To validate and honor the monumental life of one of Tennessee’s favorite sons, Fred Thompson, I’ll share just this one episode. as an example of a man whose life defined the word “grand.”
New York City was the site of the 2004 Republican National Committee Convention. Attending as an elected delegate for George W. Bush, I arrived a couple of days early to assist GOP Deputy Chairman Bob Davis and his convention team with the critical prep work. It was work, but it was fun work.
Bob Davis had served as U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson’s state director during his elected tenure of 1994-2003 and was his very close friend. At that moment, my friend’s role was serving as the chief of operations to the TNGOP in a presidential election cycle.
After the setup was complete, a call made by Bob to his former boss resulted in a visit for us to the set of “Law & Order.” Bob and I were like giddy kids watching an hour of taping, with mere seconds of airtime involving the fictional Manhattan District Attorney Arthur Branch, Fred’s character.
Being within feet of Sam Waterston and other stars seemed to be added fun for two political junkies originally more jazzed for the Madison Square Garden convention stage. But hanging around with Fred was the true treat.
After taping concluded, Bob and I followed the long strides of Fred to his dressing room. We had a bit of chatter, then he pulled out a few pieces of paper and told us to listen.
Fred’s booming, natural baritone voice with our native Southern drawl began, “How do you tell the story of a presidency ? The story is in part, and inescapably, a story of a man.” We listened. The copy included references to the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001, and the unity of our nation. Then a reference to “the first night of the big series in New York” described events that led up to the first pitch thrown out by President Bush at the 2001 World Series.
With emotion building, Fred’s lines continued, “What he did that night – that man in the arena – he helped us come back. That’s the story of this presidency. With the heart of a president, he told us, ‘You keep pitchin’, no matter what, you keep pitchin’ ” The script concluded, “No matter what, you go to the game, you go to the mound, you find the plate and you throw and become who you are.”
Bob and I looked at each other and, because we’d seen the layout of the arena with the stage pushed into the center of the delegate floor (with Tennessee nestled at stage right after its support of Bush versus Gore in 2000), we knew we had just heard Fred Thompson read the introduction to the appearance of President George W. Bush at the convention and to the nationally televised audience that would be tuned in.
After we convinced him of the importance of his role, Fred scratched a few edits on the pages and said he’d get back with Peggy – Noonan that is – of Ronald Reagan speechwriting fame. That script now is immortalized in video, titled “The Pitch,” with orchestrated music and imaging that paralleled the events described with a dramatic welcome to the 43rd president by a thunderous crowd.
Then our friend – a TV star one minute, a statesman narrating the climactic text to introduce the president of the United States the next – lumbered out of the studio with us to fold into an awaiting van that took us to his temporary apartment.
After ordering pizza, we watched college football. Pure Tennessee treasure.
Robin Smith, a former chairwoman of the Tennessee Republican Party, is owner of Rivers Edge Alliance.