Enter Fred Thompson

Washington, DC (TLS). On Fox News this Sunday morning, former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson stated that he has thought about throwing his hat into the ring for the Republican Presidential nomination. Denying that his entry into the race would be a statement about the quality of Republican candidates, or the lack thereof, Thompson insists that he is considering the possibility of running because his views need a hearing.

And there is no doubt a Thompson candidacy will gain a hearing for his views.

Thompson is a long-time movie actor and television star, currently appearing as a regular cast member of 'Law and Order.' He also served his home state of Tennessee with distinction as a conservative Republican in the U.S. Senate.

Wherever Thompson goes there is an entourage of news media personnel, giving the former Senator a 'star quality' that is on the same par as that of Barack Hussein Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Thompson insists that he is in no big hurry to make an announcement, in spite of dire warnings from pundits such as Dick Morris that any candidate who announces as late as Labor Day will not have enough time to build the 100-million-dollar war chest he/she will need by Jan. 1, 2008 in order to run a competitive campaign.

In Thompson's case, however, there may be an exception.

He has instant name recognition. He has star quality. He generates excitement and energy wherever he goes and would have no problem raising multi-mega-bucks in short order.

The thing that is different about Thompson's so-called 'star quality,' however, is that he is basically a non-controversial figure. He is a politician in the pure Tennessean tradition. Tennesseans like for their politicians to be low-keyed, solid, consistent, trustworthy. Thompson is all of this and more. He has the ability to create excitement without appearing the least bit shallow or 'camera-hungry.'

Thompson has that cool-as-a-cucumber 'gravitas' that one needs to be taken seriously.

Enough about his persona and on to his views on the issues. Thompson is a solid conservative in the Reagan tradition. He is pro-life, pro-gun, pro-traditional marriage, pro-defense, pro-low taxes. The only thing we do not know for sure is his current stance on the nation's immigration nightmare. If he stands for enforcing the laws against illegal aliens, as prescribed in the United States Code, then conservatives will most definitely have yet another candidate they can support whole-heartedly.

The possibility that Fred Thompson could enter this race changes the entire scenario. If he decides to run, you can throw out all of your pre-conceived notions about 'front-runners' so far. It's a whole new ballgame.