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Fred Thompson may drop out, back McCain (Debunked Rumor)
The Politico ^ | January 2, 2008 | Jonathan Martin and Mike Allen

Posted on 01/03/2008 4:35:10 AM PST by rightwingintelligentsia

DES MOINES, Iowa – Several Republican officials close to Fred Thompson’s presidential campaign said they expect the candidate will drop out of the race within days if he finishes poorly in Thursday’s Iowa caucus.

Thompson’s campaign, which last spring and summer was generating fevered anticipation in the media and with some Republican activists, has never ignited nationally, and there are no signs of a late spark happening here in Iowa, where even a third-place finish is far from assured.

This reality—combined with a fundraising drought—left well-connected friends and advisers of Thompson Wednesday evening predicting that he will pull the plug on hype and hope before the Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary.

Thompson’s departure could shake up the race more than his continued presence. Friends and advisers said they have long considered it likely that if the lobbyist-actor is forced from the race he would endorse John McCain his former Senate colleague who lately has been staging a political revival in New Hampshire.

(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: dirtytricks; fredthompson; ia2008; iowa; mccain; politico; threadnumber3
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To: Old Retired Army Guy

actually Rush was spot on about Huckabee.

The seminar caller who supported Huckabee came across as a kook who tried to dissemble that ooooonly huckabee was a pro life when in fact all the candidates are pro-life.

Huckabee is just a Giuliani lite with a pro-life stance.

If that is the ONLY asset of huckabee then he should withdraw as tancredo did since all teh other candidates had adopted his immigration stand.

Huckabee supports a new monthly check entitlement program.
Huckabee wants nanny state food controls.
Huckabee has made bizare statements on foreign policy. (appologizing for the USA causing bhutro’s death?)

Rush was spot on about huckabee.

Today is going to be an EXCELLENT Rush show.


101 posted on 01/03/2008 6:06:31 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: Hawthorn
But more likely IMO is that Fred will eventually endorse Capt. McQueeg simply because they have been good friends for years.

Yeah, that's the ticket. They're buddies so Fred will endorse McCain. Of course, he could have done this at the outset instead of running his own campaign. But that would take the fun out of it; right? And the negative fallout to McCain's campaign once it would come to light that Thompson wanted to support McCain all along would be enormous. Factor that in, did you?.

IMO, your opinion is not a very considered one.

102 posted on 01/03/2008 6:06:37 AM PST by bcsco ("The American Indians found out what happens when you don't control immigration.")
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To: kjo

Did you read the comments here? It was meant to sabotage Fred’s momentum going into tonights caucus.


103 posted on 01/03/2008 6:07:26 AM PST by Blue Highway (The only cure for RINOvirus - Fred Thompson)
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To: Mr Rogers

If Fred were to decide to drop out I would not have a preference for who he would support. I would assume Duncan Hunter would already be gone so I would just support the eventual nominee. Fred has said several times he and John McCain are good friends I would not be surprised if he did endorse him.


104 posted on 01/03/2008 6:07:51 AM PST by ontap (Just another backstabbing conservative)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

Fred would be a great VP on the ticket.


105 posted on 01/03/2008 6:08:03 AM PST by tips up
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To: papasmurf

Leno is back, maybe he’ll anounce he’s dropping out there.


106 posted on 01/03/2008 6:08:15 AM PST by teddyballgame (red man in a blue state)
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To: Hawthorn
My mistake. I was think of McCain’s run in 00 (Gore-Lieberman turned out to be the Dem team) and forgot about Edwards in 04 (he isn’t very memorable).

And I’ve only had one cup of coffee. It’s early. And the gorebull warming is at 12 degrees, and it is cold in the house.

++

But my point was and still is: Lieberman, Kerry, McCain are all buddy-buddy. I don't trust any of them. LOL

107 posted on 01/03/2008 6:09:28 AM PST by TomGuy
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To: Hawthorn
My mistake. I was think of McCain’s run in 00 (Gore-Lieberman turned out to be the Dem team) and forgot about Edwards in 04 (he isn’t very memorable).

And I’ve only had one cup of coffee. It’s early. And the gorebull warming is at 12 degrees, and it is cold in the house. And this was just a test to see who is really paying attention (LOL).

++

But my point was and still is: Lieberman, Kerry, McCain are all buddy-buddy. I don't trust any of them. LOL

108 posted on 01/03/2008 6:10:12 AM PST by TomGuy
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To: Romneyfor President2008
If Fred supports McCain, does that make Fred a RINO, too?

Why yes, yes it does. But since I don't think Thompson is a RINO, I don't believe he would support McCain.

If he does, I will feel completely betrayed by him. I like Thompson because even though he has no executive experience, of all the candidates he is the most consistently principled conservative, at least based on what he says.

A McCain endorsement would give the lie to all that he said in his campaign.

109 posted on 01/03/2008 6:14:48 AM PST by Maceman
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To: rightwingintelligentsia
New Thread: Fred Says Relax, He Won't Do It (THOMPSON CONFIRMS TODAY'S POLITICO REPORT IS 'NASTY RUMOR')
110 posted on 01/03/2008 6:15:57 AM PST by ASA Vet (Does Hillary share Huma with Bill?)
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To: Mr Rogers
True - but at least Mitt pays lip service to conservatives. McCain spits on us. If push comes to shove, Mitt MIGHT deliver on conservative values. It is 100% assured that McCain will fight conservatives every step of the way.

Agreed. My assessment is that conservatives will have a lot easier time influencing Romney than McCain. That seems clear already.

111 posted on 01/03/2008 6:16:51 AM PST by rhombus
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To: Old Retired Army Guy
What I have been reading is that all the Republican candidates loathe Romney and if they can’t win it, they will do whatever they can to defeat Romney even if they have to hold their nose and endorse someone else.

This seems foolish on the part of the other candidates. My assessment is that conservatives will have a lot easier time influencing Romney than any of the other front-runners. McCain? Rudy? Huckabee? Not a chance.

112 posted on 01/03/2008 6:19:09 AM PST by rhombus
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

If Thompson backs McCain, he’s been lying to us all along about his values.


113 posted on 01/03/2008 6:20:59 AM PST by citizen ("Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." Benjamin Franklin)
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To: teddyballgame

That would all of you RINOS happy, eh?


114 posted on 01/03/2008 6:21:06 AM PST by papasmurf (I'm voting for FRed, even if I have to write him in.)
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To: JohnnyZ; All
You're a fool... The one that would be hurt the most, hands down, would be Romney. McCain would gain momentum in N.H., and with FDT's endorsement, he'd be the nominee, IMHO...

I'd take Mitt over McCain any day. Romney takes the fight to the enemy time again- the Dems (by name), the MSM, Putin...

When was the last time McCain ever said anything bad about any Dems?

IT'S ALL ABOUT STOPPING ROMNEY

115 posted on 01/03/2008 6:21:46 AM PST by NYC Republican
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To: Old Retired Army Guy

Fred will stay in the race only as long as Duncan Hunter.

That is the whole purpose of his recruitment-to diffuse and dilute the conservative vote and keep the only real conservative from gaining ground.

He was drafted to lose, to fall on his sword when ordered to do so.


116 posted on 01/03/2008 6:22:46 AM PST by fetal heart beats by 21st day (Defending human life is not a federalist issue. It is the business of all of humanity.)
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To: NYC Republican
The one that would be hurt the most, hands down, would be Romney. McCain would gain momentum in N.H.,

McCain is going to win NH. He's already leading. Mitt needs Iowa, now, today, and he's pulling out all the dirty tricks to get it.

Sure, McCain could gain if Fred dropped out, maybe, although a lot of Fred's votes would not go to McCain. But's that's not happening -- what happened was a Romney Sleaze rumor designed to depress Fred's votes in Iowa. Fred dropping out and endorsing McCain doesn't hurt Romney if it's a false rumor and doesn't happen, which it is and won't.

You're a fool...

Personal attacks from a Mittbot NYC RINO. Great...

117 posted on 01/03/2008 6:29:11 AM PST by JohnnyZ ("When we say I saw the PATRIOTS win the WORLD SERIES, it doesn't necessarily mean ...." - Mitt)
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To: NYC Republican

Yeah... too bad he hides that liberal record of his behind all that Grecian.


118 posted on 01/03/2008 6:31:18 AM PST by jmyrlefuller ("I am pretty much a compassionless jerk.")
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To: TomGuy
> forgot about Edwards in 04 (he isn’t very memorable). <

Amen to that!

(Thirty or forty years from now, the world will probably remember Edwards about as well as we now remember Goldwater's running mate from 1964 or McGovern's running mate from 1968 or the guy Reagan named in 1976 as his putative running mate.)

119 posted on 01/03/2008 6:33:13 AM PST by Hawthorn
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To: kabar
Fred will definitely stay in until South Carolina. The idea that Iowa and NH are going to push him out is nonsense. I wonder why there is no similar speculation concerning Giuliani? He is going to lose both Iowa and NH.

I guess we will see. I think it is hard to keep going when you are out of money. He is not exactly setting the world on fire in SC and I believe he will drop out this weekend (unless he finishes a strong third in Iowa). Rudy is campaigning in IA or much in NH. He is truly sitting on the sideline until FL. This very well might prove to be a huge mistake, but if Romney is the only one standing by FL, then Rudy will be an attractive alternative for many (at least Rudy has not changed positions to run despite being at odds with most Republicans). Rudy has money, so he can get away with trying this strategy. If Huckabee wins Iowa and McCain wins NH, then McCain takes down Romney in Mitt's hoem state in MI (McCain won MI in 2000) and Huckabee wins SC, then by the time we get to FL, Huckabee and McCain might be the two front runners and Rudy's strategy might prove to be a mistake. We shall see.
120 posted on 01/03/2008 6:37:41 AM PST by mcjordansc
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