Law & Executive Order?

The Rap Sheet isn’t a political blog, nor does it aspire to become one. But every once in a blue moon, crime fiction and politics actually converge. As was the case last year when Kinky Friedman (Ten Little New Yorkers) made a quixotic run for the Texas governorship, and is the case again now, with Fred Thompson--who plays New York District Attorney Arthur Branch on TV’s Law & Order--saying he may make a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008.

Assessing the chances of this 64-year-old actor and former U.S. senator from Tennessee slipping past the current GOP front-runners to capture the nomination, Slate chief political correspondent John Dickerson writes:

Thompson’s chief appeal is emotional. Until now, many conservative Republicans have had to wince when they thought of their plausible presidential choices. [Rudy] Giuliani is too liberal, [John] McCain is too unpredictable and too well-liked by the media, and [Mitt] Romney seems like a flip-flopper on the issues they care about. The possibility of a Thompson candidacy excites the Republicans I talk to. He’s an “outsider”--having left Washington for Law & Order before the Beltway rot set in. He’s a good communicator, which means he can sell conservative policies and has the star power to battle Hillary [Clinton] or [Barack] Obama. Though he hasn’t been through the press-vetting process, his voting record and talk-radio performances suggest he holds conservative enough positions. Oh, and he can raise Hollywood cash.

Authenticity and star power conjure visions of Ronald Reagan. But Reagan had genuine experience running something--namely the state of California. Thompson’s résumé is thin--an undistinguished eight years in the Senate, an acting career, and a youthful turn as co-counsel in the Watergate hearings. Supporters try to pump up his résumé by boasting that he shepherded John Roberts through his confirmation hearings--but that was the legal equivalent of walking Michael Jordan onto the court.

What’s most puzzling is that Thompson is liked by Republicans who say the war on terror is the single most important issue facing the country. They claim they understand the reality of the threats we face and that Democrats don’t. And yet Thompson’s security résumé is puny compared to his potential rivals. He has no executive experience and the wars he’s fought have all been in the movies. Sure, you can argue that experience is overrated--after all, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld had plenty of it. The problem is that Thompson’s supporters like Cheney and Rummy.

The myth behind the Thompson quasi-candidacy is a dangerous one that bedevils both parties: If we just get a better communicator, people will love our policies. But once Thompson enters the race, he will have to either embrace or distance himself from GOP policies, which will either ruin his chances in the general election or hurt him with his conservative supporters. In short, he’ll become just like any other candidate--something he might not like after such a big buildup. Thompson also has a reputation for not enjoying the grind of campaigning.

If I were one of the producers of Law & Order, I wouldn’t be too worried yet about having to replace Thompson in the cast. At least not in the long run.

You can read all of Dickerson’s piece on Thompson here.

READ MORE: “Law & Order Episodes Could Be Pulled if Thompson Runs for President,” by Joel Keller (TV Squad).