Kingmakers Eye Thompson

Townhall ^ | 9/5/2007 | Amanda Carpenter

[dvan]

Fred Thompson’s forthcoming announcement that he will seek the Republican nomination for President will push pollsters and conservative kingmakers to increase their scrutiny of the former Tennessee senator.

As an unofficial candidate Thompson dominated polls throughout the summer season of presidential campaigning. A September 5 Rasmussen poll found Thompson polling 23% among likely Republican primary voters. Thompson was only a point behind Republican front-runner Rudy Giuliani.

[dvan]

We'll just have to wait and see. Keep your powder dry!

[A_Tradition_Continues]

I'll wager that after the big announcement Fred's poll numbers will either

A Increase

B Decrease

C Stay the same

[mnehring]

If Amanda Carpenter didn't write that, I would suspect there was a double meaning in the 'Kingmaker' comment in the title..

Here is a good pull quote from the article:
""“It’s not as if he is coming from center or left of center on the Republican spectrum. He’s yet another strong, articulate spokesman for conservative ideas and values and that can’t be bad for the movement,” said Franc."" (Mark Frank of the Heritage Foundation)

..and one more for good measure...

""“If we assume that McCain is done, that leaves a pro-choice candidate [Giuliani] and a pro-life by convenience candidate [Mitt Romney] running for the nomination,” Erickson wrote in an email. “Of Giuliani, Romney, and Fred, Fred is the only one with a 100% pro-life record in elective office.”""

[mnehring]

You forgot the choice that always wins in any online poll for some strange reason.

D Ron Paul

[TLI]

Thompson was only a point behind Republican front-runner Rudy Giuliani.

And Fred ain't even trying yet.

If Fred and Duncan could find a way to team up this thing would be in the bag.

[ejonesie22]

I’ll bet you they will do all of that depending on the poll...

[ejonesie22]

That’s choice Q

[Soul Seeker]

You know, I think your prediction has a fair chance of being right. LOL

Not going to go about spamming the board, this will be my third and last statement on this in Thompson threads.

For the attention of supporters and critics of Thompson alike. His campaign has issued an invitation to a few blogs to submit 4-5 questions each from their readers to be answered by Thompson. Among a few of the blogs given the invitation are RedState, Captain’s Quarters, RightWingnews.com and Instapundit.

ANY question or concern you’ve had about Thompson? This is your chance to go right to the source.

My preference is that his strongest critics will receive the bulk of questions answered, but that is only a possibility if you submit a question to these blogs. I’m leaning toward supporting Thompson, but the harder the questions the better in my view.

[GovernmentIsTheProblem]

“And Fred ain’t even trying yet.”

He’s been trying for months. Where ya been?

[Beagle8U]

I guess I didn’t know that Eric was the editor of Redstate. I remember him from my days at Watchblog before I found FReeRepublic.

Eric is also a FReeper.

[mnehring]

I think you would be surprised who all are Freepers.

[Beagle8U]

I wasn’t really surprised he showed up here. He is a good conservative.

I was surprised he was editor of Redstate. I’ve never even looked there.

[#1CTYankee]

Bring on the Romney and Hunter supports for the hijack.

3-2-1

[Rudder]

Fred Thompson’s forthcoming announcement that he will seek the Republican nomination for President will push pollsters and conservative kingmakers to increase their scrutiny of the former Tennessee senator.

She doesn't get paid for this, does she?

[A_Tradition_Continues]

For some strange reason I find it hard to believe any poll right now. Think I'll finish up my work then go take a nap.

Just say NO TO POLLS

[elizabetty]

“Of Giuliani, Romney, and Fred, Fred is the only one with a 100% pro-life record in elective office.”""

The problem is that is not true. Mitt Romney's record in elective office is also 100% pro-life and he has the backing of the pro-life establishment in Massachusetts with whom he worked as governor.

[ejonesie22]

Hey some of my best friends are Polish!

Oh you mean polls not pols...

[mnehring]

I won’t trash Mitt at all... I know a lot of people here have shown quotes where he said he was pro-choice, but I have trouble seeing him as being that way in that Mormons are some of the strongest pro-life people out there, and he seems to be strong in his faith.

There are some candidates I won’t trash, Romney, Hunter, (and of course Thompson.) We shouldn’t split up and attack the Conservatives in the race when there are so many RINOs and Nutters to hunt...

[Ancesthntr]

""“If we assume that McCain is done, that leaves a pro-choice candidate [Giuliani] and a pro-life by convenience candidate [Mitt Romney] running for the nomination,” Erickson wrote in an email. “Of Giuliani, Romney, and Fred, Fred is the only one with a 100% pro-life record in elective office.”""

Giuliani and Romney are also anti-gun (Rudy more so, but Romney signed a bunch of anti-gun stuff). Oh, and Rudy is pro-gay marriage. This stuff may sell among Northeastern RINOs (you know, the people who move out of the cities that their favored politicians destroyed with high taxes and gun control, and into the suburbs for an instant replay --- but since they live "in the country" they feel that they have to register Republican), but it doesn't sell in the South or West.

Thompson has come out strong on guns, abortion, low taxes, shrinking the government, strong on defense and foreign policy - you can't ask for much more than that. Though I prefer Duncan Hunter on purely theoretical grounds, Hunter has very little name recognition and cannot, IMHO, win the nomination or the General Election. If Hunter leaves in a few weeks or months, most of his voters will go to Fred, again IMHO. Hunter will then make a superb Secretary of Defense in the Thompson Administration (to be joined by Tancredo as head of ICE, Ted Olson as Attorney General and John Bolton as Secretary of State if I had my druthers).

[Ancesthntr]

She doesn't get paid for this, does she?

C'mon, man, she had to do a lot of research for that, really get down in the dirt and scratch it out...starting with removing her head from her alimentary canal.