Fred Thompson is fearless — especially when it comes to playing to the base. His recent sexist comments in Iowa show he is unconcerned about alienating large numbers of people outside his core constituency.

The former Tennessee senator was challenging potential caucus-goers to choose the best man to help fend off what he described as an assault by a Democratic Party that is “just salivating” to lead the country into a welfare state.

“Who are we going to set on the road — what man are we going to set on the road — to lead us and to stand against this assault?” he asked, emphasizing the word ‘man.’ He couched his comments by saying “I say the word man advisedly. Now I’ve got a daughter that’s going to be president some day, I know it, and I am all for a woman president, just not this year, not next year.”

Without saying Clinton’s name, he added: “There is no woman on the horizon that ought to be president next year, let’s all agree on that.”

I feel sick. Next we can expect Thompson to say, “I’m all for black people getting ahead, but not for president. Not this year, not next year. We can all agree on that.”

Thompson’s eye candy wife, Jeri, who like Fred is a former lobbyist, dutifully hangs on his arm scantily dressed and lamenting that their young spawn can’t accompany Pops and Hot Mamma on the campaign trail. These people so deserve each other.