Last Fred Blog

When you get down to it, Prof. Blanchard and I are not that far apart when it comes to the "how virtuous was the Fred Thompson candidacy" debate.  We both agree that Thompson waged a campaign unlikely to garner votes.  Prof. Blanchard thinks that this is largely the end of the story.  I think that campaigns are about more than gaining votes; how one goes about gaining votes is important.  Prof. Blanchard writes, "Thompson wasn't president.  He was a potential candidate for President." Prof. Blanchard surely means that Thompson was a potential president (as he was an actual candidate).  I tend to think that how we select candidates has something to do with how those candidates actually govern.  Restraint in campaigning helps lead to restraint in governing.  Let us leave it at that.