Blah & order

Fred Thompson has the look, support, and voting record of a great candidate—but does he have the sparkle? | Mark Bergin

NEW HAMPSHIRE—When Fred Thompson stepped off his campaign bus at the Seacoast Republican Women Chili Fest in Stratham, N.H., Sept. 8, the latest addition to the GOP presidential field looked every bit the part. Standing 6 feet 5 with broad shoulders and a gruff disposition, the actor and former Tennessee senator exudes the kind of credibility and presence that voters and Hollywood directors crave.

Thompson made his way through a rain-soaked crowd, signing autographs and snapping photos before ascending the event's stage alongside a massive country farmhouse. "If there's any justice, in the paper tomorrow it's going to say Thompson's working up a storm," he told the umbrella-covered horde of supporters, many of whom had witnessed high winds take down tree limbs and a tent earlier in the day.