I've seen this comment from several posters.
Don't you understand that if you try to do that, you are not even casting a legitimate vote, and that your vote won't even register?
When you vote in a presidential election, you are not - let me repeat that for emphasis - ARE NOT - voting for the presidential candidate, be it Fred, or Rudy, or Hillary, or ANYbody.
You are voting for a slate of ELECTORS who will in turn [hopefully] cast THEIR votes for the candidate of your choice when the Electoral College convenes after the general election.
If Mr. Thompson is not the nominee, he is not going to HAVE ANY electors for whom you can cast your [then legitimate] vote.
If you try to write in "Fred Thompson" on the ballot, you may be satisfying your ego, but you are NOT "voting", because you can only cast a true vote if Mr. Thompson has electors to vote for.
Your vote won't be registered. It will simply be ignored.
- John
Um, yes, I’m aware of our little feature known as the Electoral College. So I will rephrase for your benefit: I will support the Republican nominee as long as they are Fred or Duncan Hunter. If a liberal hijacks our nomination, I will not. I will not aid and abet the liberal cause by spreading the cancer within our party. If I am prevented from the ability to write in Fred’s name, I will either vote for a suitable Conservative 3rd party alternative or will leave that office blank. I vote by absentee in any event, so I always have to write in a ballot by hand.