Fred Thompson and the value of 'easy does it'

Is Fred Thompson too lazy to be president? Many in the press seem to think so.

Pundits and Democrats are making the same mistake with Fred Thompson that they did with Ronald Reagan and Dwight Eisenhower: underestimating him because he's not a workaholic. Mr. Reagan liked to joke that "They say hard work never killed anyone, but I figure, why take the chance?" Reagan also once observed of himself, "I've really been burning the midday oil." The same could be said of Mr. Thompson. To detractors, this is clear evidence of his limitations. It isn't.
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Democrats routinely confuse hyperactivity with achievement. This began when John Kennedy made such a fetish of contrasting his "vigor" with Ike's apparent indolence.

Since then, so many Democrats have tried to model themselves on JFK that perpetual motion has become a party trait. Bill Clinton – who hero-worshiped JFK – was an effective president in many ways, but would have been more effective if he'd learned some fundamentals of time management: don't procrastinate, stay up late obsessing, or worry problems to death with endless discussion. The latter more than anything is what scuttled the health plan he and Hillary noodled to oblivion.

Perhaps because so many of them come from the ranks of management, more Republican politicians seem to have learned that the essence of leadership involves delegation of authority, a schedule that isn't jampacked, and one that includes regular time off. Does Thompson take breaks and knock off at 5 p.m.? If so, he's got plenty of company among the electorate.

Amid the spate of bad reviews for Thompson's laid-back campaign performance, a few reporters have noticed how much more his laconic manner appeals to heartland voters than it does to coastal reporters. According to Michael Scherer of Salon.com, Thompson's obvious appeal to Iowans confuses members of the national press, "an ambitious crowd that distrusts those who brag of meandering through life."