Fred Thompson the Actor/Politician

A recent article in the New York Times described a theme that Professor Pitney has addressed a number of times in class: the intertwining of Fred Thompson's political and dramatic careers. Fred Thompson's characters on screen are not that far from his persona in real life. Take a look at the slide show as well.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/arts/television/04kant.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

The Race Thus Far

An article in today's NY Times summarizes the key issues of the upcoming election very well. It first touches on what the author deems "The Bush Effect," questioning whether Republican candidates are hurting themselves by not simply avoiding comparisons between themselves and President Bush but rather refraining from speaking of him at all. It points out that despite Bush's 30 percent approval rating, two-thirds of Republicans support him and asks whether a Republican candidate should be alienating these voters. The article also talks about campaign contributions, Iran, comedy as an asset, Congress, taxes, and the Internet. Check it out here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/us/politics/04vote-web.html?ex=1351918800&en=7c37f906ef99e54a&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink