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 ...
When I first read this- all I could do was LMAO:)
LOL! I guess that just remains to be seen, doesn’t it? Considering how well he’s doing in polls against the already declared candidates, I’d say that Republicans haven’t settled on anyone yet. The field is still wide open.
He’s coming to your area (St. Louis) soon. I received an email notice this a.m. I’m not sure of the date though. I deleted the email when I found out it’s $1000/person or $2300/camera event.
Judging by the $ I’d say he’s made his mind up and will be announcing soon.
Who has the biggest impact? A football player that kicks a field goal in the first quarter with the score something to something or one that waltzes in with a clean uniform and kicks one late in the fourth quarter with his team trailing 16-14?
Now...
But I do so enjoy that quirky sense of humor...
Rest assured; Fred knows this. He said, in his first speech, that this was not his first time at the rodeo. He's seen the Clintons close up; he knows how they operate.
I like my Karl is Fred explanation much better...
Proving once again that there is a tide in the affairs of men and nations, and when taken at the flood...(surfers know it well)....
This has nothing to do with the Fairness Doctrine.
It is an FEC rule called the “Equal Time Rule”. If Fred is given air time (Except for valid news and commentary shows), his opponents can demand an equal amount of free air time.
Oooh, there’s a thought...
Films and television shows featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrity candidates in California's gubernatorial recall election will likely not be broadcast in the state for the next few months so that stations can avoid having to give rival candidates equal time.
In 2000, some CBS affiliates in East Texas had to pre-empt some rerun episodes of "Walker, Texas Ranger," because character actor Noble Willingham, who appeared as a bartender on the show, was running for Congress.
When Reagan ran for California governor in the 1960s, the show "Death Valley Days" took on a different host to avoid being essentially barred from the air.
In 1972, NBC aired a Doris Day movie in which comedian Pat Paulsen appeared for 30 seconds. Because Paulsen had launched a satiric presidential campaign, he was ruled a legitimate candidate. Two Republican candidates requested and got 30 seconds in the same time slot as a result.
>I don’t speak for Hunter, trisham. I am free and over 21. I have my own opinions.<
>>If I were Hunter I’d be embarrassed. The way some of his supporters behave is tacky. It makes him look like, well, someone who would have them as fans.
Oh, I get it. You’re actually a Fred supporter tryng to make Hunter look bad. Got. it.<<
Once again, a Fredhead stoops to personal attack mode. Much like: http:.//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmKUMuPAMSE
To the contrary, trisham. Rep. Hunter’s supporters have grown beyond my wildest dreams, here and elsewhere, “in spite of me”. :) We have brought in very respectable increases to his treasury as well.
Don’t know, I do buy them from a little asian man down the street...
OMG!! You mean like an Edgar suit?!"
Now you are just confusing the our truth with the facts...
Good find, backs what I have been saying for, I don’t know...
Months...
>I don’t speak for Hunter, trisham. I am free and over 21. I have my own opinions.<
>>If I were Hunter I’d be embarrassed. The way some of his supporters behave is tacky. It makes him look like, well, someone who would have them as fans.
Oh, I get it. You’re actually a Fred supporter trying to make Hunter look bad. Got. it.<<
Once again, a Fredhead stoops to personal attack mode. Much like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmKUMuPAMSE
To the contrary, trisham. Rep. Hunter’s supporters have grown beyond our wildest dreams, here and elsewhere, “in spite of me”. :) We have brought in very respectable increases to his treasury as well.
LOS ANGELES - If Fred Thompson makes it official and throws his hat in the ring for President, NBC will pull future reruns of “Law & Order” featuring the actor after Sept. 1, executive producer Dick Wolf said yesterday.
The former two-term Republican senator from Tennessee recently asked to be cut from the show, leading to speculation he’d run for the White House.
That led to chatter about the equal-time rules, which force broadcasters to provide equal time to all politicians running for office.
Wolf, reading from an official NBC statement yesterday, said the rule applies when a person legally qualifies as a candidate.
“If Fred Thompson formally declares his intention to run for President, NBC will not schedule any further repeats of ‘Law & Order’ featuring Mr. Thompson beyond those already scheduled, which conclude on Saturday, Sept. 1,” Wolf said.
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