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In 1972, Thompson was a [[Republican Party|GOP]] candidate for the [[United States House of Representatives]], but he was defeated by the [[Democratic Party |Democratic]] [[incumbent]] W. S. Stuckey, Jr., scion of a wealthy Georgia family. In 1974, as his party's [[Governor|gubernatorial]] nominee, Thompson was trounced by Democrat [[George Busbee]]. A [[populist]] in political philosophy, Thompson was often at odds with his state and national moderate Republican leadership. However, during [[Watergate]] he was a staunch defender of embattled [[U.S. President]] [[Richard M. Nixon]], no particular favorite of many conservative Republicans.

In 1972, Thompson was a [[Republican Party|GOP]] candidate for the [[United States House of Representatives]], but he was defeated by the [[Democratic Party |Democratic]] [[incumbent]] W. S. Stuckey, Jr., scion of a wealthy Georgia family. In 1974, as his party's [[Governor|gubernatorial]] nominee, Thompson was trounced by Democrat [[George Busbee]]. A [[populist]] in political philosophy, Thompson was often at odds with his state and national moderate Republican leadership. However, during [[Watergate]] he was a staunch defender of embattled [[U.S. President]] [[Richard M. Nixon]], no particular favorite of many conservative Republicans.

Buddy Kelly Moore (1951-1998), who completed a [[master of arts]] [[thesis]] on Thompson's career in 1976 at [[Georgia College & State University]] in [[Milledgeville, Georgia|Milledgeville]], determined that the Maconite "shocked and fascinated observers with hard-line approaches to law-and-order, [[municipal]] [[organized labor|unionism]], and race relations." Moore defined Thompson's career in terms of a "predilection for the flamboyant."<ref>Buddy Kelly Moore, '''Machine Gun Ronnie' Thompson" A Political Biography'', Georgia College at Milledgeville, Master's thesis, August 1976, p. vi</ref> Unconventional [[author]] Will D. Campbell called Thompson "a harbinger of the [[New Right]]", a movement which emerged in the late [[1970s]] to help to elect Republican [[Ronald W. Reagan]] of [[California]] as [[U.S. President]].<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=su2g0MFHfpgC&pg=RA1-PA191&lpg=RA1-PA191&dq=Ronnie+Thompson+(Macon,+Georgia)+&source=web&ots=5ttPFo0eCj&sig=JwKBOrK4ZnE27_NX2uOT9IjfSjw&hl=en#PRA1-PA140,M1</ref>

Buddy Kelly Moore (1951-1998), who completed a [[Master of Arts]] thesis on Thompson's career in 1976 at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, determined that the Maconite "shocked and fascinated observers with hard-line approaches to law-and-order, municipal [[organized labor|unionism]], and race relations." Moore defined Thompson's career in terms of a "predilection for the flamboyant."<ref>Buddy Kelly Moore, '''Machine Gun Ronnie' Thompson" A Political Biography'', Georgia College at Milledgeville, Master's thesis, August 1976, p. vi</ref> Unconventional [[author]] Will D. Campbell called Thompson "a harbinger of the [[New Right]]", a movement which emerged in the late [[1970s]] to help to elect Republican [[Ronald W. Reagan]] of [[California]] as [[U.S. President]].<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=su2g0MFHfpgC&pg=RA1-PA191&lpg=RA1-PA191&dq=Ronnie+Thompson+(Macon,+Georgia)+&source=web&ots=5ttPFo0eCj&sig=JwKBOrK4ZnE27_NX2uOT9IjfSjw&hl=en#PRA1-PA140,M1</ref>

==Early years, family, education, business==

==Early years, family, education, business==