Media figures tout Thompson's "presidential" appearance

During the September 6 edition of CNN International's Your World Today, discussing former Sen. Fred Thompson's (R-TN) announcement that he is running for president, co-host Jim Clancy stated: "We heard a mention by other candidates, 'He looks presidential. He sounds presidential.' Is that what has his rivals in the Republican Party worried?" CNN's chief national correspondent John King replied: "That certainly is part of it, Jim. And don't undervalue the idea of looking the part, if you will. Fred Thompson is known for his roles on TV and in Hollywood in the movies. He now wants to look the part of president and appeal to a conservative Republican base that his campaign believes has yet to settle on one front-runner among the eight Republicans -- eight other Republicans running -- because of different questions about those candidates."

Likewise, in a September 6 post on Time magazine's Swampland blog, Time Washington bureau chief Jay Carney said of Thompson's video announcement posted on his campaign website: "And in his Hillary-style web-video announcement he sure looks like a president (at least, he could play one on TV)." Carney's declaration that Thompson "looks like a president" was not the first time the magazine has declared that a white, male, over-50 candidate for the Republican 2008 presidential nomination looks the part. On its May 21 cover, Time featured former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with the caption: "Sure, He Looks Like a President."

From the September 6 edition of CNN International's Your World Today:

CLANCY: Former Republican Senator Fred Thompson, there on a late-night U.S. talk show formally announcing what he's been talking about for months, that he's going to be running for the Republican presidential nomination.

ISHA SESAY (co-host): His official website carried the same message, and he's not wasting any time getting on the campaign trail.

CLANCY: Thompson now begins a two-day tour of Iowa, where political caucuses are traditionally seen as the very start of the nominating process. But has Thompson waited too long to get into the race? John King joins us from Des Moines, Iowa, with more on the now-official Thompson presidential campaign.

We heard a mention by other candidates, "He looks presidential. He sounds presidential." Is that what has his rivals in the Republican Party worried?

KING: That certainly is part of it, Jim. And don't undervalue the idea of looking the part, if you will. Fred Thompson is known for his roles on TV and in Hollywood in the movies. He now wants to look the part of president and appeal to a conservative Republican base that his campaign believes has yet to settle on one front-runner among the eight Republicans -- eight other Republicans running -- because of different questions about those candidates.

So what does Fred Thompson say out of the box? He will say to conservatives around the United States of America, "I know you're worried that after eight years of George W. Bush, the odds now favor Democrats taking back the White House -- not only Democrats taking back the White house, but maybe a Democrat named Clinton."

Fred Thompson is trying to tell conservatives he is the candidate who can prevent that from happening.

—A.I.