Over on the home page, Fred Thompson talks about how the narrative of “no fire in the belly” was shaped on his 2008 campaign – regardless of the actual facts in the anecdotes that drove that narrative.

Based on his experience, candidates should never ride in a golf cart in order to reach a live CNN interview in time; it instantly becomes ipso facto evidence of a candidate’s laziness.

His tales remind me of back in December of 2007, and the controversy surrounding Politico’s coverage of a Thompson visit to an Iowa firehouse that simply didn’t match the video of the event. I suppose if you go to a candidate event seeking awkwardness, discomfort, reluctance and off-key notes, you’ll see what you want to see. A good reporter should at least try to clear his mind of preconceived notions and just report what he sees.