NH Republicans tell Freddie Dalton Thompson they are "insulted" by him. Great way to start, Freddie

QUOTE

Welcome to the State, Fred. What Kept You?

Thompson Plays Catch-Up With 'Snubbed' N.H. Voters

By Libby Copeland

Washington Post Staff Writer

Monday, September 10, 2007; C01

STRATHAM, N.H. -- If New Hampshire can offer Fred Thompson some advice, it's

that he'd better start spending some time with New Hampshire. New Hampshire

has a lot of questions for Fred and it doesn't like to be kept waiting.

Ah! Here he is, finally, pulling up to the farm in a big bus on this

Saturday evening, making his way to the stage.

"I understand some people have been looking for me," Thompson tells a crowd

of 200 or so folks who are here to eat chili and see the tall, the

mysterious, the much-talked-about Fred Thompson. "I'm going to be here early

and often."

But wait, Fred. New Hampshire wants to know: Isn't it too late to be early?

In the new timeline of presidential politics, in which 2007 is the new 2008,

nobody quite knows just how fast the first primary in the nation will be

locked up. Thompson has been here only one other time since he started

considering a run for the presidency, while his opponents have been

crisscrossing the state for ev er. And it doesn't escape the notice of New

Hampshirites that Thompson could've been here last Wednesday if he hadn't

decided to skip the Republican debate in Durham and declare his candidacy

later that night on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno."

Skipping New Hampshire to hang out with Jay Leno! What a snub! Even his

supporters say they were disappointed. One proud resident uses the phrase

"slap in the face."

But enough of that for now. The former Tennessee senator is finally here.

Thompson finishes a somewhat passionless speech about security and

immigration and why this country shouldn't apologize to anybody, and

descends to the crowd to mingle. And the serious, deliberative people of New

Hampshire -- who are all too aware of the importance and responsibility of

Being New Hampshire -- get to do the thing they're best at. They get to ask

questions. Important questions.

Like:

"Does it feel good to be on the ground in New Hampshire, senator?" asks Doug

Lambert, a conservative blogger.

"It does indeed," the former senator says, promising, once again, that he'll

be visiting this great state "early and often."

Since this is the annual chili-fest put on by a Republican women's group, it

is incumbent upon Thompson to meet some Republicans and have some chili. But

it proves quite difficult for him to do either. He is enjoying -- and

withstanding -- the glare that comes from being the new kid. The reporters

stick to him like barnacles, and he is not able to move much or to actually

converse with the people of New Hampshire at any length. He signs

autographs, poses for pictures. "Bless your heart," he tells people, before

the media swarm swallows him up again.

At last, Thompson makes his way to a large garage where food is being

served. The air is steamy and chili-scented. He is sweating in his blue

dress shirt and answering questions from the media.

One of the women standing by the vats of chili calls out: "Are you gonna let

him eat?"

Nope. More questions.

Thompson mops his forehead with a paper towel.

Can you win the New Hampshire primary? a reporter asks. Thompson may be

doing well nationally, but he's polling fourth here, where many activists

already have committed to other candidates.

"Yes."

How?

"Working hard," Thompson says, adding that he plans to be in New Hampshire

"early and often."

Early and often. But for months now, there are so many things about Fred

Thompson that New Hampshire has been pondering. (The state likes to ponder.

Likes to ask questions, meet a candidate a few times, ask some more, and

ponder.) Questions! Like: After so much waiting to get in the race, can

Thompson live up to the expectations surrounding him? Could anyone? And

about this notion that he's lazy, that he doesn't want the presidency badly

enough -- will that notion disappear or will it calcify? And can he attract

activists in the state when his challengers have already been here and there

and everywhere, reading "Owl Babies" to New Hampshire's preschoolers (that's

Mitt Romney) and answering important questions from the people, like, Will

you get Alzheimer's while you're in office? (John McCain).

Sure, there's still time, says Chuck Morse, a former state rep who's

attending the chili-fest. "My home town of Salem -- there are still a few

people that I consider activists that haven't signed up with anyone yet,"

Morse says.

Himself, he's with Romney.

Even Thompson's supporters know it: He had better start doing things New

Hampshire's way. Meeting the people. Eating the chili.

"He's gotta stay here for awhile," says Herbie Geiler, who's wearing a

Thompson T-shirt. "New Hampshire likes to shake hands with candidates

multiple times."

And so during this, his maiden voyage since declaring, Thompson will oblige.

The next day in Manchester, he drinks coffee with the locals in a restaurant

("That is good coffee," he says), sings "Happy Birthday" to a restaurant

manager, visits a sports bar where patrons are getting ready to watch a

Patriots game.

"Hello, Fred, welcome to New Hampshire again," says a woman, a Fred fan who

actually noticed when he was here the last time.

"I'm going to be here a lot," he promises her.

He talks about tax cuts and illegal immigrants. He tells reporters that he

has a nice life, a satisfying life, outside of politics, and that he's

running not to pad his r?sum? but to serve his country.

"That's the kind of attitude that allows me to approach it with an open mind

and a light heart and putting it in the hands of the people of New Hampshire

and the American people," he says. "And the Lord's will be done."

Open mind? Light heart? The people of New Hampshire, like Americans

everywhere, want their candidates to want it bad. They want to see them

work. They want fire in the belly.

And always, there is looming the other question: Just how much did skipping

the debate last week get Thompson off on the wrong foot in New Hampshire?

The New Hampshire Union Leader pronounced itself "less than pleased." Fergus

Cullen, chairman of the state Republican Party, who broke with tradition by

speaking out about the matter, called Thompson's behavior "insulting" and

suggested that Thompson might be "the New Coke," all hype and no flavor. But

plenty of folks say, eh.

"It all depends who you talk to," says David Dalrymple, a state rep who's

backing Romney and attending the chili-fest with his wife, Janeen, who's

undecided. "I thought it was a big deal. I think he snubbed New Hampshire."

"I disagree," Jeneen says.

"Well, there we go again," David says.

The thing is, while the activists of New Hampshire have been monitoring the

presidential race with bated breath, many of the average voters of New

Hampshire haven't. They may not care so much about what's happened up till

now. They'll start to care once they start to pay attention. Dan Hughes, a

retired developer and Thompson volunteer, says there is plenty of time for

Thompson to get to know the state and win it over.

"It's still early, believe it or not," Hughes says. "It's really just the

beginning."

In the meantime, just about all of New Hampshire says, Thompson will need to

make good on his promise to keep coming back.

"That's got to happen, and not just for us, but for him," says Michael

Castaldo of Dover. After all, Castaldo says, Thompson could stand to polish

his stump speech.

If New Hampshire can offer Fred Thompson some advice, it is practice makes

perfect, sir. Early and often.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/09/AR2007090901919.html?hpid=artslot

END QUOTE

If New Hampshirites feel insulted by Freddie's long absence, what will they

feel when his bimbo wife shakes her tits from every stage in the state???

And did you get that line from Freddie: "The Lord's will be done."