Republican Party debate or talk show with Jay Leno? I know, hard choice for me, too. While I would love to be watching a myriad of Republican presidential hopefuls duke it out on national television, Jay Leno’s mug is just too amusing too pass up.

In reality, the reason I chose to watch Leno on Wednesday night was because of his company: Fred Thompson. Thompson, who announced his candidacy on Leno’s show, will be, in my view, the recipient of the Republican Party’s presidential nomination.

Thompson is the only notable candidate that represents the Republican party’s traditional platform: fiscal and social conservativism with hot-button stances such as pro-military, pro-immigration reform and anti-abortion.

Why, then, many ask, has Thompson waited so long to declare his candidacy? It certainly has not helped him in fundraising — he failed to reach the bleak goal of $5 million in August by a significant margin. Furthermore, stalling his candidacy couldn’t be for publicity because while he is very well known as the staunch District Attorney from T.V.’s Law and Order, his specific views and positions aren’t completely understood by a majority of voters.

The one thing most voters know about Thompson, however, is that he isn’t a carbon copy of any of the current candidates. Thompson doesn’t flip-flop like Mitt Romney, he isn’t at odds with social conservatives over social issues like Rudy and he is a heck of a lot younger and not so Iraq-obsessed as John McCain is.

While Republicans have been struggling to decide which candidate represents them the best, they have come to the sad realization that they don’t have one. Voters, instead of just supporting the entire Republican platform, are forced to prioritize specific issues within it (such as abortion or immigration) and then match those with a candidate. The result is a piecemeal representation that leaves at least some portion of the party’s members unsatisfied. Thompson offers the easy solution: keep all your views and support a candidate who will fight for the entire platform.

Though Thompson hopes to fill the voids of the current candidates, it’s not enough for him to rely on a firm platform — he needs to express his seriousness, determination and resolution to the American public. Entering the race in September has left him little time for campaigning (relative to the others) and a smaller, under-sized campaign committee, especially after recently replacing his campaign advisor Tom Collamore. In addition, it might not be a bad idea for Thompson to be participating in debates instead of appearing on talk shows. While this gimmick might have been acceptable in August, time is becoming precious for campaigning, fund-raising and educating the mass electorate of his platform. New Hampshire Republicans have already criticized Thompson for his absence in the debates and, despite his premature popularity, Thompson, cannot afford to alienate any part of his base. Instead, strengthening Republican unity should be candidates’ paramount interest — especially in light of President Bush’s low approval ratings and Democrats’ victory in the 2006 Congressional elections.

Unity is exactly what the Republicans need. The incumbent party must coalesce around a broad conservative platform instead of disparaging the minute differences among candidates within it. The debates to this point, while informative and interesting, have ultimately been illustrative of the qualms and deficiencies of the individual candidates, and in turn, the party. The mudslinging and trash talking have tarnished and exposed the candidates’ weakness while simultaneously not yielding a decisive favorite.

Though Rudy is the most popular Republican candidate in CNN’s recent nationwide polls, Romney’s fundraising is massive, and straw polls reveal him as the most popular candidate in Iowa and New Hampshire — two critical states in deciding candidates’ fate. Thompson, on the other hand, as a testament perhaps to his potential, has consistently ranked among the top three Republican candidates in nationwide polls — even though he was not yet a declared candidate!

Despite facing many potential hurdles, in my opinion, Thompson has a bonafide strategy and game plan and it has absolutely nothing to do with his “hold out” and late entry into the race. Instead, it centers on his platform and message: security, unity, prosperity. Over the coming months, Thompson will be touring Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina proclaiming his campaign slogan “United by our core beliefs.” Unity and a resurrection of the conservative ideals are exactly what is lacking in the current Republican race and is what Thompson provides. Through his invigorated campaign, Thompson will be able to educate and rally Americans around his beliefs, positions and goals. And his overall message of a united, stronger, bipartisan America provides the best avenue for tapping some Democrats as well.

While Thompson in no way lives up to certain Reagan comparisons, he is currently a glimmer of hope for a party that was previously unraveling in disarray. And if in the end things don’t work out for Thompson, he can always go back to Hollywood and empathize defeat with Lindsay Lohan.

Carl Menzel is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be contacted at

cmenzel@­c­o­r­n­ellsun.com. Southern Style appears alternate Fridays.