Tomorrow, voters in South Carolina will have the chance to roil the political waters in the Republican presidential primary campaign by voting for former Sen. Fred Thompson for president.

Much of the Republican base is uncertain about which of the GOP candidates best represents their values. Some are even whispering that the Republican convention in Minneapolis might turn into a brokered convention because of the divisions in the party that have caused various factions of the GOP to back different presidential candidates. I'm not sure it will go that far, but frankly, I don't know – and neither does anyone else pontificating on radio, TV or in print.

For the sake of this nation, I'm hoping that on Saturday the people of the Palmetto State punch the ballot for Thompson (no hanging chads, please).

Folks, it comes down to this basic premise:

The former Tennessee senator represents the best hope not just for Republicans and conservatives, but, most importantly, the best hope for America.

As a conservative Republican, I've endured more than my fair share of elections where I was told to hold my nose and vote for the lesser of evils.

That rankles me.

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But in this presidential election we have the chance to vote for a man who represents an ideal package: a fiscal conservative, a social conservative and a conservative on national security issues. None of the other presidential candidates are as consistently conservative on the array of issues facing this nation as Fred Thompson is. It is fun, though, watching as they all try to reinvent themselves in some kind of election year extreme makeover.

What I admire most about Fred Thompson is that he doesn't apologize for his conservatism.

Indeed, he's proudly pugnacious about his positions, and throws more than a few roundhouse punches when the liberal (and even the conservative) media challenge him.

One of the problems facing Republicans these days is their unwillingness to stand up against the political correctness espoused by liberal journalists and the political elite.

During the debate prior to the Iowa caucus, Sen. Thompson demonstrated his lead-not-follow attitude (quite refreshing, I might add) while the other candidates acted like a pack of intimidated schoolgirls. When admonished to raise his hand to show support for the bogus notion of man-induced global warming, Thompson said he wouldn't have any of it – if the moderator wanted a thoughtful response he'd give one, but he wasn't to be treated like a child in kindergarten waving his hand when instructed by the teacher. (You should watch video of that exchange.)

That's exactly the kind of person I want standing up before the news media during press conferences from the White House, and that's the kind of man I want to deal with the Democrats in Congress.

The New York Times doesn't gush about Thompson being a "maverick" as they do another Republican presidential candidate – and that's good, because "maverick" means liberal when the media attaches that label to Republicans.

Unlike a Republican candidate from the northeast who has asked voters to look past his liberal record on social issues, Fred Thompson doesn't have to rewrite history to appeal to social conservatives.

Fred Thompson doesn't speak about America as a broken nation or having an arrogant foreign policy, as another southern Republican in the race does.

Instead, Thompson has devoted his campaign to speaking of the greatness of this nation, and the opportunity it affords to those willing to reach inside themselves and achieve their greatest hopes and dreams.

Unlike some candidates who have advocated for amnesty for those who come to this country unlawfully, Thompson has been direct and plainspoken about his opposition to illegal immigration. He articulated his position quite bluntly, noting, "A sovereign nation loses that status if it cannot secure its own borders, and we are going to do whatever is necessary to do so. …"

As a leader in the grass-roots pro-troop movement, I appreciate how Thompson has been an unwavering supporter of our troops and their missions in the war on terrorism. I remember back in 2003 when Thompson agreed to appear in ads for the conservative group Citizens United, speaking out for our troops. (You can see one of those ads online).

But while lots of people support our military men and women, Thompson goes one further by clearly articulating the danger posed by Islamic jihadists (as he demonstrated in one of his radio commentaries).

Fred Thompson is a decent man from a humble background, and he stands today as a towering figure in ways that extend far beyond his 6-foot-6-inch frame.

He's comfortable with himself, who he is and what he believes. Liberals use the word "authentic." I say that Thompson is the real deal.

Some people want to write off Thompson because, even though he's the best candidate on the issues, they fear that polls show others have a better shot of winning the nomination.

The Wall Street Journal's editorial this Wednesday smartly knocked down that contention, noting that Romney's win in Michigan means a primary battle that is now open to anyone to win, including Sen. Thompson:

Another winner [Tuesday] was Fred Thompson, who is competitive in South Carolina and is running as the conservative who can unite the GOP's fractious wings. The former Tennessee senator has laid out an impressive policy map, but he's suffered in early contests because his heart and energy didn't seem to be in the race. That has changed in recent weeks, especially with his pungent, quick-witted debate performances. If he can do better than Messrs. Romney and Huckabee among conservatives, he could surprise in the Palmetto State and give himself a genuine chance at the nomination.

The voters of South Carolina have the opportunity to do America a favor and turn out en masse to vote for Fred Thompson for president.

As a wife and mother who wants peace, prosperity and opportunity for my family's future, Sen. Fred Thompson is the man who can face down the terrorists who threaten my loved ones – and yours – plus he has the common sense to take fiscally responsible actions to rev up a slowing economy.

He's the go-to guy for those of us who want to scare the bejabbers out of liberal Democrats in the cut-and-run crowd. He also puts the fear of God into the contingent of Big Brother enthusiasts who would strip us of our individual rights, hike our taxes, force their global warming baloney down our throats, all the while grabbing our guns and regulating what foods we can and cannot eat.

The former senator is a Law and Order kind of candidate.

But Thompson isn't "acting" presidential – Fred Thompson is presidential.

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