Updated and jumped up:
For any one coming back to see any updates – I was hoping to see some video answers out on Fred’s site for all of the questions that you folks gave us. I hate to say, there are none. When they start to go up, I’ll update this post.
In the meantime, while the below line on Fredius Maximus was great, I would be remiss if I didn’t (given no video answers yet) put this up from a loyal reader (upon remarking on the same lacking):
Fred Thompson peaked last week. We will witness a slow plummet, like a small plane lazily spiraling to its ultimate demise…
It’s early in his campaign so I’m willing to give his staff a break (especially as many of them are probably new to each other). That said, I’m betting that Fred will lose some of the enthusiastic Fredheads if nothing shows up soon….
———————————————————————————————-
That was unexpected – just the sheer number of comments and questions sent into the ‘Grok as the Fred campaign asked a few blogs to gather questions for the Senator (here). At 10:28 last nite – 234 comments and about 56 emails. Altogether, over 50 pages of comments / questions / exhortations.
Being a person that likes to look at things and try to analysis it, I put a few hours into reviewing them all. Thus, the summarization is here; the broken out stats are after the jump.
Note: I was struck by forcefulness of the questions and how they were put. Good questions, and to a person, they don’t want the usual mamby-pamby answers – they explicitly requested specifics and not the political glittering generalities (more than a few said that if they got the latter, he’d lose their vote AFTER they said they were ready to vote for him).
For the strength of their conviction, I give you this line:
I look forward to speaking of Ronaldus Magnus and Fredius Maximus in the same sentence. – Martin
I hope that Fred realizes that a lot of people are expecting him to fill really big shoes! A lot of questions (many of them better than what I have heard during the debates) from a lot of earnest people (and a few bomb throwers as well).
Note: Our friend DCE over at Weekend Pundit also took part in "gather the questions for Fred" and his post is here. He also relates:
Jon Henke, who asked me, Granite Grok, Instapundit, Captain’s Quarters, Right Wing News, and Red State to request these questions from our readers, informed me earlier today that answers to the first questions will probably start rolling out tomorrow as they are taping Fred’s responses sometime later today. As soon as they have been uploaded I will post a link to them and any subsequent videos.
Question Catagory Summary:
| Percentage | Total | Category |
| 5.67% | 91 | Immigration |
| 8.75% | 55 | Taxes |
| 1.18% | 32 | Campaign |
| 0.47% | 22 | General |
| 0.95% | 19 | GWOT |
| 2.36% | 17 | Foreign Policy |
| 0.47% | 17 | Healthcare |
| 0.47% | 17 | Military |
| 1.18% | 17 | Political Philosophy |
| 1.42% | 16 | Economy |
| 1.18% | 15 | Energy |
| 0.71% | 14 | Politics |
| 1.42% | 11 | Abortion |
| 0.47% | 10 | Religion |
| 0.71% | 9 | Education |
| 0.95% | 9 | Gay rights |
| 1.18% | 9 | Spending |
| 0.47% | 8 | SS |
| 1.65% | 7 | 2nd Amendment |
| 0.95% | 7 | Global Warming |
| 0.71% | 7 | UN |
| 0.95% | 4 | ACLU |
| 0.24% | 3 | Iraq |
| 0.24% | 2 | Katrina |
| 0.24% | 1 | Ag Policy |
| 0.24% | 1 | Civil |
| 0.24% | 1 | FAA |
| 0.24% | 1 | Family |
| 0.24% | 1 | Racism |
Top Questions by Totals:
Percentage Total Category Question
8.75% 37 Taxes Fair Tax stance / sign the Fair Tax
5.67% 24 Immigration Secure the border
2.36% 10 Foreign Policy Views on NAFTA, NAU,SPP
2.36% 10 Immigration Will he enforce all laws
1.89% 8 Immigration What will you do about illegals here
1.89% 8 Immigration Penalize companies hiring illegals
1.65% 7 2nd Amend Stance or support
1.42% 6 Abortion Stance
1.42% 6 Economy Do you have a plan to reverse the outsourcing of
America?
1.18% 5 Campaign Why vote for you?/ In what ways are you a superior
candidate than Guiliani and Hillary Clinton?
1.18% 5 Campaign Specify you stance on how to unify the country
1.18% 5 Energy Reduce dependence on Oil?
1.18% 5 Immigration Anchor baby problem
1.18% 5 Political Philosophy Fight socialism
1.18% 5 Spending How will you control / cut spending
0.95% 4 ACLU Stance on the ACLU activities
0.95% 4 Gay rights Gay marriage / civil unions
0.95% 4 Global Warming Believe it?
0.95% 4 GWOT Stopping Iran / Naval blockade of Iran
0.95% 4 Immigration Deporting illegal aliens
0.95% 4 Immigration Sanctuary areas – cut off monies
Questions by Catagories:
Percentage Total Category Question
1.65% 7 2nd Amnd Stance or support
1.42% 6 Abortion Stance
0.71% 3 Abortion How would you go about ending abortion in this country, and would
that include any and all abortion?
0.24% 1 Abortion Will you be the first president to make the overturn of Pro- abortion legislation a TOP PRIORITY ?
0.24% 1 Abortion Wouldn’t any future appointment to the Supreme Court, in your effort
to overturn Roe, necessarily be one of the "activist" judges you
speak out against?
0.95% 4 ACLU Stance on the ACLU activities
0.24% 1 Ag Policy When will we value the contribution of our farmers
1.18% 5 Campaign Why vote for you?/ In what ways are you a superior candidate than
Guiliani and Hillary Clinton?
1.18% 5 Campaign Specify you stance on h
ow to unify the country
0.71% 3 Campaign Fred will you be able too take the pressure,and not bow out as H.Ross
Perot did?
0.24% 1 Campaign Do fully support a women as a VP candidate
0.24% 1 Campaign How will you handle the forthcoming attacks from the Democrats
regarding your personal life, your record, etc.?
0.24% 1 Campaign NH first primary status
0.24% 1 Campaign Do you feel this is a legitimate claim about your wife and how do
you address her input into the campaign
0.24% 1 Campaign Are you saying only what people want to hear?
0.24% 1 Campaign Now tell us your goals and how you will accomplish them
0.24% 1 Campaign Duncan Hunter for VP?
0.24% 1 Campaign Run a clean campaign?
0.24% 1 Campaign Are you willing to risk it all to try to sweep true conservatives into
power?
0.24% 1 Campaign Will you answer these questions on YouTube?
0.24% 1 Campaign Will you bring back traditional American values
0.24% 1 Campaign Will you clear out Democratsin your Administration (unlike Bush)
0.24% 1 Campaign What is it that you will do different?
0.24% 1 Campaign Potential support among non-voters
0.24% 1 Campaign Why join the race so late?
0.24% 1 Campaign Biggest challenge as President
0.24% 1 Campaign What’s to keep your candidacy from just splitting the Republican
party further from the base and basically helping hillary win in the
long run?
0.24% 1 Campaign Where get a bumper sticker
0.24% 1 Campaign How long do you think it will take for the Republicans of New
Hampshire to forget that you preferred being on the Jay Leno
Show rather than standing on stage with the other presidential
candidates?
0.24% 1 Civil Improve infrastructure
1.42% 6 Economy Do you have a plan to reverse the outsourcing of America?
0.71% 3 Economy What will you do to address the rising cost of living for the middle
class?
0.47% 2 Economy What do you think needs to be done to make sure that the federal
government is not bailing out private individuals or companies
who extend credit to individuals who are unable to pay their bills
0.24% 1 Economy How are we going to continue to finance our national debt with
more people investing in the euro and yen and not the dollar?
0.24% 1 Economy Incentives to US companies to shift jobs from China to Mexico
0.24% 1 Economy How keep us from another Depression
0.24% 1 Economy how will you, as President, address and implement the necessary
changes to turn around the devastated housing market and ever
increasing taxes, yet at the same time, put the brakes on
Government intrusion?
0.24%  
; 1 Economy Strength of dollar
0.71% 3 Education Stance on Vouchers
0.24% 1 Education Where do you stand on issues regarding our education system in
America?
0.24% 1 Education Do you think "Leave no Child Behind" is working?
0.24% 1 Education Stance on Dept on Education
0.24% 1 Education What is your plan for encouraging the recognition of teachers as
being well-educated professionals along the lines of corporate
members, lawyers, and doctors (to name a few)?
0.24% 1 Education Advocate teaching free-market,choice, accountability
0.24% 1 Education Could you please tell me where you stand on the issues the rights
of home-schooling.
1.18% 5 Energy Reduce dependence on Oil?
0.71% 3 Energy Overall plan
0.47% 2 Energy Nuclear power stance
0.24% 1 Energy If alternative fuels were at full production and American vehicles
were engineered to accept them, what do you believe the cost per
gallon of these fuels would be as compared to gasoline prices?
0.24% 1 Energy How would you establish a reserve for alternative fuels
0.24% 1 Energy Alt energy for residential & commercial buildings
0.24% 1 Energy High price of gas?
0.24% 1 Energy Stance on Biofuel?
0.24% 1 FAA Support their user fee strategy for funding the new air traffic
control system
0.24% 1 Family Bolstering the nuclear family
2.36% 10 Foreign Policy Views on NAFTA, NAU,SPP
0.47% 2 Foreign Policy Why are we letting Mexican truckers take American jobs away
0.24% 1 Foreign Policy Iran nuclear programs
0.24% 1 Foreign Policy Trade deficit with China
0.24% 1 Foreign Policy What experience to you bring to the Presidency in the area
of foreign policy?
0.24% 1 Foreign Policy Stance on Israel and support
0.24% 1 Foreign Policy Foreign trade
0.95% 4 Gay rights Gay marriage / civil unions
0.71% 3 Gay rights Stances
0.47% 2 Gay rights Support Defense of Marriage?
0.47% 2 General When you are elected, will you bring morality back to the United
States
0.47% 2 General Get the Feds off our backs (regulations, taxes)
0.24% 1 General Do you believe that a TV show is reality?
0.24% 1 General Do you have a long range plan to keep America thinking strong?
0.24% 1 General Fred Thompson what is your middle name and why don’t you use
it?
0.24% 1 General Did Senator Lott cancel the Campaign Finance hearings in 1997?
0.24% 1 General Legitimacy of the Federal Reserve?
0.24% 1 General &n
bsp; Seems like we care more about foreign citizens than we do our
own … shouldn’t we take care of our own first (like Seniors) ?
0.24% 1 General How do you feel that your values "should" and "will" play into
your leading this country over the next eight years?
0.24% 1 General phasing out the NEA and the BIA for starters;
0.24% 1 General Fred, will you enforce the laws?
0.24% 1 General What about Native Indian rights, BIA, and Indian sovereignty
0.24% 1 General What is your position on the addiction problem in this country?
0.24% 1 General What will you do to make sure these departments (DARPA, Dept
of Energy) and associated research in our universities will not
only to continue to be the best but accell at a rate faster than
our competition abroad?
0.24% 1 General why do you think Colin Powell bailed.
0.24% 1 General would you support finishing the Superconducting Supercollider
project in Texas so CERN doesnt get too many of our high
energy research scientists in to leave?
0.24% 1 General What wll you do about the high price of gas
0.24% 1 General What about stricter laws regarding pedophiles, child pornography,
child abuse, and the like?
0.24% 1 General Why do politicians do more for the ‘dregs” vs productive citizens
0.24% 1 General Will a Thompson presidency lead the nation in trying to reverse
this dangerous trend of our total dependency on China (if it
isn’t already too late!)?
0.95% 4 Global Warm Believe it?
0.71% 3 Global Warm What will you do
0.95% 4 GWOT Stopping Iran / Naval blockade of Iran
0.47% 2 GWOT War in Iraq – withdraw?
0.47% 2 GWOT WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON THE"PATRIOT ACT"?
0.47% 2 GWOT Islamofascism
0.24% 1 GWOT My question to you is how will you win the war on terror
0.24% 1 GWOT Chavaz training Al-Qaida to slip across the Mexican border
0.24% 1 GWOT Can you tell me how you will help HOMELAND security at home
with our Firefighters, EMS and Police.
0.24% 1 GWOT Strengthen intelligence operations
0.24% 1 GWOT How do you explain the role of the US, historically, as the leader
of the "free world" and why our success in Iraq matters.
0.24% 1 GWOT TSA stance
0.24% 1 GWOT Time table for withdrawal from Iraq
0.24% 1 GWOT What initiatives do you have to protect the everyday American
&nbs
p; from Terrorism from abroad and within?
0.24% 1 GWOT Who is going to take responsibility or be blamed for the next 9-11
attack when it happens, if we give up in Iraq?
0.47% 2 Healthcare What are your goals for universal healthcare in this wealthy
country of ours.
0.47% 2 Healthcare Embryonic Stem-Cell Research / Human Cloning
0.47% 2 Healthcare Why would a single payor system for the entire US population not
be more cost effective in spreading the risk than the current
private/public system?
0.47% 2 Healthcare Stances
0.24% 1 Healthcare How does he plan to help build a better health care system for our
Senior Citizens?
0.24% 1 Healthcare Do you have any plans to relieve the burden of health insurance
costs?
0.24% 1 Healthcare Criticism by Dems on current system
0.24% 1 Healthcare I would like to know why Senator Thompson voted against
medical savings accounts
0.24% 1 Healthcare What will you do about medications shipped above 87 degrees
that are not destroyed?
0.24% 1 Healthcare Raise “HSA” limits
0.24% 1 Healthcare Get cheaper Rx drugs than in Canada
0.24% 1 Healthcare What about the healthcare for the elderly?
0.24% 1 Healthcare What do YOU plan on doing about all the uninsured in the US.
5.67% 24 Immigration Secure the border
2.36% 10 Immigration Will he enforce all laws
1.89% 8 Immigration What will you do about illegals here
1.89% 8 Immigration Penalize companies hiring illegals
1.18% 5 Immigration Anchor baby problem
0.95% 4 Immigration Deporting illegal aliens
0.95% 4 Immigration Sanctuary areas – cut off monies
0.71% 3 Immigration Illegal aliens get SS?
0.71% 3 Immigration Extending amnesty to illegal aliens
0.71% 3 Immigration Promote assimilation
0.71% 3 Immigration English as the official language?
0.71% 3 Immigration Cut off benefits to illegal aliens
0.47% 2 Immigration Process for business to approve legal workers
0.47% 2 Immigration Will you pardon / free border patrol agents Ramos & Compean?
0.47% 2 Immigration Stance on illegal immigration
0.47% 2 Immigration Hold Mexico responsible for their side of the border
0.24% 1 Immigration Bracero / temp worker program?
0.24% 1 Immigration Support the DREAM act?
0.24% 1 Immigration What do you think of a Burden Tax on Illegal immigrants working
here in our country?
0.24% 1 Immigration Enforce overstay penalties
0.24% 1 Immigration Reforming legal immigration
0.24% 1 Iraq What is the game plan for winning this battle and why don’t we
expect more from their leaders?
0.24% 1 Iraq Who is going to take responsibility or be blamed for the next 9-11
attack when it happens, if we give up in Iraq?
0.24% 1 Iraq My question however is; since we train kids for six to eight weeks
 
; to become competent fighters why has it taken over three years
to train the Iraq military members?
0.24% 1 Katrina Stop helping the Katrina losers
0.24% 1 Katrina we still can count on you to help us out on the Katrina recovey
0.47% 2 Military Missile defense shield in former soviet states
0.47% 2 Military how are you going to secure the military personnel a place in the
future so that we too can have lives that are proud, strong,
and financially stable?
0.47% 2 Military Build a vigorous force
0.47% 2 Military Continue force reductions Navy and Air Force?
0.24% 1 Military Boost help to families in cases of injury or death
0.24% 1 Military Allow gays in the military
0.24% 1 Military What are his views on Veteran Affairs and how does he plan to
help build a better system
0.24% 1 Military How can you strengthen our Military without a Draft?
0.24% 1 Military Why tax military pay
0.24% 1 Military What is your position on reinstating the draft?
0.24% 1 Military allow the terminology POW/MIA be changed to "Missing-Captured
Duty Station Whereabouts Unknown and not only do
nothing about it, seemingly couldn’t care less.
0.24% 1 Military Will you allow us to FIGHT the enemy instead of hand tying us
with limited Rules of Engagement
0.24% 1 Military When can we take you to brunch with some of the wounded troops
from Walter Reed so you can hear first hand the frustration with the whole process of recovery there at that Army Hospital?
1.18% 5 Political Philosophy Fight socialism
0.71% 3 Poli. Philos. Stance on Federalism?
0.24% 1 Poli. Philos. What if we did away with the Federal Government all together with
the exception of National Security?
0.24% 1 Poli. Philos. To what extent do you think government solutions can be
formulated “objectively"?
0.24% 1 Poli. Philos. To what extent does an “objective” approach to creating solutions
lie outside the dichotomy of liberal and/or conservative
values?
0.24% 1 Poli. Philos. How will you fight Liberalism / socialism
0.24% 1 Poli. Philos. does he plan to examine and relinquish – as in OFFICIALLY and
LEGALLY RESCIND – those powers which are inappropriate for
the Executive to have ?
0.24% 1 Poli. Philos. What are your views on political correctness?
0.24
% 1 Poli. Philos. how Fred Thompson intends to deal with the core issues of
neoconservatism vs. conservatism.
0.24% 1 Poli. Philos. Do you think that reason and force are diametrically opposed?
0.24% 1 Poli. Philos. Wouldn’t an increasingly Federalist national government allow for
the possibility of some states to implement more liberal
government policies (like in California or Mass.)?
0.71% 3 Politics Term limits?
0.47% 2 Politics Would you support legislation that would require Congress to stop
playing the "tack on" approaches with legislation
0.24% 1 Politics How are you possibly going to deal with Speaker Nancy Pelosi
and Senator Harry Reid?
0.24% 1 Politics How would you reconcile your conservative values with the
possibility of a sharp increase in liberal government policies in
Blue States if Federalism is adopted?
0.24% 1 Politics Getting rid of nanny state regs like trans-fats
0.24% 1 Politics How would your administration communicate to the American
public differently than past administrations, to counter the bias
from the elite drive-by media?
0.24% 1 Politics controlling lobbyists and PAC’s;
0.24% 1 Politics What will you do with the statement "In God we Trust"
0.24% 1 Politics will you stand up for your office, yourself and your administration
when you are attacked relentlessly by the media?
0.24% 1 Politics i just want to know when the career political whores in
washington are going to put their personal gains and retirement
package,(living off me and my grandkids) on the back burning
and do what needs to be done to save this country.
0.24% 1 Politics Would you adopt a solution that, while considered a "liberal"
approach, was nonetheless the most sound and objective
approach to attacking the problem it was designed to solve?
0.24% 1 Racism Go color-blind
0.47% 2 Religion Fred, are you a man of faith / a Christian?
0.47% 2 Religion Could you please tell me where you stand on the issues of God in
the country / Removal of God from the public square
0.24% 1 Religion What role should religion play in national policy?
0.24% 1 Religion If enacted, hate crimes may make religion illegal
0.24% 1 Religion will you clear up the misinformation we are constantly fed about
the meaning of Separation of Church and State?
0.24% 1 Religion What or where do you consider your home church?
0.24% 1 Religion Who is Jesus Christ to you
0.24% 1 Religion What is your r
eligious background and where do you stand on
your faith today?
1.18% 5 Spending How will you control / cut spending
0.47% 2 Spending Get rid of earmarks?
0.47% 2 Spending Cut the deficit
0.47% 2 SS Overhaul or Eliminate
0.24% 1 SS making sure the Social Security Trust Fund is no longer mingled
with the general fund but maintained separately as it was
intended
0.24% 1 SS Stance
0.24% 1 SS My question is pertaining to Social Security/Unbearable Taxes
0.24% 1 SS Will SS be there for me – how will you make sure it is?
0.24% 1 SS Fix the donut hole in Medicaid drug regs
0.24% 1 SS Private ownership
8.75% 37 Taxes Fair Tax stance / sign the Fair Tax
0.71% 3 Taxes Redo the tax system
0.47% 2 Taxes Why tax on SS benefits and withdrawals from retirement funds
0.47% 2 Taxes would you be willing to phase out the IRS and current taxation
and go to a new system of taxation?
0.47% 2 Taxes What are your plans to eliminate this country’s debt?
0.24% 1 Taxes favorof frontloading the child tax credit and/or providing some sort of
3 year tax holiday up to a certain amount of money for families
who have just had a child so that mothers can better afford to
stay at home and raise their children while relying on their
husband for their primary source of income?
0.24% 1 Taxes How can we taxpayers withstand the load forced upon us (entitlements / SS / Medicare)
0.24% 1 Taxes Please let me know what you plan to do to help or at least
understand your stand on these kinds of issues(small business
taxes)?
0.24% 1 Taxes Eliminate inheritance taxes
0.24% 1 Taxes Abolish 10% from 401(K) withdrawals for kids college bills
0.24% 1 Taxes Stance on taxes
0.24% 1 Taxes Cutting taxes – how much and by when
0.24% 1 Taxes bringing the budget back in line?
0.24% 1 Taxes Keep the tax cuts permanent?
0.71% 3 UN UN undermining the US
0.24% 1 UN No assignment of US troops to UN
0.24% 1 UN No US funds for rebuilding the UN
0.24% 1 UN Stance
0.24% 1 UN Get US out of the UN
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