ImwithFred Review

The site Journalism.org has previously reviewed the announced candidates' web sites, and yesterday released their review of Fred's website. Generally he rates well--particularly with the "encouraging users", though they are not sure of the successes. They note that his online campaign financing is in line with other candidates.

Their primary critique is:

On the Thompson site, issues are non-existent. The only stance Thompson articulates at all is his take on the notion of federalism. And it is referred to not as an issue but rather as a “principle.”

Their basis for this statement is that there is not an "Issues" category on the site a litany of items stating their "positions". The issues listed by the article are: Iraq, Security, Health Care, Environment & Energy, Economy, Ethics, Abortion, Education, Immigration, and Fred's issue Federalism. As I have said before, I think FDT has expressed many of these items on his site. They are just in the "Commentaries" section. Specifically he has talked extensively about: Security, some on Health Care, the Economy, Earmarks (read Ethics) and many other items. There are no articles, but the speeches show his position on Iraq fairly clearly.

On the other hand, he has not given specific policy proposals for anything. Personally I find these proposals irrelevant being that we are 16 months before those proposals can even be introduced. How different may Iraq be in 16 months? Any proposal created today will have to be updated significantly before the candidate would take office. Fred has been up front that on issues like Iraq, that he does not currently have access to the details necessary to second guess the President or the generals in the field. The principals of how he would operate are far more important.

That being said, tonight at 12:00 Fred will announce. I will be surprised if we do not see a new website at the same time that will expand greatly on the issues.

The countdown to the fireworks is well under way.