Fred Thompson to Endorse John McCain?

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.