A lesson from Bill Frist

I guess it's because he's not running for president that Bill Frist is now free to communicate like a normal human being. Presidential candidates should take a lesson.

Check out these two emails that kicked off his "Draft Thompson" campaign. These emails have some big flaws. For example, what do the three items in the follow up have in common? Nothing.

But look beyond that to the fact that he's actually writing to us like a normal person. Something tells me that, out of the spotlight, he's actually writing these himself, with maybe some touch ups from a staffer. Frist would benefit if he could find a staffer to focus his message a bit more, while leaving him free to communicate in his own voice.

First, the follow up, which is the more exciting one. I love the way he starts it. This is one of the only political emails I've ever received that doesn't start with the obligatory "I'M A POLITICIAN IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW!" paragraph. I've ghost written hundreds of them, I think. It's what you have to do when you don't actually have any idea what the candidate is up to.

SUBJECT: Fred Thompson update
FROM: billfrist@volpac.org

Three things I need to share this morning:

1. I talked to Fred Thompson last night, really just to share with him the tremendous support that he has received from all of you who have blogged on the Volpac web site over the past 4 days. In your messages many of you have given specific suggestions, and I passed them on to him. If there are messages, or ideas that you'd like to get to Fred, write them below, to stimulate others with your ideas, and I will share them with Fred. Now is the time for big ideas ... big, true conservative ideas that rise above the fray. Fred is listening. He will carefully consider running over the next several weeks. His public statements exactly reflect what he is thinking inside.

2. Global Health Week is just around the corner. I will be speaking at Vanderbilt on Global Health: A Physician-Senator's Perspective in two weeks, sharing some of the medical experiences I've had in Rwanda, Sudan, Kenya, and Uganda over the past month. In addition, we will be doing with the students a fund-raiser for a new health facility for HIV in Lwala, Kenya. I am reminded of the President's remarkable words and unprecedented commitment at the State of the Union on January, 2003: "I ask the Congress to commit $15 billion over the next five years, including nearly $10 billion in new money, to turn the tide against AIDS in the most afflicted nations of Africa and the Caribbean. This nation can lead the world in sparing innocent people from a plague of nature."

And we have! We can be proud of our leadership.

3. And finally, the US needs to step up our activities to pressure the Sudan government to respond to the genocide in Darfur. President Bashir needs to let the peacekeepers in. I was just there. No increased action on our part means the genocide continues. I also was in Rwanda two weeks ago -- there the genocide took a million lives and we (the U.S.) did not respond in time. Time to heighten the pressure: let your legislators and the administration know!"

To leave a comment on my blog for Fred Thompson, please click here.

Bill Frist, M.D.

Bill Frist has three things he has to share with me this morning?! OK, I'll read. Oh! He just talked to Fred last night...and has something to tell me about it! OK...

If Frist can do this with his much-less-exciting-than-Obama's life, then why can't Obama thrill us some morning with a few things he absolutely has to tell us? As I've said before, we know it's not the Internet teams' fault. The problem is that the candidates and campaign managers are still a million miles away from realizing the power of the Internet. Last cycle, all except Dean snubbed it in the primaries. This time, they're pouring money into fancy (well, sort of, sometimes) tools; and they're happy to sit in front of a video camera. But this is the Internet. Write a freakin' email!

Here's the email that kicked this series off. The other big thing that's missing, of course, is that he should have done a petition like Durbin did for Obama. Frist has not done anything in this campaign to bring himself any list growth.

SUBJECT: Fred Thompson Should Run For President
FROM: billfrist@volpac.org

I believe Fred Thompson should run for President.

I've not talked with Fred personally about a potential run, so I am basing my thoughts simply on knowing him well, having worked with him in policy and politics everyday for 8 years, and knowing the people across America want a genuine leader who represents them.

Fred understands real people and they understand him. He understands the legislative process and has a strong bipartisan appeal, though he is a real conservative.

He has the experience of government service with a real appreciation for all three branches of government. He is a commonsense leader.

This past weekend Fred sat down with Chris Wallace of Fox News to discuss a potential run. I encourage you to watch the videos from this interview which I have posted on my blog.

To view the first part of the interview click here.

To view the second part of the interview click here.

What are your thoughts? Lets start a discussion on my blog about Fred running. I encourage you to leave a comment on my blog by clicking here.

Thank you for your time.

Bill Frist, M.D.