'Southern-Fried Reagan': Fred is Well-Framed By The Christian Right

NASHVILLE, TN — Fred Thompson is quickly becoming the savior of the Republican brand for many conservative Christians. Armed with a powerful assessment by Southern Baptist Convention's Dr. Richard Land, who argues in David Body's CBN blog, "It's Fred Thompson's Race to Lose," the Senator is now positioned within a critical Republican market segment as "the man to beat." Land's declaration that "Thompson has an ability to connect with people. He comes from small town America where he can appeal to NASCAR dads, Security moms, and Reagan Democrats," is gold in race where the top-tier competitors are both big city Northerners.

While Land can't officially endorse candidates, the gravitas of his words are legend. In framing Thompson as "Southern-Fried Reagan," Land adroitly positions the Senator in powerfully stark terms: "Thompson is the true heir and he is not a Yankee." And, most importantly, Land's powerful imprimatur further hardens the difficulties that Rudy Guiliani and Mitt Romney face in garnering the support of Christian Conservatives. To win the Republican nomination, Guiliani and Romney must perform well outside of the Northeast urban corridor. And, in all fairness, Romney's recent surge's in Iowa and New Hampshire – and Guiliani's current strength in Florida, New Jersey, and California – portend a long, hard slog for any Republican presidential hopeful. However, for a candidate not officially included in the race, the Brandwagon believes Fred Thompson is the man to beat.