Fred Thompson
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Fun While It Lasted: Fred Thompson Drops Out
Looks like we have to find a new candidate.
Former Sen. Fred Thompson on Tuesday ended his run for the presidency, coming off the heels of a disappointing third-place finish in South Carolina’s GOP primary and heading into the showdown state of Florida next week.
“Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of the United States,” Thompson said in a statement.
“I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort. Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people.”
Thompson entered the race in September, long after his Republican rivals had announced their candidacies and began raising money. His campaigning style was criticized as lackluster, and he was never able to capitalize on the anticipation supporters had built before he announced that he was getting into the race.
Thompson was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994 and represented Tennessee for eight years.
Short of cash and sinking in national polls, Thompson had staked his hopes on South Carolina, where a strong showing could have reinvigorated his flagging campaign.
Thompson played to the voters as a staunch conservative and a son of the South. While he did draw some evangelical voters from one-time Baptist preacher and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, it wasn’t enough to pull him into contention for the nomination.
He finished with 16 percent of the vote. Sen. John McCain won Saturday’s contest with 33 percent, followed by Huckabee with 30 percent.
“He’s really been good lately, but it’s too late,” CNN analyst Bill Bennett said of Thompson after South Carolina returns started to come in. “If you’re a Southern conservative and you can’t make it in South Carolina, it’s over.”
Earlier, Thompson finished third in Iowa, fifth in Michigan and Nevada, sixth in New Hampshire and a distant second to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in Wyoming.
Thompson teased Republicans all last summer after forming a fundraising committee for a possible presidential campaign on June 1.
When he announced in September that he was formally entering the race, it was well after the other Republicans had launched their campaigns, and analysts said the late entry may have hurt him.
Thompson is an actor best known for his role as District Attorney Arthur Branch on NBC’s “Law & Order.”
Five candidates remain in the Republican race—McCain, Huckabee, Romney, Rep. Ron Ron Paul of Texas and former New York Mayor Rudy Rudy Giuliani.
Giuliani has largely skipped the early voting states to focus on the January 29 primary in Florida and the delegate-rich races in the “Super Tuesday” primaries February 5.
Back to the drawing board.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
All you Iowans, listen up!
Fred Thompson has put together a last minute speech asking for your support in the upcoming caucuses.
It’s kinda long, but worth your time. He points out a lot of things that everyone knows, but no one bothers to think about, despite the fact that we all should.
Tip of the sombrero to Ace, who is another Fred supporter.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
You’re damned skippy
Seems that some in the press don’t like Fred Thompson very much because he isn’t going to kowtow to their infantile whines.
Poor babies.
The media has not only gotten more aggressive (with each new graduate thinking that he or she will be the next Woodward and Bernstein) and less caring of their audience, they have resorted to actually making shit up now (with half a dozen stories reported that were total fabrications within a few weeks span), and Fred has decided that he isn’t gonna play their game.
Fred Thompson does not pander. He doesn’t pander to special interest groups, and he doesn’t pander to the media. Why? Because the President is not beholden to lobbyists or reporters. He is beholden to the American People.
And can you really blame him? The stupid questions they come up with are ridiculous, and Fred is giving them answers that are equally ridiculous, and designed to poke fun back at the media drones who are reporting this nonsense like real news…
What’s your favorite joke? Presidential debates.
What’s your favorite keepsake? Trophy wife.
What’s your favorite nickname? Mr. President.
And, of course, there’s my new favorite poke in the eye: What do you like to do on a ‘lazy day’? Campaigning.