You are questioning the fortitude of a man who was the lone dissenting voice in quite a few senate votes. Fred Thompson stood up for his principles and he did it alone.
He is fulfilling his commitments right now, instead of blowing them off and just announcing he is running. He is a highly skilled campaigner. He worked to put himself through college and law school and he and his wife raised three kids at the same time.
He is NOT lazy, and when he is motivated, he is highly motivated. Really efficient people often appear to be lazy, because they have things organized so they can get things done without undue stress. I think that is what Thompson does.
I also know he cannot declare now.
Ff he did the law says they would have to shelve all the new “Law and Order” episodes thus wasting his time...money and also it would be stabbing his fellow cast members in the back.
Right now he has no choice but to survey the landscape...take a gut check and wait.