I realize noone will ever see this comment since it's a month after the story ran and all... But I have to say I'm watching Fred Thompson looking pretty presidential right now on TNT at 7pm on a Wednesday when nothing else is on... I'm quite sure I'm not the only one watching TNT's primetime lineup. I don't really care who wins the Republican primary because I'm pretty sure a Democrat is going to beat whoever they've got, but it doesn't seem exactly kosher to me.

I'm sorry for the right-wingers that have invaded the thread, but the equal time doctrine makes perfect sense, and it most definitely applies here. Anything that keeps the man in the eyes (and minds) of potential voters is an advantage that Romney, Huckabee, Clinton, etc. won't have.

There are far more stories on the 6'o'clock news about if America is "ready" for a woman president than any fluff pieces, I can assure you.

As far as people "voting" with their remotes. Let me remind you that there is a very long period in our country where the majority of the population wouldn't have wanted to see any African, Asian, etc.-Americans in any role but one that strongly enforced stereotypes. These same people would have voted for segregation and, at one time, slavery (even in the North). Government takes away certain decisions from the public for it's own good, and equal time is an example of this.

I don't see how equal time here applies. Fred Thompson is not getting extra time on TV to campaign when they play reruns of Law and Order. It's his character that's on the screen, NOT Fred Thompson.

On one hand, Fred Thompson is never going to win, on the other, this sets new precedent. I'm not so sure the law is antiquated. It was put there so that candidates have an equal chance against one another. If it really doesn't matter, then maybe Martin Sheen should run.

Wow, if that's the picture FOX is using I shutter to think what the rest of them look like.

Like I do with most of the pictures I use, I just went with the first one I found.

And I found this one on a story on FoxNews.com.

Equal time laws are antiquated and go against the principles of free speech. Some Big Brother minion at the FCC deciding what constitutes equal time and which views get to be aired for how long is a scary thing. We vote with our remote for which views we want to hear.

I agree, could you have found a less flattering picture of Thompson? Is this the Daily Show or something?

If only Elisabeth Rohm was running for president and they couldn't air those episodes...

you couldn't find a more goofy picture of Thompson?

Macguffin, thats really intelligent to say. Hey, all older white men are creepy right? Let's elect the coolest hippest youngest looking non older white guy running. That always works.

Any rule regarding "equal" time is totally unnecessary in this day and age. If the ABC 6:00 news spends ten minutes on Hillary, they have to spend ten minutes on Romney. Of course, the Hillary minutes will be gushing, glowing, idol-worshipping minutes; and the Romney minutes will be slamming him, his wife, and his religion (and probably George Bush, too). But hey, the time will be equal, right?

It's as useless and unnecessary as the fairness doctrine.