# Fred Thompson has died **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 1, 2015, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375 "2015-11-01T23:35:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375/21 "2015-11-02T14:00:58Z")
Not my favorite politician. He was ok in Law&Order, although it never seemed quite right that Foghorn Leghorn was a Manhattan DA. In general he was a pretty good actor. He was only 73, I thought he was much older. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375/22 "2015-11-02T14:47:31Z")
> [@Fair\_Rarity](#): > > I liked him on L&O too, but I loved him in Days of Thunder. His over the top “Japanese Inspection” speech is amazing (makes me cringe, but it’s still compelling) [Japanese Inspection](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogh1kHwivrI) ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375/23 "2015-11-02T15:01:39Z")
I remember him playing Roseanne’s factory boss on an early season of Roseanne. He was setting unreasonable quotas (according to Roseanne and her cronies) and they all quit their job. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375/24 "2015-11-02T15:18:33Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > “What did the president know, and when did he know it?” Not many lawyers get to have such responsibility - Minority Counsel for an inquiry into presidential misdeeds. He also was the one who asked Alexander Butterfield the question that uncovered the existence of the secret tapes. RIP, Counsellor. ---
**Author:** ![WildBlueYonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WildBlueYonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildBlueYonder)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375/25 "2015-11-02T16:38:16Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > He would have been an outstanding President. No, I never liked him > [@BobLibDem](#): > > What did he offer, other than Republican orthodoxy of cutting taxes for the rich? Bingo. Definitely not liking his commercials-AT ALL I cringed each time I heard his voice Now who will do the commercials? RIP none the less ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375/26 "2015-11-02T17:26:22Z")
> [@WildBlueYonder](#): > > Now who will do the commercials? Henry Winkler. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375/27 "2015-11-02T17:41:30Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > In one of those weird coincidences, I thought about him earlier this weekend and struggled to remember his name. Got it after a while and…BOOM…he dies. You must use your newfound powers for good! Or, barring that, for comedy ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375/28 "2015-11-02T17:47:12Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Henry Winkler. As Barry Zuckercorn. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375/29 "2015-11-02T18:01:44Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > I remember him playing Roseanne’s factory boss on an early season of Roseanne. He was setting unreasonable quotas (according to Roseanne and her cronies) and they all quit their job. This. It’s pretty much the only thing I know him from. I googled his name and was like “Oh, he was that evil supervisor for that one episode”. Makes me wonder how many people in this world only knew him from that part. 😃 > [@River\_Hippie](#): > > In one of those weird coincidences, I thought about him earlier this weekend and struggled to remember his name. Got it after a while and…BOOM…he dies. Me too, although I didn’t know his name, just his face. I looked up “Guy who plays Roseanne’s boss” to see if he was still alive and, yup, he was. Not for much longer, apparently, though. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375/30 "2015-11-03T23:16:18Z")
I always liked the comment that he didn’t run for president so much as he walked for president! Always thought it was cool he broke into acting by literally playing himself. If you’ve never seen “Marie,” check it out. Decent film. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375/31 "2015-11-09T05:00:06Z")
Yes, **Clothahump** , you are so right, he would have made an outstanding President. I happened to meet him briefly when he was running in 2007 and got a picture with him, shaking hands. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375/32 "2015-11-09T05:04:22Z")
An actor for President? Ridiculous! ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375/33 "2015-11-09T05:31:58Z")
The last actor President ranks high in greatness in several polls. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375/34 "2015-11-09T07:32:24Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > The last actor President ranks high in greatness in several polls. Whoosh! [spoiler]When Clint Eastwood ran for mayor of Carmel-By-the-Sea, California, Reagan made this comment: “What makes him think a middle-aged actor, who’s played with a chimp, could have a future in politics?” Reagan had a very self-deprecating sense of humor.[/spoiler] 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375/35 "2015-11-09T17:11:05Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I think one movie actor as president was one too many. What did he offer, other than Republican orthodoxy of cutting taxes for the rich? Sigh. Republicans don’t just “cut taxes for the rich”. That bullshit got old a long time ago. He was a Constitutionalist, which is what we desperately need in the White House and Congress. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375/36 "2015-11-09T18:36:06Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Sigh. Republicans don’t just “cut taxes for the rich”. That bullshit got old a long time ago. No, the cut taxes for the rich _and_ take food away from the poor. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375/37 "2015-11-09T19:09:27Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > No, the cut taxes for the rich _and_ take food away from the poor. And they raise every one else’s taxes too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-thompson-has-died/736375.md?page=1)