Posted on 09/04/2007 10:29:00 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
If there was ever a secret to actor-politician Fred Thompson’s presidential campaign, all the wrapping came off Tuesday when West Virginia Republican party officials announced the former Tennessee senator has filed to participate in the Mountain State’s primary convention.
Thompson, 65, who served two terms in the U.S. Senate, plans to make the little-kept secret public Thursday when he will make the official announcement he is a candidate for president. He appears on The Tonight Show tonight with Jay Leno.
But Bob Fish, chairman of West Virginia’s GOP convention, said Thompson met the party’s Sept. 1 filing deadline. Fish announced Tuesday that Thompson and nine others had signed on for the new West Virginia GOP convention.
“We’re very pleased with the individual candidates as well as the degree of [news] coverage we got,” Fish said in making the announcement.
All of the big names indicated they would be there Feb. 5, including Sen. John McCain of Arizona, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Others include former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who recently won an Iowa straw poll; Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback; Rep. Duncan Hunter, who is serving his 14th term in the House of Representatives from California; Rep. John Paul, who first served four terms in the House before becoming the Libertarian Party presidential nominee in 1988 and returning to the House in 1996; Alan Keyes, a former Reagan administration diplomat who spun that off for a career as a TV and radio host; and Maryland businessman Gene Zarwell, a man with a lot of money who has previously run in state races.
Zarwell’s entry interests Fish. “The message I get is ‘Gee, this is wonderful,’” he said.
Zarwell has paid all his own expenses and Fish said his candidacy, “shows this is America. You don’t have to get permission to run for president.”
In a small state like West Virginia, Fish said a candidate like Zarwell might be able to organize the convention delegates well enough to pull off an upset.
In an effort to gain all the candidates’ attention, West Virginia and a number of other states changed their election dates and methods. State Republicans will now elect delegates to a state convention to be held Feb. 5, the same day as a number of Republican primary elections in other states.
Eighteen delegates will go to the candidate who emerges with a majority of convention votes. Nine other national convention delegates will be elected in the May primary election, three from each congressional district.
Candidates are to choose a slate of 18 people as their national convention delegates and report those to the state party at December’s end.
He hopes all 10 will campaign in the state, discussing issues important to West Virginians. Of course, he admits, it is probable one or more will drop out of the race before Feb. 5, probably after taking a closer look at their campaign’s finances.
“There may be some people on that list that drop out before the convention,” he said. “Our hope is they will all be there.”
Robert Rupp, a West Virginia Wesleyan College professor, noted there are 21 states having conventions or elections Feb. 5 West Virginia hopes to complete its process by early afternoon, therefore gaining national attention all throughout that day.
“The purpose was to get West Virginia on the national news on what is probably the most important day of the political primaries,” Rupp said.
Each candidate filing had to pay a $5,000 fee, which should easily fund the convention.
Fish called the process “exciting” and said he hopes it gains attention for the state, noting the candidates will be able to walk away from West Virginia knowing they faced the full force of their opponents.
“It’s a good thing for the party. It’s a good for the candidates and it’s good for West Virginia,” he said.
Yes, in Iowa, when you place second, you’ve won!! LOL
“President Zarwell”?!??
Uh uh, I don’t think so. LOL
Whatt??? The Pope became US Rep.?
Or can read...
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