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Thompson fails to win his case on campaign trail
Hollywood Reporter ^

Posted on 01/08/2008 1:41:44 PM PST by barryg

It takes a "Law & Order"-style investigation to find Fred Thompson on the campaign trail.

The lawyer/actor-turned-presidential candidate has been raising eyebrows for months with his unconventional approach to Campaign 2008. He participated in Saturday's ABC News debate and Sunday's Fox News candidates forum, but unlike every other candidate stumping for votes in the precious few days between Thursday's Iowa caucuses and today's New Hampshire primary, Thompson has been remarkable for his low profile.

"He's done a terrible job of acting in this campaign," said Diane Owen, an associate professor of political science at Georgetown University.

There are no big Thompson rallies such as the ones Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama held in the Granite State during the weekend. There's no "Straight Talk Express" like John McCain, who has been leading the polls here. And Hollywood hasn't come to New Hampshire to campaign with Thompson, like Chuck Norris has with Mike Huckabee or Wilford Brimley for McCain or Viggo Mortensen for Dennis Kucinich.

There wasn't one public event listed in the Manchester Union Leader, the state's mega-politics paper, for Thompson during the weekend. And around media circles, his camp has put out word that he's not going to be campaigning much.

Thompson had certified conservative credibility in a race that has shown a growing split in the GOP between religious and traditional conservatives. But ever since last year, when he appeared on "Fox News Sunday" to talk about a possible run for the presidency and later filed an exploratory committee, Thompson has been more anti-candidate than candidate.

It's that kind of attitude -- out of the norm for presidential candidates -- that has made many veteran political watchers and journalists scratch their heads and wonder what he's doing.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: fredthompson; gnats; ib4tz; troll; zot
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To: barryg

Looks like the New Hampshire results didn’t help Fred out, his dropout contract for January has gone up 15 points to 90%. When Thompson endorses McCain, we’ll see a bunch of freepers joining the Hunter camp.

DROPOUT.JAN08.(F)THOMPSON
Fred Thompson to drop out of 2008 Presidential race on/before 31 Jan 2008 M 75.0 90.0 90.0 134 +15.5


81 posted on 01/08/2008 8:01:19 PM PST by Kevmo (Duncan Hunter won't "let some arrogant corporate media executive decide whether this campaign's over)
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To: toddlintown

Why don’t you newbies be nice? FR always needs new members with new ideas and a willingness to contribute. Newbie!


82 posted on 01/08/2008 9:37:43 PM PST by Soliton (Fred and Hunter and Paul is the only true conservative!!!!!!!)
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To: barryg
Let’s see. Wyoming has about as many delegates as New Hampshire. New Hampshire is liberal, Wyoming is sort of moderate to conservative. Wyoming delegate totals: Romney 8, Thompson 3, Hunter 1. McCain 0, Rudy 0 Huckabee 0 Paul 0.

So what makes New Hampshire, where Fred did not significantly campaign important? - Oh, the media says so. He does not campaign like the media thinks he ought to, He is sort of an “anti-candidate.” But the media feel free to constantly tell him how to run his campaign and tell us how badly we should view what he is doing.

This is just another Thompson hit piece. The real loser in both Iowa and New Hampshire was not Fred but Romney.

These kinds of articles are becoming merely tedious. it is a long way to the convention. Given the present trend, it is not unlikely that the nomination will be decided at the convention.

83 posted on 01/08/2008 11:57:34 PM PST by verklaring (Pyrite is not gold)
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To: mkjessup

Still voting for FRed....


84 posted on 01/09/2008 2:47:32 AM PST by GregB (President of the Tony Snow fan club in Clymer Penna!!!)
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To: SuziQ

11 months to go!!!!


85 posted on 01/09/2008 2:53:28 AM PST by GregB (President of the Tony Snow fan club in Clymer Penna!!!)
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To: mkjessup

Q - Why has Hunter been at the bottom of the GOP race for a year?
A - Hunter who?

As Randy Quaid’s character said in Idependence Day, “Up yours!! Boom!!” LOL


86 posted on 01/09/2008 8:46:33 AM PST by Josh Painter ("My idea of Gun Control is a good, steady aim." - Fred Thompson)
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To: barryg

barryg wrote: “Duncan Hunter has been all over the place in New Hampshire.”

And that really worked out well for him, didn’t it? He findished with less than half of the votes that Fred Thompson (who didn’t even compete in NH) got.

LOL!


87 posted on 01/09/2008 8:52:34 AM PST by Josh Painter ("My idea of Gun Control is a good, steady aim." - Fred Thompson)
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To: fred4prez
I think we overestimate the media - they’re kinda like a referee...yeah, we hate them for bad calls, but it’s the teams fault for letting it come down to a ref’s decision.

The candidates are at the mercy of the shows' editors. Those editors decide what is, and is not, news, and what will lead off a program. I saw a thread here yesterday that mentioned a program that spent 15 minutes talking about the Democrat candidates, and about 90 seconds talking about the Republicans. That's bias, and something the Republicans have to overcome. The only ones benefitting from the media are those who the media want to highlight in order to muddy the waters for the campaign. They know what we know; the race is wide open this year, and we could tear ourselves apart if we get too vitriolic about this. I've seen this happening on FR, and it is very disheartening. No need to be nasty about other candidates, just state your guy's good point, and discuss the actions of your opponents. No need to get personal and ugly.

At some point, we WILL have a nominee, and I, for one, will vote for him. He may not be my first or even second choice, but I know that this country will be better off with a Republican in the White House, than with ANY of the Democrats. We don't have the luxury of letting the Democrats win and try to take it back in four years, after they've flubbed up. The world is a far too dangerous place for that, now.

88 posted on 01/09/2008 9:21:46 AM PST by SuziQ
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To: tsowellfan

Don’t count him out...there’s a long way to go yet. NH is a small, liberal state, It just didn’t make sense for him to waste his time there when he needs to win in SC.


89 posted on 01/09/2008 9:25:36 AM PST by ravingnutter
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To: barryg

Hollywood needs to keep watching.


90 posted on 01/09/2008 9:29:04 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: ravingnutter
NH is a small, liberal state, It just didn’t make sense for him to waste his time there when he needs to win in SC.

He needs SC even more now

91 posted on 01/09/2008 12:37:05 PM PST by tsowellfan (http://www.cafenetamerica.com)
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To: barryg

if it is reuters it is wrong.

Even when they have a concept they could have worked with they STILL botch it.

Reuters could not report a sunny day as sunny.
Reuters could not report the color of George Washington’s white horse.


92 posted on 01/09/2008 12:43:02 PM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: Ingtar

DINO trumps RINO

The denied lesson of 2006

Its the MEME Template the DBM that is controlling now.
The dinosaurs are not dead yet.


93 posted on 01/09/2008 12:46:38 PM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: airborne

That was Andy


94 posted on 01/09/2008 12:49:16 PM PST by Sue Perkick (And I hope that what I’ve done here today doesn’t force you to have a negative opinion of me….)
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To: Blue Highway

“Hollywood Reporter? I think TMZ might even be more objective *(as hard as that is to believe) than this crap.”

I personally go to Perezhilton.com for my political news.

Brittany Spears for president!


95 posted on 01/09/2008 12:51:10 PM PST by VanDeKoik
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To: jdm

As always.


96 posted on 01/09/2008 12:51:35 PM PST by rintense (Thompson / Hunter 2008!)
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To: Josh Painter

‘Idependence Day’, that was quite the movie.


97 posted on 01/09/2008 1:06:54 PM PST by mkjessup (Hunter-Bolton '08 !! Patriots who will settle for nothing less than *Victory* in the War on Terror!)
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