Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Fred Has Waited Too Long
Real Clear Politics ^ | August 16, 2007 | Reid Wilson

Posted on 08/16/2007 9:30:03 AM PDT by Plutarch

Fred Thompson's window of opportunity could hardly have been wider. His opponents were fatally flawed in the eyes of the socially conservative Republican base; he's well-known, can raise money, and speaks language that both Republicans and independents leaning right can embrace. Even thinking of entering the race put him above double digits in polls.

But, thanks to a number of missteps and opportunities his pseudo-campaign has failed to capitalize on, Thompson's window is now closed...

The Law & Order star, running a "testing the waters" committee, raised approximately $3.46 million in June after launching June 4th. The campaign's goal was $5 million raised in the same period. Missed expectations are not enough to doom a campaign, but Thompson's media team did little to dampen expectations when they released the report on the last day of July, even though they had to know for weeks that the numbers were lower than expected....

...Fred Thompson had his chance to make a splashy entrance into the race. In fact, he has had many chances to do something to impress political watchers and his fans on the right. Time and again, though, he has missed those opportunities. Instead of managing expectations and raising impressive sums, his campaign reported disappointingly low numbers. Instead of hiring a staff and sticking with it, his campaign has already been beset by turnover. Instead of serving as the conservatives' best hope, they are forced to make excuses as to why his positions are acceptable to them.

Every day he remains out of the race is another day of organizing and winning support lost. At some point, time simply runs out. Thompson has simply waited too long to take advantage of the good will, good fortune and good position that awaited him once he entered the race.

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


TOPICS: Anthrax Scare; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: electionpresident; elections; fredthompson; fredwho; giuliani; reidwilson; thompson
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 141-160161-180181-200201-217 next last

Fred bump!


161 posted on 08/16/2007 1:15:25 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 160 | View Replies]

To: ejonesie22

Hey, that’s great, childish fiction for adults, have you had anything published yet. I think you have a great future.


162 posted on 08/16/2007 2:02:42 PM PDT by lolhelp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: lolhelp

As a matter of fact I thought I would start in non fiction with a book on recognizing sarcasm in vasious forms...


163 posted on 08/16/2007 2:09:30 PM PDT by ejonesie22 (Vote for the man who will keep those Barbary Pirates at bay, RON PAUL 1816!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 162 | View Replies]

To: ravingnutter

Thank you, now if people will read that and shut up!


164 posted on 08/16/2007 2:11:15 PM PDT by lolhelp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: perfect_rovian_storm
He was on national TV, eh?

Of course he wasn't. Don't you know the media is deliberately blacking him out because they're afraid he'll be the nominee? You must have been seeing things. yeah....
165 posted on 08/16/2007 2:12:10 PM PDT by The Pack Knight (Duty, Honor, Country. Right-Wing Conspirator and Friend of Fred)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 140 | View Replies]

To: Paperdoll

Your fairy tale is not as good as the one about Carl Rove.


166 posted on 08/16/2007 2:24:56 PM PDT by lolhelp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 129 | View Replies]

To: AmericanExceptionalist

What is so sad about voters who do nothing except watch fiction on tv can’t tell the difference, just like children.


167 posted on 08/16/2007 2:30:14 PM PDT by lolhelp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 141 | View Replies]

To: Plutarch
I doubt if he has waited TOO LONG. Only the die hard pols are even paying attention to what dozens of wannabes have to say 15 mos out of the next election.

The process is outta whack, when the race for POTUS 'starts' TWO YEARS before the end of his term!!

Hell, I will be inclined to vote for whomever ENTERS LAST from now on!!!

168 posted on 08/16/2007 2:30:29 PM PDT by PISANO (There is NO security & there can be none as long as there are suicide bombers!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ejonesie22

I thought it was great, better than a lot of what people post in the guise of the truth.


169 posted on 08/16/2007 2:33:53 PM PDT by lolhelp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 163 | View Replies]

To: ejonesie22

Dude, taking it easy on those Red Bulls.


170 posted on 08/16/2007 2:36:31 PM PDT by OldArmy52 (Bush's Legacy: 100 million new Dem voters in next 20 yrs via the 2007 Amnesty Act.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: ejonesie22

Dude, take it easy on those Red Bulls. You are a few cans over your limit.


171 posted on 08/16/2007 2:37:02 PM PDT by OldArmy52 (Bush's Legacy: 100 million new Dem voters in next 20 yrs via the 2007 Amnesty Act.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: AmericanExceptionalist
Yes the Equal Times Rule loved and not often followed by Hollywood Elites and rarely anyone else is to punish any Republican candidate.

I say show the dang reruns of Fred and give equal time to the other candidates and certain politicians.

May I at this point inject some characters certain candidates could play for rebuttal stories:

Nancy Pelosi with cleavage, could play Lili Von Shtupp from Blazing Saddles.

Osama Obama could play Step and Fetch It from an old Will Rogers movie, The County Chairman.

Hillary could play Annie Wilkes from Misery.

Joe Biden could play Forest Gump.

John Edwards could play Navin Johnson A.K.A. the Jerk from The Jerk.

Dennis Kuchinich could play Ace Ventura from Ace Ventura Pet Detective.

Christopher Dodd could play John Blutto Blutarsky from Animal House.

Ted Kennedy could play Mongo from Blazing Saddles.

Hairy Reid could play Raymond Babbitt from Rain Man.

Al Sharpton could play Willy Wonka from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Jessie Jackson could play Pee Wee Herman from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.

Russ Feingold could play Inspector Clouseau from the Pink Panther.

John Kerry could play Maj. T. J. “King” Kong from Dr. Strangelove.

Al Gore could play Carl Spackler from Caddy Shack.

Bill Richardson could play Spanky from Our Gang Comedies.

Howard Dean could play Hanibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs.

John McCain could play Tommy DeVito from Good Fellas.

Mitt Romney could play Hedley Lamarr from Blazing Saddles.

Duncan Hunter could play Rocky Balboa from Rocky.

Ron Paul could play Dr. Strangelove from Dr. Strangelove.

Rudy could play Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street.

Mike Huckabee could play Taggart from Blazing Saddles.

Wesley Clark could play Col. “Bat” Guanno from Dr. Strangelove.

Tom Tancredo could play Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean.

Please feel free to add or take away or make any flaming comments you may deem appropriate.

My apologies up front for any candidate or politician not listed here or any offense taken towards any living movie star, movie favorite, or role.

172 posted on 08/16/2007 2:48:39 PM PDT by OKIEDOC (Kalifornia, a red state wannabe. I don't take Ex Lax I just read the New York Times.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 141 | View Replies]

To: Preachin'
>> Whatever. Fred will be POTUS in 2009. <<

George Allen WILL BE the next POTUS in 2009. Bank on it. I don't care if he hasn't announced, once he gets in, he will be unstoppable. Anyone who doesn't get aboard the George Allen bandwagon RIGHT NOW is a fool. George doesn't even need to worry about being a Senator with no appeal outside of safe Republican states, cuz his opponent will be Hillary.

< /vast majority of freepers, c. 2006>

173 posted on 08/16/2007 2:49:25 PM PDT by BillyBoy (FACT: Governors WIN. Senators DON'T. Support the RIGHT Thompson in '08: www.tommy2008.com.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: Teacher317
>> Yeah, being in the top 2 in the polls without trying is a sure sign that he has no chance whatsoever. <<

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/01/08/president.2000/poll/

Thinking ahead to the year 2000, if you were asked to vote for a Republican nominee for president today, which of the following Republicans would you vote for?

1# George W. Bush 38%
2# Elizabeth Dole 26%
3# Dan Quayle 7%
4# Steve Forbes 5%
5# John McCain 4%
6# John Kasich 2%
7# Gary Bauer 2%
8# Bob Smith 1%

I tell you, Liddy Dole's stragedy of not actually announcing and flirting with the Presidency is BRILLANT! She's polling 2nd nationally without actually being in the race or telling people what she stands for. People are fed up with all these chauvinistic men running everywhere. Everyone LOVES Liddy the second they meet her! She looks sooooooo good and saavy and talented on TV that she will win the nomination by acclaimation! She WILL BE our next President in November 2000. People will study President Liddy's amazing non-candidate winning stradegy for years in political textbooks.

174 posted on 08/16/2007 2:59:47 PM PDT by BillyBoy (FACT: Governors WIN. Senators DON'T. Support the RIGHT Thompson in '08: www.tommy2008.com.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 98 | View Replies]

To: Plutarch
All one needs to do is look at some daily tracking polls such as Rasmussen Reports Daily Tracking to determine if there is any credence to this journalist claims.

"Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows Rudy Giuliani’s support slipping to 23% in the race for the Republican Presidential Nomination. Still, that’s enough to keep the New Yorker on top as Fred Thompson earns 21% of the vote while Mitt Romney is the top choice for 15% Arizona Senator John McCain is now favored by 13% while former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee inches up to the 5% mark (see recent daily numbers)."
175 posted on 08/16/2007 3:02:06 PM PDT by Fred (Democrat Party - "The Nadir of Nihilism")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BillyBoy

Better update your tag line


176 posted on 08/16/2007 3:04:30 PM PDT by Squidpup ("Fight the Good Fight")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 173 | View Replies]

To: BillyBoy
1# George W. Bush 38%
2# Elizabeth Dole 26%
3# Dan Quayle 7%
4# Steve Forbes 5%
5# John McCain 4%
6# John Kasich 2%
7# Gary Bauer 2%
8# Bob Smith 1%

Ouch, what a sorry bunch that was in 2000. We are complaining about the field we have now, but the field is much better than 2000's.

177 posted on 08/16/2007 3:12:24 PM PDT by Plutarch
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 174 | View Replies]

To: BillyBoy

Tommy will be POTUS in 2009....

...oh...wait!...

Nevermind. LOL


178 posted on 08/16/2007 3:15:37 PM PDT by Petronski (Why would Romney lie about Ronald Reagan's record?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 173 | View Replies]

To: Plutarch

Yeah, he waited too long. I am ready to vote TOMORROW so the fact that he has yet to officially declare up to this point has turned me off. Oh well, what to do NOW for the next 15 months??? I guess I’ll turn my attention to the daily Hillary-Obama catfights.


179 posted on 08/16/2007 3:36:00 PM PDT by admiralsn (An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. --Asian Proverb)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: IM2MAD
Al Gore hasn’t announced yet either.

Nor has he lost any weight. He is not going to run for President while 75 or 100 pounds overweight.
180 posted on 08/16/2007 3:42:33 PM PDT by elizabetty (The funding dried up and I can no longer afford Tagline Messages.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 141-160161-180181-200201-217 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson