talks to Scott Baker of the newly launched Breitbart TV.
Among other things, he says: “I’m not going to argue the extent or location of the fire in my belly.”
More quotes:
National security has to be the overriding issue. We are going into a different era. We’ve got Islamic fundamentalism, suicide maniacs trying to get their hands on nuclear weapons that says it all.
If you can’t get your message out, if you can’t introduce yourself to people, and people can’t figure out what kind of guy you are, and what kind of president you would be in the length of time we’ve got between now and the primary season, it’s not gonna happen. You might oughta find another line of work. There is plenty of time to do that.I’ve never casually run for anything.
He adds:
I would just point out that I’ve never lost an election. No one has ever come within 20 points of me. I’ve always led the ticket. Little things like that.
Scott presses:
That could also say you haven’t really been tested by the fire.
Senator Thompson:
Well could be. I ran against an incumbent 12 congressman who was very popular. For starters. People can make of it what they will. But you know, there is one way to cure that isn’t there and that is say watch how things develop over this next little while. See then what you think. They must think I’m pretty smart fellow to do what I’ve done while being lazy.
Scott:
Now you know it will get intense, it already has, Jim Dobson has said he’s not even sure you are a good Christian. Are you ready for the onslaught of all that?
Senator Thompson:
That’s one of the advantages of living this long. It ain’t my first rodeo. I’ve seen it up close and personal for a long time. There will be no tactics or attempts that anybody does anymore in American politics that will surprise me. It’s small potatoes. We are talking about the future of the country here. Not somebody’s hurt feelings or embarrassment. We’re talking about the next generation. And these other things are extremely minor considerations compared to that.If I didn’t think I could win…if I didn’t think I could win in November I wouldn’t think about it. I’m not interested in winning a primary and losing in November. I’m not interested in being the tallest midget in the room. So yeah I think about that. That goes into the equation. But that has to do with the man fitting the times. The man has to fit the times.
On the Internet and the new kind of campaign that he’s clearly going to run if he runs:
If I’m successful in what I’m doing here…if it turns out to be something that we do…and is successful at it, it will in large part be because of that. I’m already going against the rules. In my timing, and what I’m saying, and whether a guy who hasn’t been out there working feverishly ever since he was in the eighth grade, and all those kinds of things, and if I do it successfully, it will be in large part because of this very thing.
He also, I might add, sounds like a man very, very seriously thinking about running.