Game on, Thompson says in launching bid

(John Gress/Reuters)

Fred Thompson greets supporters in Des Moines, Iowa, at his first campaign event as a declared presidential candidate.

By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Newly announced Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson took to the campaign trail for the first time this afternoon, appearing before a modest indoor crowd of a couple hundred people and dozens of media members in a carefully choreographed speech designed for wide television coverage.

"It all begins in Iowa," Thompson declared, as he launched into a speech about the need for conservative values, a limited role for the federal government, and support for the war in Iraq and against terrorism.

"We have the greatest young people in the world fighting for us and we have to match their commitment at home," Thompson said.

The speech followed his official announcement in an online appearance that was posted at 12:01 a..m today. After appearing last night on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," Thompson flew to Iowa, which holds the first caucus of the presidential race.

While today's speech was similar to one he delivered in the online announcement, the event here featured a new wrinkle -- a video titled "The Hunt For Red November." It was a winking nod to one of Thompson's movie roles -- "The Hunt for Red October," in which he plays a rear admiral -- and a reference to his need to win "red" Republican states to become president.

The fast-paced video briefly told the story of Thompson's rise from being the son of a used-car dealer in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., to becoming a US senator and presidential candidate. Thompson joked that he liked the video so much he was tempted to play it again rather than speak to the crowd.

In the speech, Thompson said it was not his lifelong dream to become president and said he did not have all the answers to the nation's problems.

But he said he was worried about the choices facing the next president and concerned about his grandkids' future and believed he could offer strong leadership. His months of testing the waters across the country confirmed that view, Thompson said.

"I think the American people have opened up a door of opportunity," he said.

While Thompson has plans for plenty of closer-to-the-ground campaign events, such as a stop at a diner and a town hall meeting, the kickoff was notable for the decision to have a small, controlled event that didn't depend on many walk-up participants. The gathering might have been far larger if Thompson had begun his campaign in his home state, as some other candidates have done, but his campaign hoped that the impact of coming to Iowa first would gain more notice than the size of the crowd or the setting of the event.

"The preseason is over," he said. "Let's get on with it."