BLITZER: Now you were a supporter of John McCain during the primaries, and of course immediately after he lost, you went and supported Governor Bush.
Can these two wings of the Republican Party -- the Bush majority, obviously, but the McCain supporters, the independents -- can they get together and forge a coalition that will really be united?
FRED THOMPSON: I don't think there's any question about it. And first of all, John McCain has started that process himself. I mean, he's here in full support of the ticket and really their support comes from a common ground. I think in both cases there's a concern about what's going on in Washington. There's concern about the tenor of politics, there's concern about what's been going on the last several years both substantively and in terms of behavior in the White House and all that, and all that kind of melds together in peoples' minds.
John [McCain] thinks in terms more of legislative solutions such as campaign finance reform, which I think is a good one. . . .
BLITZER: Campaign finance reform -- the signature issue of John McCain. You were one of the few Republicans that joined him. You supported him on that. There are a few more now that are coming aboard. Is there momentum moving toward McCain's position among Republicans?
THOMPSON: I think there's more than there has been. I think it's an idea whose time is in the process of coming. I don't think that our current system can last. But it's going to have to be equalized. Both parties are going to have to conclude that it's in the interest of the American people and that the American people are going to demand it, probably before they'll act. One side can't do it without the other.
Lovely.