Is Fred Thompson All Charm And No Substance?

George Will seems to imply that in this article:

Some say he is the Republicans' Rorschach test: They all see in him what they crave. Or he might be the Republicans' dot-com bubble, the result of restless political investors seeking value that the untutored eye might not discern and that might be difficult to quantify but which the investors are sure must be there, somewhere, somehow.

One does not want to be unfair to Thompson, who may have hidden depths. But ask yourself this: If he did not look like a basset hound who had just read a sad story—say, "Old Yeller"—and if he did not talk like central casting's idea of the god Sincerity, would anyone think he ought to be entrusted with the nation's nuclear arsenal? He is an actor, and, as a Hollywood axiom says, the key to acting is sincerity—if you can fake that, you've got it made.

This is, of course, all about another actor. Republicans have scrutinized the current crop of presidential candidates and succumbed to the psychosomatic disease Reagan Deprivation. It is, however, odd that many Republicans who advertise their admiration for Reagan are so ready to describe Thompson as Reaganesque because he ... what?

There's no question that many conservatives look at Thompson as the next-coming of Reagan, and it's way too early to tell if Thompson is all folksy manner but not much conservative policy. His words are promising, and I like his style, but we'll have see if there's depth beyond that.

You certainly can't ignore a candidate just because they're an actor. Ronald Reagan got a lot of knocks, but then went on to run California for 8 years before moving to D.C. Thompson does not have similar executive experience (you certainly can't equate 8 years in the Senate with anything resembling executive experience).

Will also makes the same suggestion that Hugh Hewitt did - that all Southern accents sound alike and that voters, having grown tired of President Bush and his folksy ways, will reject Thompson because he has folksy ways. I just don't buy that one. Thompson is such a superior communicator to Bush it's almost as though they're speaking different languages.

I get the impression that Will is a McCain guy, and he's undoubtedly suffering at the rejection of McCain by the base. McCain will not be the nominee, so McCain supporters might as well start looking elsewhere. If you're concerned about conservative values, and want somebody who could inspire the base to action, at this point Thompson looks like the best bet. We'll see how things shake out once he gets in the race and is subjected to the scrutiny of the media and other campaigns.