Fred Thompson: The Complete Conservative

Melanie Morgan, chairman of Move Ameria Forward and KSFO 560 AM talk show host, explains why South Carolina Republicans should vote for Fred Thompson, the "complete conservative."

She writes:

For the sake of this nation, I'm hoping that on Saturday the people of the Palmetto State punch the ballot for Thompson (no hanging chads, please).

Folks, it comes down to this basic premise:

The former Tennessee senator represents the best hope not just for Republicans and conservatives, but, most importantly, the best hope for America.

As a conservative Republican, I've endured more than my fair share of elections where I was told to hold my nose and vote for the lesser of evils.

That rankles me.

But in this presidential election we have the chance to vote for a man who represents an ideal package: a fiscal conservative, a social conservative and a conservative on national security issues. None of the other presidential candidates are as consistently conservative on the array of issues facing this nation as Fred Thompson is.

...Unlike a Republican candidate from the northeast who has asked voters to look past his liberal record on social issues, Fred Thompson doesn't have to rewrite history to appeal to social conservatives.

Fred Thompson doesn't speak about America as a broken nation or having an arrogant foreign policy, as another southern Republican in the race does.

Instead, Thompson has devoted his campaign to speaking of the greatness of this nation, and the opportunity it affords to those willing to reach inside themselves and achieve their greatest hopes and dreams.

Unlike some candidates who have advocated for amnesty for those who come to this country unlawfully, Thompson has been direct and plainspoken about his opposition to illegal immigration. He articulated his position quite bluntly, noting, "A sovereign nation loses that status if it cannot secure its own borders, and we are going to do whatever is necessary to do so. ..."

...Some people want to write off Thompson because, even though he's the best candidate on the issues, they fear that polls show others have a better shot of winning the nomination.

The Wall Street Journal's editorial this Wednesday smartly knocked down that contention, noting that Romney's win in Michigan means a primary battle that is now open to anyone to win, including Sen. Thompson:

Another winner [Tuesday] was Fred Thompson, who is competitive in South Carolina and is running as the conservative who can unite the GOP's fractious wings. The former Tennessee senator has laid out an impressive policy map, but he's suffered in early contests because his heart and energy didn't seem to be in the race. That has changed in recent weeks, especially with his pungent, quick-witted debate performances. If he can do better than Messrs. Romney and Huckabee among conservatives, he could surprise in the Palmetto State and give himself a genuine chance at the nomination.

The voters of South Carolina have the opportunity to do America a favor and turn out en masse to vote for Fred Thompson for president.

South Carolina Republicans can send a message to the party and to the political pundits and to the media.

They can vote for Fred Thompson and show that they are unwilling to compromise on their conservative principles.

They can vote for Thompson and show that they will not allow the lib media to determine the Republican nominee for president.

Why settle for a lightweight conservative when there's a heavyweight on the ballot?