The first thing that Thompson should do is hire a speech writer. If someone says that President Bush could have given the speech, then you know it was bad.

On a much more serious note, Fred Thompson’s speech last night was workmanlike, but given the build-up, underwhelming. With Bob Novak, Carl Cameron, John Fund etc in the room, I was expecting Big Fred to use the occasion to, if not declare, at least show the stuff that has many excited about the prospect of a Thompson race. He may have the music, but he didn’t bring the band last night. It was a speech that President Bush could have given on substance, though full of some well worn and reliable anecdotes that got the automatic chuckles. I found myself agreeing with those who compare Big Fred’s style with that of the vice president’s: serious and experienced, using the aside to get a deserved laugh, a man of accomplishment though looking older than I had expected. Is he, I wondered, really running for veep? From six feet away I just didn’t see the energy that will be absolutely required to power the next year-and-a-half of daily meet-and-greets, or the display of the sort of grasp of the new and the emerging to keep an electorate interested. This may be high political strategery on Thompson’s part, but it isn’t a great idea to gin up the MSM and then deliver an after-dinner speech that could have been given by a dozen folks in the room.

Hewitt is also agitating for Thompson which is not surprising because he’s been trying to close the field since January:

An exchange between the big four would be a great thing –actually many exchanges between them would be a great thing. But if the format is going to be 10 or 11, better to be among them than to hanging on the sidelines. Some of the pundits sniffed that Thompson helped himself by avoiding the scrum. Sorry. It is hard to get anyone’s attention in the country for any period of time. The base is engaged and watching. Nobody’s owed anything. Every live audience and every viewer invests in every debate that is watched. If Fred isn’t asking for their vote, well, there’s a message there too. I’m not a McCain fan but you can’t say the man isn’t working hard. Can Fred Thompson stay out a long time when a national hero is willing to work the crowd?

John Fund also told me at dinner last night that the longest period between GOP debates between now and Iowa is 12 days. I sighed when I heard that, as did every other person I passed it along to. It’s a marathon, and not many successful marathoners give everyone else a head start.

You can judge for yourself the quality of the speech here.You have to give Thompson props for not allowing others to dictate when he enters the race. The pressure to enter must be enormous and it would take nerves of steel to ignore those running around hi screaming, “Enter the race! Enter the race or risk losing. You haven’t a chance if you enter in June. You have no hope! Enter now, enter now, enter now or you are doomed!” Does he listen to the pundits and enter because he’s been scared into it or does he wait until he’s ready to do so? A leader knows when to follow his own decisions and to ignore the cries of the nervous Nellies who would push him to do something he isn’t ready to do.Update: You can also judge for yourself by viewing it: