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Thompson Plays Himself as Everyman

Salon columnist parses the candidate's 'I'm just like you' campaign

By Josie Garthwaite, Newser User

Posted Sep 10, 2007 4:57 PM CDT

(Newser) – Since officially entering the presidential race last week, Fred Thompson has pitched Iowans with a stump speech that portrays him as a regular guy who wants to send a message to “those folks in Washington.” Never mind that he’s a rich former senator, lobbyist and actor from McLean, Va., jibes Salon columnist Michael Scherer—people buy his act.

Scherer compares Thompson's campaign to those of Arnold Schwarzenegger and George W. Bush, who relied on personality over policy. As Scherer puts it: "Even Thompson's rivals have to admit that the guy sure knows how to play his own part, large, lumbering, world-weary and cigar smoking. Never mind the issues."

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Republican presidential hopeful, former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., speaks in Sioux City, Iowa, in this Sept. 7, 2007, file photo. Prominent evangelical leaders who spent the summer hoping Fred Thompson... (Associated Press)

Republican presidential hopeful, former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn. speaks to the audience during an event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2007. (AP Photo/David Lienemann) (Associated Press)

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Thompson Plays Himself as Everyman