Man, that was fast. GOP sources tell the Politico that when if Fred Thompson finishes poorly in tonight's Iowa Caucuses, he will drop out of the presidential race and throw his support behind John McCain. I can't help but reflect on all the stories that were written about how smart Thompson was to wait so long to get into the race in the first place. The logic went that while his rivals duked it out, Fred was slyly biding his time. Watching, calculating, practicing the lines that would flow forth in that recognizable baritone and woo the nation like magic. Well, as it turns out, maybe Fred wasn't so smart, after all:
"Without a solid third-place finish, there's no point in going on," a Thompson adviser said Wednesday. "It was an honorable race, and he turned out to be a good candidate. The moment had just passed."
A good candidate? Please.
While there are things about Thompson that I admire, his performance on the campaign trail in '07 is not one of them. There were the countless awkward appearances in which Fred seemed loathe to pose for pictures with his supporters. The revolving door of key staff positions. The last minute cancellations. The ridiculous gaffes, the most recent of which found Thompson declaring that he didn't particularly want to be your president.
Still, even after that was said and done, Thompson does have a sentimental following, and his logical embrace of the far more energetic John McCain will certainly help the latter. If tonight does turn out to be it for Thompson, here's one final sign-off from the "Tennessee Stud."
Update: Thompson himself vehemently denies that he'll drop out, and accuses a rival campaign of stating this story.
NEW YORK -Democrats who saw how close their candidate came to unseating New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg agonized Wednesday about what might have happened if the national party had not abandoned the...
One thing about that good ole boy from Tennessee, is he did it his way and did not raise his hand, because someone asked him too. It is refreshing he does not pander to every comer.
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browncat
9:19AM Jan 3rd 2008
Field is getting smaller
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Jeff
3:28PM Jan 3rd 2008
Please he only joined the RACE for President so he could collect his share of the Contributions the Republicans Supporters were throwing around.
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Hal
12:51PM Jan 3rd 2008
"Please" Who the hell is this Knowles Chump that does political commentary? Whoever he is, he has seemingly been in the press corps too long and lost touch with common sense, middle America.
Who gives a rats ass if Thompson can shuck and jive and do the usual plasticine political hob knobing. I want a president, damn it. Not just another slick willy used car sales type that can swoon and beguile some AOL leftie press bum!
"Please."
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Bob Coarsey
10:04AM Jan 3rd 2008
It would be a blessing if all the canidates except the winners would drop out after Iowa. Peace and quiet could return, at least for a short time.
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bob
10:05AM Jan 3rd 2008
Poor Fred Thompson was a victim of ambitious people around him; he's an honorable guy and I hope he backs John McCain before New Hampshire.
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Scott
10:12AM Jan 3rd 2008
If you believe the media Dewey won. If you don't want to face the strongest opponiate do a negative media blitz.Don't count Fred out, he did this type of campaign in Tn. twice and WON!!! both times. He does his campaigning with the people not with the media. If you like him you vote for him which is the way races are supose to be run not the media saying this one is ahead today then that one is ahead the next day. Let the candidates run the own races and let the voters decide, we will anyway. Fred is the ONLY TRUE CONSERVATIVE running for President so I guess the LEFT WING MEDIA had to do something.
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Fred Flintstone
10:20AM Jan 3rd 2008
What IS a "conservative" anyway. They haven't conserved much in their 27 years of conservative "paradigm". They must be "conservative" just cause they say it's so. Meaningless word.
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Dave in The Show-Me State
10:21AM Jan 3rd 2008
Well, I certainly see that the entire country is leaning toward the Dems rather heavily, basically only to punish Bush and the GOP for things beyond their control. Still, McCain is my choice. I can't see Hillary lasting long without someone shooting her, and O'bama won't even salute the flag of the country he supposedly wants to lead, making him dangerous to ALL Americans. At least McCain served his country and never caved-in as a POW. He's PROVEN his strength of character. I just wish had the vision that Ron Paul does. Paul is my main choice, but I think too many people are trying to make him look like some sort of racist neo-Nazi, or something. ABC and FOX can kiss my ass. What they're doing in excluding him from the debates is criminal, in that it deprives the American people of the right to hear, see, know, and choose!
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BRENT
10:22AM Jan 3rd 2008
IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE HILLARY IS GOING TO SMACK THE REPUBLICANS ANYWAY. THIS COUNTRY JUST CAN'T AFFORD ANOTHER REPUBLICAN JUST LOOK AT THE STATE OF THIS NATION. UNDER CLINTON THIS NATION HAD A PROFIT OF OVER 300 BILLIONS DOLLARS AND BUSH GAVE IT ALL AWAY NOW WE OWE OUR SOULS TO CHINA; HE GOT UP INTO THIS WAR FOR THE JEWS IN IRAQ AND USED LIES TO GET US THERE WHICH IS A CRIME. YES PEOPLE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO UNDO THESE TAX GIVEWAY DEALS THAT DON'T HELP THE WORKING PEOPLE AND RAISE TAXES TO PAY FOR THIS . THE FEDERAL TAX ON GASOLINE WILL HAVE TO BE INCREASED BECAUSE THIS IS THE THE WAY THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM REPAIRS OUR INTERSTATES AND REPAIRS OUR BRIDGES; UNDER BUSH HE STOPPED THE 4 CENTS THAT CLINTON HAD TO DO THIS SAYING TO GIVE IT TO THE PEOPLE BUT THE PRICE AT THE PUMPS NEVER DID GO DOWN SO CHEVON AND EXXON GOT THAT 4 CENTS AND NOW OUR BRIDGES ARE FALLING DOWN. WE NEED HILLARY TO FIX THIS.
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DM
11:55AM Jan 3rd 2008
Good, there should be room for Ron Paul at the presidential "forum" then.
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abdala
10:32AM Jan 3rd 2008
How sad for our country if this fine, honest man pulls out of the race. He is honest and honorable, and that, if he does pull out, will be why he hasn't made more progress. "They" don't want honest, honorable men in power, the want the "good ole boys". Although I greatly admire McCain, I fear he is weak on defense, and, at this time, that is the most critical issue our country is facing. And so, if Fred does pull out I will vote for Mitt Romney. He may have shifted his positions on things,but, I believe he will be the strongest candidate and the one who can face our enemies.
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copgod1222
10:35AM Jan 3rd 2008
I just listened to The Mark Levin Show last night and Thompson was a guest. Not only did he not make any statements whatsoever to lead anyone to believe he was dropping out, but he is so diametrically opposed to John McCains views on so many issues, I can't see him throwing his support behind McCain. Probably just a rumor
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W
10:39AM Jan 3rd 2008
wannabe
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al capone
10:43AM Jan 3rd 2008
Gotta agree with Fred Flintstone, the word "conservative" really does not mean much anymore. The only real, Barry Goldwater conservative up there is Ron Paul. It was Reagan that first altered the word conservative. He was only half a conservative. He cut entitlement programs and at the same time he increased corporate welfare. I remember the Reagan years. I was in college, I was making a little above minimum wage, and my taxes went up not down. So what is a conservative. Somebody define it, and then tell me which Republican running is a conservative. The word Liberal isn't doing too hot either, but I think it is more clearly defined, although the Liberals want to change their monicker to Progressives now. Everyone can claim to be a progressive.Just have a different idea of how to progress.Although the opposite of "conservative" would be "progressive" not liberal.
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1-4-Romney
10:45AM Jan 3rd 2008
Thompson said that the source was a fake. That he nor his camp were prepared or even thinking of such.
Anyway, he sure would not endorse McCain or Huckabee. Thompson is a conservative ......McCain and Huckster are liberals with conservative sweaters and ties.
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1-4-Romney
10:48AM Jan 3rd 2008
PS: Fred said denied this on FOX News this AM.
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Rick
10:50AM Jan 3rd 2008
Looks like, ala Colin Powell, Fred just didn't have that burning desire. I respect someone who doesn't "have to be" or "have to get" something in order to feel good about himself. It is apparently essential if you want to be President and that's a shame.
As for backing McCain, I can't hardly see him backing anyone else among the existing field of candidates. And if it were McCain who was dropping out, I couldn't see anyone but Thompson that he might support. Thompson is a bit more of a party loyalist but there's not really much substantive difference on the issues.
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al capone
10:50AM Jan 3rd 2008
Show me The country is not leaning Democrat to punish Bush. The only way to do that would be to impeach him and or turn him over to the world court. The country is leaning Democrat because the Republicans have utterly messed this country, if not the entire world, up. They took a surplus and made it a trillion dollar deficit. They put us in hock to China for 300 billion dollars to fight this insane, unwinnable, never should have happened, war, not to mention the 300 billion they put us in hock to other countries, including, get this, North Korea, and Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. They have made us hated the world over, and at home. And you say conditions they had no control over..well..there are still a lot of people debating that one. Just as the Democrats made a mess in Viet Nam and the country turned to Nixon, the Republicans have made a mess now and the country is leaning Democrat. The problem with some Democrats though is that they think the country is willing to hang off the left edge of the world with them, and that isn't so. Hillary is the most centrist of the Democrats, which is why I favor her. The others are out there with Air America radio, hanging off the far left edge of the universe, and America just isn't there.
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peter
10:55AM Jan 3rd 2008
THIS NATION HAD A PROFIT OF OVER 300 BILLIONS DOLLARS
are you kidding BRENT? it was our tax money--they took too much of our money and was sitting on it--that is what the surplus was--not profit--profit is the amount of new tax income that has come into the money from the tax cuts that enabled thousands of individuals to invest into new companies and old ones and hire more than 11,000,000 employees since 2002--
try learning how the economy works before posting nonsense