Posted on 01/05/2008 8:29:07 PM PST by Jet Jaguar
Eight years ago, Fred Thompson came for an editorial board visit after we had already endorsed George Bush, to tell us how wrong we were. We should have backed John McCain, he told us. I knew that, of course, but I sat still for his gruff advice as a sort of penance for my failure. I had tried hard (more about that in my Sunday column), but the consensus on our board had gone against me.
As futile as his gesture was at that point, I still appreciated Sen. Thompson's position, as bad as it made me feel. McCain had been the man, and it was the nation's loss that he was not elected in 2000.
Since he knew that then, and Sen. McCain is the same man he was, I've wondered all year why in the world Mr. Thompson even thought of running. As I said back in this column, he forgot to do one thing when he jumped in late: Tell us what it was he brought to the campaign that the candidates already running did not already offer.
Now, it's my turn to return the favor and tell Fred Thompson something that he should already know: It's time for him to do the principled thing again, and assert what he knew to be true back then: He should bow out, and support McCain. And he should do it now; now is when he can make a difference.
Sen. McCain is tied for first place in New Hampshire polls with a damaged Mitt Romney; Mr. Thompson is in single digits. By the time he comes South, all he will be able to do is be a spoiler, to pull just enough voters away from another candidate (and I suspect that candidate would most likely be his longtime ally McCain) to throw the victory to the surging Huckabee.
Nothing against Huckabee on my part; I just don't see him as the alternative Mr. Thompson himself would prefer. Meanwhile, he has continued to express his continuing respect for Sen. McCain; this would be a chance to show he means it.
Speaking of Gov. Huckabee, his victory is his own. But he was not in a position to begin that rise, he was not in striking distance, until Sam Brownback gracefully departed from the race. They had both been drinking from the same well of voters, and Sen. Brownback clarified matters for them.
Quitting when he did was Sen. Brownback's greatest contribution to this campaign, and was the best thing he could have done to serve the values and ideas he espouses. If Sen. Thompson wants to advance his own values, if he wants to make a difference and serve the country -- or if he simply wants the gratification of being a player at all -- he should get behind McCain now.
He has repeated this dozens, if not hundreds, of times. If you haven't heard it, go to http://www.fred08.com/Principles/PrinciplesSummary.aspx and discover it.
Fred has the added benefit of actually having voted in line with his positions, which is in distinct variance with Governors Romney and Huckabee.
Posted by: Joel | Jan 5, 2008 3:15:36 PM
1st comment of many.
Damn straight !
If McNut gets the nod, I’m going fishing.
McCain’s ghost was there tonight, so Thompson should inherit his voters. If any are still sentient.
Which is to say, John seemed way over the hill for the Presidency. I have my political disagreements with him. I have my reservations about his sanity. But tonight, I think I spotted senility creeping in.
Exactly. Why would the 3rd place guy in IA drop out and endorse the 4th place guy? Why would the 2nd place guy in WY drop out and endorse a guy who didn't even show?
I too call on McCain to drop out and endorse Fred.
Also why should Fred drop out and endorse the guy with no money whom the base hates? The guy who can only win in states where Independents (libs) vote?
The GOP is composed of multiple factions, each with its own priorities. Unforntunately this election cycle, too many members of the various factions in our coalition are seeking their own faction’s ideal candidate, without regard to the opinions of other factions. The only result of such an attitude will be the destruction of the coalition that is the GOP.
We must unite behind a candidate that is at least acceptable to all the major factions, and who also has a reasonable chance to run an effective, winning campaign in the general election.
No “candidate” who favors amnesty, or restriction of free political speech rights, can ever satisfy the above criteria.
Fredheads-
Tell me it isn’t so!!!!
McCain = Z Card. ‘nough said.
Candidates don’t “drop out”.
They run out of money. When that happens they have tough decisions to make. In this one, it would be McCain’s Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill as the definitive measure of his plans in office. Nothing more. Nothing less.
McCain dropping out and endorsing Thompson does not get money into Thompson’s hands soon enough for media buys in California and Illinois, which is where one must stop Guilliani. Texas votes well into March. Someone made a serious error there.
Guilliani could emerge from California, NY and Illinois on Super Tuesday as the presumptive nominee unless he is stopped — and specifically in those particular states.
Stopped reading for a moment right there.
How a writer can clearly admit his bias and then expect me to take him even halfway seriously is beyond me.
The writer says that without one shred of proof or even evidence.
McCain should bow out, endorse Thompson, and angle for a possible VP slot or a position in his future cabinet.
McCain will lose to the beast. Damaged goods.
Warthen must not have gotten the memo.
There is only one true conservative in this race (Duncan Hunter aside). And it ain't McPain.
You said it. McCain should drop out and endorse FDT!
A friend of McKennedy is no friend of a huge percentage of this party.Amnesty John will get slaughtered in the general election by Obama. We better do better than that.
Read the comments from S.C. at the link.
That was the point of my post.
That's been my point all along. Fred has what each faction is looking for, but each wing has already staked out "their" guy, and it'll take a crowbar and a lot of elbow grease to wrench them away from their factionalism for the good of the party and the nation.
I’m with you, Jet - McCain needs to go, he has too much baggage!
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