Is He for Real?

Philadelphia

IT’S late July, and even though he’s been on the non-campaign trail for five months, Fred Thompson has yet to appear on the same dais with any other Republican presidential candidate. That’s about to change here at the Marriott Downtown, where both Thompson, the former senator from Tennessee, and Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, are scheduled to address the annual meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council, better known as ALEC. Its members aren’t just any voters; they are state senators and representatives and other plugged-in politicos, mostly conservatives, from around the country. They’re good people to know: If you’re a Republican running for something, it never hurts to be tight with the top officials in Georgia, or Virginia, or Missouri. They’re all here today, and a lot of them have been waiting for months to get their first up-close look at Thompson.

About the Author

Byron York

Byron York is a former White House correspondent for National Review.

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Presidential Election

Philadelphia

IT’S late July, and even though he’s been on the non-campaign trail for five months, Fred Thompson has yet to appear on the same dais with any other Republican presidential candidate. That’s about to change here at the Marriott Downtown, where both Thompson, the former senator from Tennessee, and Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, are scheduled to address the annual meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council, better known as ALEC. Its members aren’t just any voters; they are state senators and representatives and other plugged-in politicos, mostly conservatives, from around the country. They’re good people to know: If you’re a Republican running for something, it never hurts to be tight with the top officials in Georgia, or Virginia, or Missouri. They’re all here today, and a lot of them have been waiting for months to get their first up-close look at Thompson.