Published: May 02, 2007 09:27 am         

"Run Fred Run" rally draws crowd to Cookeville park

Undeclared candidate sent petition from supporters

A "non-organized rally for a non-candidate" drew some 350 conservative Republicans to a Cookeville park Saturday clamoring for former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson to become a candidate for the GOP's nomination for president. The rally drew attendees from nine states from Florida to Ohio and New Jersey and was lauded by attendees as the first Draft Fred Thompson Rally in the nation.

Michelle Bedy, a part-time worker for the Cuyahoga (Ohio) Republican Party traveled 15 hours to witness the event. The Cleveland resident said she joined the draft Thompson movement early and that "my boss sent me down to bring back a report about what happens here. This is exciting."

For nearly two hours attendees stood in line to sign a "Run Fred Run" letter, listened to bluegrass music and soaked in plenty of partisan rhetoric from a host of speakers who on several occasions compared Thompson to the late president, Ronald Reagan.

The event called Just a Little Grassroots Rally was the brainchild of Cookeville part-time political consultant and part-time graphic artist Darrin Kirkus.

"There is no organization," said Kirkus. "Just a lot of people who are clamoring for Fred Thompson to run. I like Fred Thompson and I like my town so I thought, why not Cookeville. It is a central location."

Jeff Mitchell drove five hours from Memphis to witness first hand the rally. He is the founder of a Web site entitled draftfredthompson.com that went on line Jan. 20.

He said he was inspired by several Thompson's appearances at the Conservative Political Action Conference and on Fox News Sunday where Thompson first hinted he might be interested in running for the presidency.Overall-clad Overton County resident Charles Bowman traveled to the rally from the Livingston area and commented, "Fred Thompson is going to be our next president. That's what I think. Don't you?"

U.S. Congressman Zach Wamp (R-Chattanooga) traveled from Alabama where he was attending a family reunion. "My father is 75-years-old and 19 of his 21 first-cousins were there and they all want Fred Thompson to run for president," Wamp told the crowd.

Wamp was one of 64 conservative lawmakers who gathered in Washington D.C. 11 days ago for an hour-long meeting with Thompson. "These 63 conservatives are looking for an alternative to what is our there running."Wamp pleased the crowd by added, "He transcends our party. He can bring back the Reagan Democrats ..."

Talk show host and author of The Gill Report, Steve Gill, called the Cookeville gathering "the first of its kind, the first rally for Fred Thompson in the country."

He added that Thompson would enjoy the lack of an organized effort because Thompson identifies with grass root efforts."I think ol' Fred is starting to lean in," Gill said. "People are going to connect because Fred is a straight-shooter ... I think the country is hungry, no, I think the country is starving for a candidate like Fred Thompson."

Also speaking was Missouri Speaker Pro Tem Rep. Carl Bearden, the first elected official to publicly declare support for Thompson, even though Thompson has made no formal announcement of his candidacy.Many who attended signed the draft letter and grabbed free Thompson buttons and posters before leaving prior to the speeches.