Republican and Conservative political analysis and commentary

Syndicated conservative columnist Robert Novak calls Fred Thompson's speech to the Lincoln Club of Orange County, California, "a letdown for the packed audience of conservative Republicans."

"It was not Reaganesque." "No red meat." "Too low key." That was the preponderant reaction I heard to Thompson's half-hour presentation (leavened by a few favorable comments, mostly by women, that he was more "statesmanlike" and "presidential" than the announced candidates). Lincoln Club members, like many conservative Republicans, have been unimpressed by the existing field of Republican hopefuls and envisioned Thompson as the second coming of Ronald Reagan. They did not get it Friday night.

The problem, Novak says, was more of style than of subtance, as Thompson hit all the right themes.

Novak is also down on the three current GOP front-runners, saying that at the nationally televised Republican presidential debate the night prior to Thompson's speech. "Rudy Giuliani seemed uncomfortable dealing with standard conservative issues. John McCain sounded harsh and hawkish. Mitt Romney's newfound conservatism still seems contrived to many in the Republican base."

I've watched Thompson's speech on YouTube. I rather liked his low-key style. It wasn't a campaign stump speech, but rather the foundation for a coming campaign, with Fred sounding the basic themes he'll be returning to time and time again with more specificity as the campaign unfolds.

You can watch Fred's speech on YouTube, where it is posted in four parts:

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4