You Tube Debates & Fred Thompson

Here's the link to part 1 of the You Tube Democratic Debate on July 23, 2007. There are 19 parts total, and after about the first 11, you have to search for the others.

And here's the link to the 1st part of the You Tube Republican Debate on August 5th 2007. There are 9 parts total. The other parts come up in the column next to part 1.

Fred Thompson skipped the Republican debate and went on Jay Leno instead. Then at midnight he made the announcement that he's running for president on his website. Here's the longest announcement speech ever. Big focus on security, a little of the "dangerous times" of the Cheney/Bush camp, but not quite as bad, conservative Supreme Court judges, new technologies to reduce oil dependence and probably drill in Alaska "... utilize national resources"... pro-life, a lot of time on his biography, fix Social Security - several mentions of unity, and working together make it sound like he could be more bi-partisan in his approach... small government, get the feds out of schools and healthcare since they mess everything up anyway... probably vouchers (choose your school), give people a chance to buy their own healthcare on the market instead of through their employer.

I can see why people like him. All that time on Law and Order makes him really comfortable in front of the camera, and he has a great "persona". He seems confident, knowledgeable and folksy at the same time.