I want Fred Thompson to become the next President of the United States.

Up until a week and a half ago, I was fairly certain that I would be casting a write in vote for either Newt Gingrich or Ronald Reagan (just so I could say that I got to vote for him) because there was no one else from the GOP that I could or would support. But in the past few weeks Thompson has kicked his campaign into gear and I feel hopeful that an actual conservative could be on the ballot in November if he keeps it up.

This quote from an email to The Corner on National Review Online perfectly summarizes how I feel about each of the top contenders in the GOP:

... I want to send a message, albeit a small one. I don't want some local talk show host to badger people into supporting Huck just because he's evangelical. I want McCain to know he's not off the hook for that gang of 14 business. I want Romney to know that positions mean things. And I want Paul to know I don't subscribe to a Black Helicopter view of this country. And I want Guliani to know he can't have a vote just because he's not Hillary.

Mostly I want Fred to win because of his temperament and positions and ability to communicate. What I want him to know is that people will be there with him if he tries.

My lack of enthusiasm for Fred Thompson had stemmed from my perception that he wasn't really trying all that hard. I am not going to apply the lazy label that the media has been sticking all over him because deep down they know that he is the guy that can win the election. But there was clearly something wrong with his campaign if all of his pre-announcement buzz had faded so fast and he was puttering along as if going through the motions.

Fred Thompson is the one I want to vote for in November. In my mind, he is the conservative choice among the electable field.

Source: The Corner on National Review Online