The campaign team for Fred Thompson, the Tennessee-born former lobbyist who is running for president, made a mistake on its website that wouldn’t get past your average 10-year-old from Chattanooga: They confused Tennessee-born frontiersman and politician Davy Crockett with Daniel Boone, the trailblazer who was born in Pennsylvania, raised in North Carolina, and served in the Virginia legislature.
The site serves as the official house organ for the Thompson campaign until, as TBogg says,”[Thompson] gets done with sitting on the front porch and whittling and finally moseys on into town to file papers with the county recorder or some other act suitably bucolic enough to make Chris Matthews swoon.” (We hear Thompson is fixin’ to get ready to announce in mid-July.)
Framing Thompson, who worked as a Washington lobbyist for 18 years and served in the Senate for nine years, as a “citizen legislator,” the campaign site says:
In the tradition of Daniel Boone of Tennessee and President George Washington, citizen-legislators and leaders Thompson had admired growing up, he walked away from an easy reelection victory to seek new challenges.
Leaving aside the wildly hubristic comparison with George Washington, the facts about Daniel Boone are wrong.
After his family moved south from Pennsylvania, Boone grew up in the Yadkin River Valley near present-day Mocksville, N.C. As an adult, he made his name by establishing the trail through the Cumberland Gap from Tennessee into the Kentucky wilderness. He did serve as a legislator, but in the Virginia Assembly, not Tennessee’s. In fact, while Daniel Boone lived in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri and even bought land near Pensacola, Fla., he was never a permanent resident of Tennessee, as far as I can tell.
On the other hand, Davy Crockett was born in Tennessee, and later represented the state in the U.S. House. But Crockett did not walk away from an easy reelection victory.
Elected in 1828, he lost his seat in 1830 but won it back in 1832, only to lose it again in 1835, at which point he famously said to his constituents, “You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas.” He did just that — leaving behind his wife, children, mother and siblings. In March 1836, he was killed at the siege of the Alamo.
Of course, what may be confusing the campaign team — which is said to include non-Tennesseans like Mary Matalan, Lawrence Lindsey, Ken Khachigian, Dave Bossie and Victoria Toensing — is the fact that Crockett and Boone were both played by Fess Parker on television 40 years ago.
Daniel Boone sounds more macho than “Davy Crockett.” It probably was intentional “mistake”. All they wanted to do was to get Joe and Jolene six-pack to associate the good, strong-sounding American name “Daniel Boone” with Fred Thompson. It’s the first impression that counts after all, and the politicos know this well.
Fred Thompson’s Campaign Confuses Home State Icon Davy Crockett with Daniel Boone…
On his website, former lobbyist Fred Thompson compares himself to "Daniel Boone of Tennessee and President George Washington, citizen-legislators" who walked away from politics. Leaving aside the wildly hubristic comparison to Washington, Ten…
I really don’t think Fred Thompson make a pimple on Daniel Boone’s butt. As to comparisons between Thompson and George Washington, that transcends my limited powers for ridicule.
One would suppose that Thompson would prefer the Fess Parker character that did not die defending slavery.
What I want to see is the Fred Thompson character who spent 15 min on WiseGuy talking about the joys of being a member of the Gang Of Pirates, that should be found and put up on Youtube.
Well, given that both historic figures were played by Fess Parker, one could see how a denizen of Hollywood could get them confused. Surely nobody thinks of Thompson as a true Tennessean.
A campaign staff with D.Bossie as a member, who needs Boone, Crockett,
Houston, Bowie, or Washington. With
a Dan Burton inspired resume he could push Fred Thompson could go “all the way” ( don’t forget Bush,the younger,
or Ron,” the senile” Reagan ).
Fred Thompson is no Davy Crockett. My ancestor was a strong defender of the poor and powerless. Thompson is an enemy of the poor and powerless.
While a Senator, Thompson represented the interests of Wall Street. He spent a third of his professional life as a corporate lobbyist.
Davy Crockett would have been a campaigning actively against any elected office for Fred Thompson. This Crockett will do the same!
Sincerely,
Stephen Crockett
co-host of Democratic Talk Radio
That’s OK. I confuse Fred Thompson with Joe Don Baker. Another actor that played dumb hicks in movies.
Just look who is on his campaign:
“Mary Matalan, Lawrence Lindsey, Ken Khachigian, Dave Bossie and Victoria Toensing”
My god, what a group of fanatical fascists!
Fred Thompson comparing himself to a bona fide frontier hero – what a crock! (My apologies to Mr. Stephen Crockett.) Fred threw over his wife of 25 years and married a buxom blonde 4 years younger than his own daughter.
What exactly is the life expectancy of a person living with indolent lymphoma?
Stephen, cousin, hear hear! :)
Besides, if Thompson were anything like Davy, he most certainly would be stumping with a bottle of whisky and some chaw to give to his supporters.
Quien es MAS MACHO?
Dan’l Bun o Davy Croquet?
No, Fred Thompson es lo MAS MACHO de TODO!!!
Y huele bien!!
SWOON!
They really shouldn’t use Daniel Boone either, if you know the whole story about him. After blazing the trails to Kentucky and Tennessee he was screwed out of his land by the smart lawyers (you know, the types on Fred’s tv show). He then moved to Spanish Missouri, where the Spanish were impressed enough to give him a land grant. After Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase put Missouri in the US, Boone was screwed again. Not what is supposed to happen to an American hero, eh?
OMFG . . one Hollywood character actor using another Hollywood actor’s character to create a character to audition for a part in “Washington Real World”, comparing his lobby lov’n self to Washington???? Gonna’ need a bigger li’red pickup to haul his giagundus balls to “The Hill”. Someone please tell me this is just a working script for a Fall series . . . “Mr Old Fart Goes to Washington” . . . or “Senile In The City” . . .
Jess you made my day. thanks.
You people are a sad bunch…Run,Fred,Run!!!!
Yes, Fred, please run. Even Nader could beat a lobbyist.
Hell, Kucinich could beat a K Street lobbyist who’s a Republican to boot.
With the right spin, Fred’s former professional 18-year affiliation could remind voters of … what was his name? That other Republican K Street lobbyist. Aramov? Abramoff? That’s it. Jack Abramoff. In prison at the moment for dirty lobbying.
Question is, which Republican will be first to point this out – Rudy, Romney or St. Ron Paul.
Can ANYONE give some correct information re:The ancestry of Fred Thompson?? The only thing I see is that his father was a used car salesman. Nothing about his grandparents, etc.How did he get to TN, if he was born in another state (SC I think)? How did he get elected to the US senate his 1st time out?
[...] Apparently in June, Thompson confused Daniel Boone for Davy Crockett on his Web site. Sphere: Related Content [...]
Actually, both of the pictures used to illustrate this article are publicity shots from Fess Parker’s “Daniel Boone” TV series. The one on the left is from the first season, 1964-65, when the character still looked somewhat Crockett-ish, and the one on the right is from about 1968. The Crockett movies are from 1954, a full decade prior to the Boone series.
[...] Here’s a clueless if not sloppy point. Thompson who grew up in Tennessee, represented Tennessee in the U.S. Senate and now running as a presidential candidate from Tennessee, he could at least get his state history correct. On his website, Thompson compares himself to Daniel Boone of Tennessee. Maybe they meant Crockett since Bone was from Pennsylvania. They confused Tennessee-born frontiersman and politician Davy Crockett with Daniel Boone, the trailblazer who was born in Pennsylvania, raised in North Carolina, and served in the Virginia legislature. In the tradition of Daniel Boone of Tennessee and President George Washington, citizen-legislators and leaders Thompson had admired growing up, he walked away from an easy reelection victory to seek new challenges. On the other hand, Davy Crockett was born in Tennessee, and later represented the state in the U.S. House. But Crockett did not walk away from an easy reelection victory. Of course, what may be confusing the campaign team — which is said to include non-Tennesseans like Mary Matalan, Lawrence Lindsey, Ken Khachigian, Dave Bossie and Victoria Toensing — is the fact that Crockett and Boone were both played by Fess Parker on television 40 years ago. [...]
[...] Pensito Review ” Fred Thompson’s Campaign Confuses Home State Icon Davy … Fred Thompson’s Campaign Confuses Home State Icon Davy Crockett with … have been a campaigning actively against any elected office for Fred Thompson. … Official Thompson Campaign Site [...]
[...] Pensito Review » Fred Thompson’s Campaign Confuses Home State Pensito Review publishes news and commentary about politics and media. The campaign team for Fred Thompson, the Tennessee-born former lobbyist who is running for president [...]
[...] Fred Thompson’s Site Confuses TN Icon Davy Crockett with Daniel Boone [...]