Thompson emerges as potential leader as GOP moves rightward

Former Sen. Fred Thompson, a Tennessee conservative and former actor, is mulling a run for chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Republicans desperate to rebuild their party are looking for a new leader, and former Sen. Fred Thompson may seek the job.

Thompson, a Tennessee conservative and former actor, is mulling a run for chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Though he ran a lackluster campaign for the GOP presidential nomination, he remains popular in his party because of his ability to articulate conservative values in a plainspoken way.

“Fred isn’t looking to run for national office again,” a close Thompson adviser said, adding that no official decision had been made. “He is looking to rebuild the party and help elevate the [conservative] movement and its principles.”

While the Republican National Committee considers who will take the helm when the term of the current chairman, Mike Duncan of Kentucky, ends in January, conservatives in Congress are already working to re-brand their party.

Minority Leader Roy Blunt, R-Mo., is stepping aside and will likely be replaced by his more conservative chief deputy whip Eric Cantor. 

The current House GOP Conference chairman, Florida’s Adam Putnam, also announced that he is leaving the leadership.

The only candidate running to replace Putnam is Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., the chief spokesman and face of the House’s largest conservative faction, the Republican Study Committee, which also includes Cantor on its roster.

The next head of the House GOP fundraising and candidate recruitment arm, the National Republican Campaign Committee, will be led by study committee member Pete Sessions, R-Texas.

“The House [GOP] is going to the right,” said Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, who served as the communications director for former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.

The Senate is expected to maintain its already conservative roster of Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as Minority Leader and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., as Minority Whip.

Solid conservative John Cornyn of Texas serves as the Republican conference secretary. Rising conservative GOP star John Thune, of South Dakota, is expected to be elected conference vice-chairman.

Political strategists say the most important step for Congressional Republicans as they emerge from the post-election rubble is to come up with a message that will resonate with the public, particularly the growing number of younger voters.

Many House Republicans complained that the party lacked a coherent message of late and believe Cantor and Pence can help push smaller government and lower taxes but still address other “kitchen table” issues like education, jobs and immigration.

“I don’t think the party has to fundamentally change its philosophy but we have to identify new issues and learn to talk to a new group of voters who aren’t as attracted to what we are talking about now,” said Republican strategist Terry Nelson, who served as political director of President Bush’s 2004 campaign. “We are not going to be able to regain the majority unless we are able to talk to them in a compelling way about what is important in their lives.”

sferrechio@dcexaminer.com