Ohio4Fred

What a Day This Has Been!

For the last 24 hours or so we have all been on a Fred high like nothing I would ever have expected.

*Fred had a stellar performance in the South Carolina debate like nothing that even the most ardent supporter could have hoped for or imagined.

*We have listened to the Focus Group, to Stephanopoulos, Russert, Colmes, Hannity, Ingraham, Rush, Levin, and many others. Every one agreed that Fred Thompson won the debate on substance and style.

*There was praise of Fred Thompson from those that have ignored him to this point.

*Contributions to fill the Red Truck surged, with donations far exceeding the $540,000 goal. The total at 00:01 Saturday morning was at an astounding $785,765. This is a full 46% over the original goal.

*We watch the campaign videos posted at Fred08.com, and see enthusiastic, overflowing crowds at every stop. And Fred seems to be feeding off of this energy, and building on the success of the debate.

This has truly been a great day to be a FredHead. We have earned a day like this, and Fred certainly earned his way last night. I am sure that he and Jeri have enjoyed this day even more than we have.

After such an awesome day, that we have waited so long for, we will need to come back to earth and get back to work. As great as we all felt today, I want everyone to think back to what you were thinking and feeling just hours before the debate.

It was not directly talked about or even mentioned very much among Fred’s supporters, but it was obvious that we were all becoming dejected and beginning to doubt our chances for success. Why not? Everyone was telling us that we had no chance of success. We were just waiting for Fred to quit and the end to come. I made a couple donations during that time frame, and I will admit now that I wondered if this was all in vain.

I don’t bring this up now to put a damper on our optimism, but to ensure that we learn from this experience.

*When we were down and mentally preparing to accept defeat, Fred was there and picked us up with his optimism and performance in the debate.

*When we were dejected and tiring, the “laid back” Fred Thompson showed us how to keep fighting and raise the energy level.

*When we began to wonder if the MSM was correct in saying that Fred did not really want the job, Fred showed America that, rather than personal ambition, his love of God, Family, and Country will drive his quest for the Presidency.

*When everyone else was at their lowest, Fred responded with the performance of a lifetime. I believe that history will look back on this debate as the turning point in a new conservative revolution.

This is the beginning of the new campaign. Fred knows it, and we should know it also. This will be a long hard fight. There will be ups and downs, good days and bad days. Today we should learn that the brightest days can follow the fiercest storms. Throughout this campaign we must remember these past two days. When we have those inevitable bad days, we must look back and know that tomorrow will be brighter with hard work, perseverance, prayers, and Fred.

Lets keep up the good work, remain optimistic, and work to keep each other focused and on track. Trust in the next President of these United States, Fred Dalton Thompson.

Lets get to work!
Tim

Anyone that watched the debate last night left knowing that Fred came away the clear winner. All of the commentators last night, and even the focus group agreed that Fred won every aspect of the debate from content to delivery.

I was anxious to see how the performance would be spun in the morning by the MSM.
Well, they seem to have worked through the night and gotten their story together.
I only got a chance to watch ABC and NBC reports on the debate, but both George Stephanopolis and Tim Russert had the exact same spin.

I am always amazed how they are able to dig through the obvious meaning of a story and tell us what we really should think. They both independently agreed that Fred clearly won the debate on all points, and that his responses exposing the record and shortcomings of Huckabee were highlights of the debate. They both also agreed that the person that would benefit most from this performance was not Fred, but his “friend” John McCain. ? ? ? They both implied that this was an intentional strategy by Fred, not to win, but to help out his “friend.”

I am not one to sign on to conspiracy theories, and I am not suggesting one here, but as usual both networks had exactly the same spin on a story. My spin on this story is that they independently fear something about a Fred Thompson candidacy. Could it be that they know they can not control him, and he will not jump on their command? Do you remember “No Hand Shows” from the Iowa debate?

Fred needs to respond to this spin and make it clear to the MSM that it is not their roll to select the presidential candidates. He needs to make it clear that he has no hidden agenda, but is in this race to win it because he recognizes that there is no other clear conservative choice. Certainly not in John McCain. Fred needs to respond quickly, as such spins quickly become fact if not strongly responded to. We all remember two earlier spins - that Fred is lazy, and later, that he didn’t want to be president. Perception becomes reality, and this will soon be the only news of this debate if it is not responded to quickly and strongly.

We, as his supporters, need to also respond quickly and decisively. We must email and call any news outlet that pushes such spin, and make them aware that they can no longer get away with “spinning a good story.”

It must have been intimidating for Mitt Romney to be placed next to Fred Thompson in the Iowa debate. Mitt was forced to look up to Fred both literally and figuratively throughout the afternoon. It must have worn on him as the debate progressed, because several times Mitt looked to Fred for guidance in his answers.

When asked about the biggest obstacle to improved education Fred gave an honest and tough answer, explaining that the NEA has been the biggest obstacle to ANY changes to the education system. Mitt followed Fred’s answer with, “I agree with Senator Thompson on that. Boy, they’ve been the biggest obstacle to change in education and choice.” Great “follow the leader,” Mitt.

The most memorable of these “Mitt Follows” was during the “no hand shows” exchange. Rudi, Huck, McCain, and Mitt quickly and obediently raised their hands when asked to by the moderator. Fred objected to a “show of hands” on an issue as complex and controversial as the “cause of global warming.” I must admire Mitt Romney’s reaction time, as he quickly pulled his hand down, and said “I’m with him” as he gestured to Fred and then started applauding. The only thing that would have made the moment better would be if Mitt had used the words “I’m With Fred.” Can you imagine THAT sound clip in a campaign ad?

The “no hand show” Q & A tells us a lot about the candidates.

All the leading contenders except for Fred were quick to follow the directions of the moderator, without a thought of exactly what they were agreeing to. I guess that is second nature to those with a sound bite mentality. Senator Thompson immediately recognized that this was not a subject that could be dealt with by a show of hands. The others did not understand the complexity of the issue, or they did not have the courage to confront the moderator. If you can not confront a moderator from a local newspaper, how can you deal effectively with other world leaders, including our enemies?

After Fred challenged the show of hands, there was much inaudible crosstalk on stage as the others scrambled to determine what their reaction “should” be. It is very disturbing that all of the other candidates were so intimidated by the moderator and the situation that they could not make an independent decision.

Mitt’s quick flip from a raised hand to applauding Senator Thompson should raise questions about how firm he is in his views and convictions.
However, I must give Mitt considerable credit for his ability to choose and follow the one leader on stage, Senator Fred Dalton Thompson!

Fred Heads all over this great country are initiating a National Day of Fred Giving on November 21st. They are also organizing a letter writing campaign via the Fred08 website for the same day.

All donations should be made or linked via the official campaign website - and are to be made from Midnight - 11/21/07 until 11:59 PM that night.

Please consider making a donation to Fred’s campaign, and please help get the word out about this effort.

For more information please go to BFFT Fred Giving

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UPDATE: November 15 @ 10: 58 AM The official Fred’s Giving Day website is up. Lane over at Blogs for Fred Thompson has worked very hard, so stop over and take a look. Pledge to donate today!

The following message was received from the “Friends of Fred”:
Please pass the word about this appearance.

This Sunday, Fred will be on NBC’s Meet the Press as part of their “Meet the Candidates” series. Judging by the questions asked at Tuesday’s Democratic Presidential debate any topic could come up: immigration, taxes, national security, even UFOs.

Unlike the debates and the typical news shows, Fred will have time to talk to the American people in a way that doesn’t require slick, 10-second sound bites.

What will Fred talk about? The same issues he’s talking about when campaigning across the country: securing our borders; ending sanctuary cities; keeping taxes low; taking on the impending entitlement crisis; the protection of life; and abiding by the principles of our Founding Fathers.

Specifically on immigration reform, Fred will continue his fight against letting illegal immigrants get drivers licenses. Hillary Clinton is wrong to allow people who already are breaking the law to get a license that would give them the opportunity to register to vote. Fred will not let lawbreakers continue breaking the law. He has a plan to secure the border and reform the nation’s immigration process.

Meet the Press this Sunday will give Fred another opportunity to show Americans why he’s a consistent conservative. Out on the trail one of his most well-received lines is “That’s what I was yesterday, that’s who I am today, and that’s who I will be tomorrow.” Unlike other candidates who came late to the conservative movement Fred’s track record proves his consistency.

Watch Fred Sunday on NBC. Then give $25, $50, $100, or more. Even better, join the Fred Funds program. A monthly donation of as little as $25 a month will help Fred’s efforts to keep America secure, prosperous, and united. We need your help to get out Fred’s consistent conservative message.

Note: Due to the New York Marathon, Meet the Press will be airing live in New York at 8:00 am ET and at the regular local time in all other markets. Check your local listings.

Republican Candidate Debate on Economic Issues
Be sure to catch the Republican candidate debate on Tuesday, November 9th, as this will be the first time that Fred Thompson will be on stage with the other candidates. I personally do not think that the rehearsed, sound bite exchanges of modern media debates are well suited to exhibit Fred Thompson’s strong points, but I do believe that he will be able to hold his own against the competition.

CNBC/MSNBC/The Wall Street Journal are jointly sponsoring the first Republican Presidential debate of the 2008 campaign focusing on economic issues. It will be held on October 9 in Dearborn, Mich. and will be broadcast live on CNBC at 4 PM ET and re-broadcast on MSNBC at 9 PM ET. CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo and MSNBC’s Chris Matthews will host the debate.

Christian Alliance Forum

Another appearance by Fred Thompson is scheduled for 7 pm EST on Thursday, October 11th. This candidate forum is being sponsored by the Ohio Christian Alliance in conjunction with chapters from several other states, and will include Fred Thompson, Allen Keyes, and Sam Brownback.

Full information is available on the Ohio Christian Alliance website. The forum will be broadcast and webcast by NewsTalkColumbus. Click on the NewsTalkColumbus link, and the link to the forum webcast is at the top of the left sidebar. Be there on Thursday, at 7 pm EST.

We finally got the long awaited “announcement” last night (this morning) on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Now that Fred is officially in the race he will need two things to keep this movement going, Money and increasing Grassroots Support. I ask that you make a small donation to the campaign by selecting the “Fred08″ contribution button at the top of the right sidebar. If you are not already a member at Ohio4Fred, please take a couple minutes to register.

Ohio will be vital to a successful campaign, and we will be using the member list on Ohio4Fred to keep supporters informed of current news and planned activities. As the campaign progresses and activities are planned in the area we will need a ready list of supporters to request the needed volunteers.

Fred has posted a 15 minute “Announcement Video” on his official Campaign Website, which is now at www.fred08.com. In this video Fred Thompson summarizes his reasons for entering the race, his philosophy, and his position on major issues. This is a “must see” for any of his supporters and those that are still examining the candidates.

We Need Fred Thompson in the White House in 2008.

Fred Thompson Needs you right now.

Fred has stepped up for us, we must now step forward for him!

Join the Party!

Fred Thompson has declared that next week he will do just that, and he is asking all of his supporters to celebrate with him.

Fred will make his long anticipated announcement by webcast at “ImWithFred” on September 6th, and supporters from across the country will be meeting at the “National House Party” to join in on the “Fred Day” celebration. Fred will follow the announcement with a five day “Grassroots Tour” of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida before his homecoming in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. The webcast announcement is scheduled to take place at 7:30 EST, with most parties scheduled from 7:30 - 9:00 EST.

You are encouraged to Look for a House Party in your area, or Plan Your Own Event. This is a great way to meet other Fred Thompson supporters in your area, and begin to plan for the long road ahead.

We have waited a long time for this, and we must now show how strong our support is for Fred Thompson. Fred can not do it alone, and we must now decide how important it is to have a strong conservative in this race with a real chance to beat the Democrat alternative.

How important is this race to you?

Anyone interested in hosting a public House Party please comment to this post or send me an email with the details. I will post any public meetings on the website if the host requests that. Also, even if you have a private House Party with just a few friends, let me know how it goes. We need to use this opportunity to increase our numbers. Print out a list of basic information about Fred and his stand on major issues, and include a list of websites and other resources for those that are just learning about Fred Thompson.

Everyone Enjoy the Evening, We Have Waited a Long Time!

Fred Thompson attended the Freedom Concert in Atlanta on July 11th, and he has confirmed that he will also attend the concert in San Diego on July 26th. We need to convince him to attend the Freedom Concert at King’s Island near Cincinnati on August 9th. Please take a couple minutes to visit the Official Fred Thompson website and leave a comment requesting that he attend the concert in Cincinnati. I’mWithFred Freedom Concert Topic

Please just leave a short note and ask him to come to Ohio. If you know of anyone that will be attending the concert, or that is a supporter of Fred Thompson, ask them to also request Fred to attend the Ohio concert. We need to act quickly before his schedule is filled. Please follow the link above and leave your comment now. It will only take a minute.

Following is some information regarding the concert.

Sean Hannity’s “Freedom Concert” will be held on August 9th at the Timberwolf arena at King’s Island. This is a very worthy cause with all proceeds going toward the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund. This fund provides scholarships for children whose parent has been lost or disabled while in service of our country. This is not a Fred Thompson event, but it is one that I believe Fred and most Fred Thompson fans would support.

The concert in Cincinnati also includes a full day admission to the park. I already have my tickets for the Cincinnati concert, and am trying to organize a meeting with other Ohio FDT supporters before the concert. My thought is to arrange a meeting time and place in the park before the concert just to be able to meet some of Fred’s Ohio supporters.

Please leave a comment if you are planning to attend the concert or be at the King’s Island Park on August 9th. I would like to see if we can arrange to meet for lunch or just to say hello and introduce ourselves.

Tickets are going fast. Act quickly if you do not have yours. For event information or to order tickets:
Info or Tickets

This should be a great concert for a very good cause, and a fun, patriotic, and family oriented day for all. I hope to see you there.

Thank you,
Tim

Hello All,

On Thursday, we had the inaugural meeting of the Ohio4Fred and SW Ohio 4 Fred groups. The meeting was very productive, with much discussion of Fred Thompson, the other “candidates”, and the issues. We also discussed where we are now in this process, and where we need to go. We have begun to develop a game plan, and have compiled an initial list of tasks that need to be completed.

1. Increase Membership: We are probably just days away from Fred Thompson’s formal announcement, and there will be a huge amount of work to be completed over the next eighteen months. The people now active in this effort can not complete this extensive workload on their own. Fred Thompson’s candidacy has been encouraged from a strong grassroots movement, and the success of this campaign will rely on that movement’s continued growth and energy. This effort can not be successful without your help. We need everyone to recruit more people into this endeavor if we hope to triumph in November ’08.
We must begin collecting additional names for possible volunteers when they are needed. We can not be left scrambling to find help when there is a critical need. There must be a large pool of volunteers to keep everyone fresh and enthusiastic.
Everyone should encourage their friends, family, and coworkers to investigate the message of Fred Thompson and to sign up to help when the time comes. I can not stress enough how important this is. We can not hope to win this election without a huge volunteer base.
All persons from Ohio should be encouraged to visit Ohio4Fred at http://conservablogs.com/ohio4fred and if they are in the Southwest Ohio area, they should also visit the SW Ohio4Fred site at http://swohio4fred.blogspot.com/ . They must register as members on these sites so that they receive critical information and we can contact them when we need volunteers. In the coming weeks we hope to have regional groups on board for other areas of the State.
We must expand our base dramatically. This is the first, and most important, task that must be completed. I am asking for your help at this time so we can continue to build on the progress we have made so far.

2. Form Regional Groups Throughout the State: We now have a regional group in southwest Ohio, SW Ohioans 4 Fred at http://swohio4fred.blogspot.com/. These regional groups will be essential once the campaign begins. Volunteer efforts are more efficiently organized at the regional level by scheduling face to face meetings, helping to organize local events, and assigning duties for volunteers. I have the names of several people that have expressed some interest in being a regional coordinator, and would like anyone that is interested to send their request by email to ohio4fred@fuse.net

3. Organize Common Interest Groups: I have several students that are interested in organizing “Students 4 Fred” groups, and a couple firefighters that are also interested in organizing. These and other interest groups will be very helpful to the campaign. Persons with shared interests have a common viewpoint to understand the benefits of a Fred Thompson presidency. Anyone interested in organizing or becoming active in one of these or any other common interest group should email requests or comments to ohio4fred@fuse.net

We are just beginning to get started, and there will be much work ahead. That is why it is vital to build a large base of volunteers now. I realize that November 2008 is a long way off, but the election cycle has been moved forward with much earlier campaigns, debates, and primaries. If we are not prepared very soon we will miss this train.

I believe that Senator Thompson has the ability energize all of America and bring in “Thompson Democrats”, similar to what Reagan was able to do, and fuel a resurgence in widespread conservative acceptance. He will do it not by compromising his principles or placating the far left, but by proudly standing on conservative principles.

Remember:
Conservative ideas are winning ideas if presented proudly and honestly. Fred Thompson will continue to do just that.

We have a long journey ahead, with a lot of work to do. The prospect of a President Thompson as opposed to any of the Democrat alternatives should make it clear that this is a challenge that should not be disregarded. I do not want to watch the inauguration of one of those Democrats in January of ’09 and regret that I did not did not do enough for Fred Thompson when he needed my help.

Ohio has been and will continue to be vital to any Republican candidate. Ohio, Ohio, Ohio!!!
Please step forward to actively support Fred Thompson, and spread the word to others to join us.

Thank you,
Tim McDonald (tmc32)
ohio4fred@fuse.net
http://conservablogs.com/ohio4fred/

p.s. While visiting the site please consider donating to the Fred Thompson campaign. Fred will rely heavily on small donations from a large number of people. Just think how much you will lose in taxes if a Democrat is elected in 2008. On my site, the donation box is at the top of the right sidebar. Fred will thank you.

We are not officially affiliated or endorsed by any candidate or candidate’s committee. This is part of an independent grassroots effort to encourage and support Fred Thompson for President.

Hello, FredHeads!

Sorry for the short notice, but I would like to invite you to the inaugural
meeting of the SW Ohio FredHeads. Speculation is that Fred will be
announcing his candidacy some time in the next week, so it is important that
we begin to plan for the next phase of the campaign.

This will be an informal meeting to make introductions with other Fred
Thompson supporters in the area and to make preliminary organizational plans
for the Southwest Ohio region. Many of us have been communicating over the
internet for some time, and it will be good to finally meet in person.

We will be meeting at:
LaRosa’s Restaurant, Tri-County
11711 Princeton Road
Across from the Tri-County Mall

Thursday, June 28
12:00 noon

I realize that this is very short notice, but I do hope that you are able to
attend. If you know of any others that would be interested, please bring
them along. I understand if you can not make it on such short notice, and
promise that there will be other opportunities in the near future (with more
notice).

Please RSVP so that we know how many to expect.

Hope to see you on Thursday!

Thank you,
Tim
Ohio4fred@fuse.net

http://conservablogs.com/ohio4fred/

http://swohio4fred.blogspot.com

Fred Thompson’s Announcement

It would not make sense for the Fred Thompson almost-campaign to make an official announcement that they are going to make their official announcement at a certain location and time. However, there has been much speculation for quite a while that Fred would declare his candidacy at a July 4th event in Nashville. There has been no confirmation from anyone connected with Fred Thompson, but they are no longer denying the possibility since the exploratory committee was formed.

Some time between now and July, I expect Fred’s schedule will be released and there will be an event in Nashville on or near the 4th of July. I am making plans right now to be in Nashville at that time. If this event becomes a reality, I would like to have a contingent from Ohio represented at the event. I have no inside information concerning the announcement, but the following plans are based on the assumption that it would be done at a public event or rally.

We will help coordinate for those that would like to assemble and caravan for part of the trip. The plan would be to designate an assembly point and time at one of the first rest areas or exits after entering Kentucky. According to Mapquest, Nashville is about 275 miles and 4.5 hours from Cincinnati.

After arriving in Nashville, we will designate another assembly point and time for all from Ohio, including those that caravan and those that make the trip alone. One possibility would be to select a restaurant in the area and meet for lunch before the rally.

There is also the issue of overnight accommodations. For those that want to plan an overnight stay, we will see if there is some consensus on the type of accommodations or motel chain preference. If enough people are interested in staying at the same location, I will see if we can reserve a block of rooms. At that point it will be up to each individual to make their own reservations. It would be nice if we could all agree on one location.

These are just some ideas that I wanted to offer and see if there is any interest. I realize that many already have plans for the holiday and would not be able to attend. Though there has not been confirmation regarding a July 4th announcement, I wanted to present my ideas as soon as practical so that everyone could consider the possibilities.

Please leave a comment indicating whether you will be able to attend or not.

If Fred will be there, I will be there also!
Hope to See You There!

Thank you,
Tim