Yet another comparison of Fred Thompson to Ronald Reagan.

To be clear, in no way am I saying Thompson is the next Reagan. There will not be another Reagan, just as there won’t be another Kennedy, Roosevelt (both of them) or Lincoln.

But there are similarities. This one from the Chris Matthews Show over the weekend. Pulling from NBC archives, Matthews found an interview with then-candidate Reagan explaining in June 1979 the reasons he had not yet joined the field for 1980 (note the date — perhaps the hype about this cycle jumping so soon is balderdash).

Reagan makes a good point (the segment also highlights another similarity: a daily radio commentary). Here’s the vid, and look at what the Gipper had to say:

From the interview, here’s Reagan:

Well, yeah, that’s the difference between me and the other my particular activity and the activity of most of the other candidates that if I’m a candidate — and it was true the last time — then I have no earnings during that period …

I just don’t think the people are ready yet to be revved up, and I think that the candidates are going to stay on too long. Pretty soon, what are they — what’s there going to be talked about in October of 1980?