He's Come a Long Way

David Kurtz of TPM notes Nixon's remarks on Fred Thompson, in The Watergate Tapes -- Dumb as hell, but friendly:

"Oh sh--, he's dumb as hell. Fred Thompson," Nixon interjects. "Who is he? He won't say anything."

In another conversation some weeks later, Nixon and his advisers were still describing Thompson as not very smart but at least beginning to play ball.

"Our approach is now, we've got a pretty good rapport with Fred Thompson. He came through fine for us this morning," White House counsel Fred Buzhardt says on a tape from June 6.

"He isn't very smart, is he?" Nixon asks.

"Not extremely so, but --," Buzhardt says, interrupted by the president.

"But he's friendly," Nixon says.

"But he's, he's friendly," Buzhardt echoes.

"Good."

Thompson has certainly come a long way since those Nixon days. Now he's dumb as hell, friendly, as well as old, lazy, and a bit forgetful.

The Post adds that tonite's debate is crucial for Thompson, For Thompson, It's Showtime:

In his month-old quest for the White House, Fred D. Thompson has already endured withering criticism from evangelical leader James Dobson, who observed that the former "Law & Order" star and onetime senator from Tennessee "has no passion, no zeal and no apparent 'want-to.' "

Old friends in Hollywood have been no kinder. Playing a laconic Thompson on "Saturday Night Live" over the weekend, comic Darrell Hammond seized on a story line that has already become conventional wisdom about his presidential bid. "I'm not sayin' I don't want to be your president, because I kinda do," Hammond drawled. "A little bit."

And after helping to create huge expectations for Thompson's late entry into the Republican race, the Washington establishment has proclaimed itself underwhelmed by his early performance. Columnist George Will compared him to New Coke and said his entry into the race was "more belly flop than swan dive."

And here's SNL’s Darrell Hammond latest impression: Fred Dalton Thompson --



Just what we need to replace George Bush. Thompson may be just the successor Bush is praying for -- someone who can actually make him look a little bit better.

(Video via Crooks and Liars)

Tags: SNL, Fred Thompson, Humor, Video, Politics