Senate in both parties are viewed through the hazy lens of the perception of a corrupt government that has held power for the last seven years; and Republicans more so than Democrats.

Brownback, a Christian conservative activist supports the idea of banning parts of biology from public education curriculum, especially where evolution is concerned, would have probably not made reelection as a member of the Dover school board and has a serious disconnect with average American voters.

Not only a senator from Wisconsin, but also a former governor from his state and former Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Bush administration from 2001-2005, Thompson brings a wealth of experience to the table. However, his non-Southern status may make it difficult to compete with the other governors in the race, and his current job and ties to the Bush administration alienate potential voters.

The Frayed Ends

With an amazing total of ten candidates in the game, Republicans are still looking elsewhere for salvation, and it may come in the form of actor and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson. Thompson, whose acting skills help him to make a connection to audiences that many career politicians can't, easily excites and inspires his audiences, including influential donors.

Finally, Newt Gingrich, the controversial former Speaker of the House who let the impeachment hunt against President Bill Clinton, has stated that there are conditions in which he would run, and those being that no previously declared candidate supports his platform positions.

With ten and possibly eleven candidates in the running, it's hard to envision a scenario in which his statement could ever be true.

With Republican voters increasingly expressing their dissatisfaction about their candidates and looking to the fringe of the party to find someone to support, no matter how unelectable they may be, casts a grim shadow on any hopes they have to hold the White House. If Republicans can't get excited about their man, how can anyone else?