Is Thompson Too Late?

Real Clear Politics ^ | September 04, 2007 | Jay Cost

[gpapa]

Fred Thompson will announce his candidacy this week - but many pundits think that it is over before it started. Thompson missed his "moment" by holding out through the summer.

I could not disagree with this more. Without commenting on the likelihood of Thompson being the GOP nominee, I think it is wrong to argue that his chances to acquire the nomination have decreased because he has waited.

Thompson's problem is not the late announcement. It is, rather, the fact that his campaign has been poorly run. But this poor management may not be what you think. Changing staffers early, giving speeches that fall flat, fundraising that is a little weak - all of these are normal for a candidate who is just starting out, who up until recently never contemplated being president. Holding this against Thompson fails to take into account the learning curve that comes with these sorts of affairs. Instead, Thompson's problem has been that he has allowed the media to interpret all of these events as problems of his campaign, rather than as its natural and expected birth pangs. Thompson has failed to manage the expectations of the media. This is something that a candidate at any stage needs to do - and Thompson has not done it as well as he could have.

[MaestroLC]

More like everyone else was too early. They all shot their wad, so to speak. FRed did the right thing. No one is even paying attention. By choosing Leno, he gets out in front with a wide audience. Now we get to ask him the tough questions, and hopefully get some satisfying answers....

[GOPologist]

***that’s meaning less***

[mnehring]

Late based on whose standards? His opponents?

[Cyber Liberty]

No, better: Democratic Media’s standards.

[stm]

"I am positive that John Cox will kick FDTs butt!"

Man you really need to put that crack pipe down, that stuff is rotting your brain from the inside out.

[MeanWestTexan]

I would assume Bill Lacy who took over Thompson’s 1994 U.S. Senate campaign and was a former Reagan political aide, but I don’t really know.

There may be some other figure head, but I would think Bill would be the real person in charge.

[papasmurf]

RCP is really cranking them out, huh?

No prejudice there./s

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Yeah, sheeat, dream on!

[mnehring]

Tom Collamore, Bill Lacy and Randy Enright are managing different areas of his exploratory committee. He won’t have a campaign manager officially until after he announces.

[jonathanmo]

Well, thank goodness for that. I assume then, that Fred is for the deportation of all illegals immediately! Round ‘em up Fred !

[mnehring]

Fred blew it when he wants to reward INVADERS!

I think you are getting Thompson's record mixed up with someone else, unless you are going by NumbersUSA's listing which actually mislabels him voting for bills he voted against.

[PAR35]

I did a Google. The publishing consultant or the Dallas lawyer or the artist?

John Cox Art
http://www.johncoxart.com/

Publishing consultancy - John Cox Associates Home
http://www.johncoxassociates.com/main.asp

John M. Cox & Associates, P.C. Profile
http://www.lawyers.com/Texas/Dallas/John-M.-Cox-and-Associates,-P.C.-1636191-f.html

[Law is not justice but process]

I disagree with the whole premise of the “waited too long” argument. The premise is that people are paying close attention to the presidential race now and that lots of voters are deciding their choice of candidates based on what they see and hear from the candidates this summer. From what I have heard from Republicans I know and from the dismal viewership of the wretched debates that have been staged so far, not only do people not care that Thompson has not yet entered the race, but the candidates who declared this past winter have sort of worn out their welcome. It is a case of over-exposure. McCain was the first casualty, but I see the same symptoms all over Rudy Guiliani. People are sick of them. Thompson will be the new story, and after he declares and starts outlining his policies, he will be the new flavor of the month. I daresay that Fred will not be the last to declare, as I expect either Algore or Bloomberg or both to throw their hats in the ring before November 2007.

The vast majority of voters will make up their minds in December and January. That is when Fred needs to make his primary campaign peak. Everything that happens before October may be fodder for the pundits, but it has been assiduously ignored by 95% of the public.

[nonsporting]

First the pundits complain that Fred won't announce. When he does announce (or announce that he'll announce) the pundits complain that he's too late.

Fred, the nonrunning candidate, has clearly outpaced the also-rans. When he's officially announced, we'll have a three-way race for the nomincation: Wudy, Mitt and Fwed. And Fwed has onwy been dwafting.

[mnehring]

I think he is refering to Coxy Balboa and his vanity run.(http://www.cox2008.com/cox/)

[crazyshrink]

Here are the facts:

1. The presidential election is over 1 year away.

2. The electoral college will decide who won the election based on the votes cast, counted, and certified.

3. 6 months ago (or whenver the current candidates announced) I knew little or nothing about them. Now I believe they are little or nothings.

[mnehring]

BTW, that sad image was actually off Cox’s official site as an ‘official campaign poster’

http://www.cox2008.com/cox/john_cox_campaign_poster/

[M203M4]

LOL! If he was “too late”, he certainly wouldn’t already be winning such broad support. Sorry MSM, your other left-wing “Republican” hedge (Giuliani) is as done as McCain.

[VRWCmember]

"I am positive that John Cox will kick FDTs butt!"

Man you really need to put that crack pipe down, that stuff is rotting your brain from the inside out.

And you should have read the rest of his post (and followed the instructions):

(ok, you see, you don’t know me too well, but check the tag line...)

[tagline: (I don't use a sarcasm tag, it kills the effect...) ]

[Free Vulcan]

I’m already burnt out on the Rudy McCromney trio. That’s what happens when you hockey stick too early. Besides that, Thompson’s already in the top three in most polls without ever having declared.