It'll be interesting to see how long it takes the left to refocus their vitriol from George Bush, a lame duck anti-borders free-spending compassionate conservative, to Fred Thompson, a man who actually opposes their entire agenda of evil.
Interesting and tough question to get a grip on! Normally you would expect the focus to have shifted to the candidates by now...but the Demorats hate for GWB is so deep and ingrained (and pathological) that it hasn't happened.
I suspect Thompson won't become a focus for the Democrats until, when and if, he becomes the Publican front runner..which should be about 5 ms after he announces. It will happen because Thompson would thrash O'bama easily and is, and they know it, more than a match for Clinton. I don't think they feel, rightly or wrongly, that any of our present candidates represent an existential threat to either of their frontrunners.
He gets it.