When You Are Using Retread Ideas, Why Not A Retread Candidate, Too?

Is he anything beyond a standard Republican conservative? Will he have anything beyond a Mideast policy that consists of win in Iraq, support the surge, and oppose any timetable? Does he stand for any strategic thinking apart from what John McCain unconsciously but aptly characterized as “Bomb-bomb-bomb, bomb-bomb Iran”? On domestic issues, can Mr. Thompson go beyond standard conservative thought? I happen to be standard conservative myself [sic], but sometimes old things need to be made new, the obvious needs to be made fresh. ~Peggy Noonan

Well, his views on these things aren’t exactly secrets.  He has been giving interviews in which he states very bluntly what he thinks about all sorts of things, and he has been either writing articles for National Review or giving speeches that National Review has turned into articles on a regular basis for several months.  The things we seem to know about him are that he supports the war and the surge and wants no timetables, he seems intent on pushing for conflict with Iran (it seems likely that he would go along with McCain’s little ditty) and thinks that Scooter Libby got a really raw deal.  He’s for the 2nd Amendment, he’s pro-life and he likes Sarkozy.  Oh, and he allegedly drives a red pickup truck.  That about sums it up.  Who’s excited?