Where was this Fred Thompson a year ago?

Tonight at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, former Tennessee Senator and Law and Order star Fred Thompson delivered the keynote address.

He was animated, alive and delivered a real stemwinder, blasting Barack Obama, and playing up John McCain and Sarah Palin. He was very effective, both on television and in the hall. in front of the GOP base.

Thompson has always had this ability, and displayed it numerous times in being elected and re-elected to the U.S. Senate from Tennessee. There were times when he rose up and took a leadership position on some issue in the Senate, but most of the time he was just going through the motions, a very diffident, lackadaisical solon, at best.

So it was with his ill-fated presidential campaign last year. Some said his best speech was his withdrawl speech. Fred was laconic on the stump, ill-prepared and seemingly very unconcerned. He just walked through the debates, frequently unprepared and uninspiring. It seemed like his young trophy second wife wanted badly to be first lady, but that he was just going through the motions, to please her but not have to serve as President.

We Fredheads (As his backers were known) are asking, after watching him at the GOP convention tonight "Where was this Fred Thompson a year ago?"