[counterpunch]

It doesn’t matter if he was or not, because the vast majority of people out there believe it to be true, and that’s all that counts when they’re the ones voting. Thompson constantly gives journalists the fodder to proliferate the perception. If journalists are pushing the angle that he’s lazy and unmotivated, then maybe it would be wise of him to stop telling anyone who is willing to listen that he doesn’t have any desire to run for president.

[ReveBM]

Ultimately it's not up to how much the candidates "want" the nomination, it's whether the voters "want" them. I think Thompson is a great candidate. If the Republican party & American people are not in a place where they can find themselves voting for him in 2008, then they deserve whoever else they get. I actually think that any choice but Thompson is quite a peril because he is the only one pushing a real restructuring of Social Security which is going to suck the life out of our economy (and military, as budgets shrink and we have no money left spend on defense), which is something no-one else seems to want to publicly face.

I'm in New Jersey, I have a Fred Thompson bumper sticker on my car and I'm voting for him on Feb 5th even if he has already dropped out for some reason by that time (and even though he should have no chance in NJ). That way I can still tell my grandkids someday (if there are any) "I voted for Fred in '08".

[teledude]

You obviously haven't watched this:

The real deal

Imagine the surprise when, after "lowering expectations," he comes in 2nd, or even 1st. Fred knows what he's doing, and his supporters aren't the type who buy the media spin.

Fred has said all along he is not going to play their game and he knows how to win elections. We'll know in a few days if he's right.

[Eroteme]

It doesn’t matter if he was or not, because the vast majority of people out there believe it to be true, and that’s all that counts when they’re the ones voting.

Baloney. The "vast majority of people" are ignoring the hell out of the Iowa caucus and NH primary. The MSM coverage of Iowa and NH is a circle jerk around the campfire in the cave, divining meaning from their own shadows on the wall.