Posted on 01/03/2008 6:09:51 AM PST by jdm
The Politico predicts that Fred will drop out of the race if he doesn't come up with a strong showing in Iowa this evening. Fred replies that it's just a nasty rumor to discredit him in upcoming states:
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.
Fred replied:
"That is absolutely made up out of whole cloth," said the former U.S. Senator from Tennessee.
Thompson said a rival campaign was likely the source of that rumor. "Can you imagine such a thing in politics?" he asked.
Two items have sparked these rumors. First, the surprise announcement that Thompson needed a blogburst to run ads in Iowa exposed the campaign's bare warchest. They need a strong finish in Iowa to convince donors to keep the flow of money up to a high enough level to buy ad time in South Carolina, where Fred has more strength. Second, Fred Thompson himself oddly raised expectations by saying he needed a second-place finish in tonight's caucuses, a scenario that seems rather fantastic. A strong third would help, but not if the candidate himself believes he needs to place second or first.
However, the rumors are most likely false. In this primary race, almost everyone should be able to make it to February 5th, when 23 states will go all at once. Why drop out within just a few weeks of the Super Tuesday primaries, where a couple of states could keep the candidacy viable? No one candidate has enough draft to force anyone else out.
In this case, Fred has a shot at South Carolina, at least for a second-place finish. He could also do well in Florida, although that seems less likely at the moment. He has no reason to bail out of the race before then, and the next week will be the Super Tuesday primaries. Unless he really runs completely out of cash, he has no compelling reason to withdraw.
So the story probably reflects nothing but rumor and speculation, although it's hard to understand why competing campaigns would bother with directing any of it towards Thompson. At least for now, he isn't anyone's bete noir. It looks more like the uncontrollable urge to commit punditry on the eve of the first real test of the candidates. (via Rick Moran)
Fred isn’t the heir to Ronald Reagan that all the Thompson supporters think he is. I’m tired of the conspiracy theories that all the FredHeads come up with. The fact is the guy has been less than inspiring and has only himself to blame for his lack of campaing success.
c note here as well. Fred might surprise a few tonight. I think 20% can be considered a stronbg showing and enough to make a push for future primaries.
This rumor is a bunch of BS designed to hurt Fred as continuuing to be “lackadaisical”. MSM or rival planted.
Fred hasn’t used Reagan as a campaign bus bobble-head the way other candidates have. I don’t want another Reagan. There was only one. I want an adult who is not consumed by personal ambition, but motivated by love of country to offer himself for service.
I can’t trust a candidate whose campaign uses stealthy tricks this early; if they have to resort to them now, how will they win against Obama or Hillary?
I agree, however only Fred and Duncan Hunter are acceptable as they are the only two conservatives in the bunch and that is the most crucial point. I will take Fred the rest [other than Hunter] are a bunch of liberals ....might as well vote for Osama [grin] as any of them.
I do understand why others might think so, it is a charge he didnd't really respond to and it stuck, true or not.
So lately, I’ve been trying to look at them from the common voter’s point of view. Eighteen years in marketing gives me a good start. Your average voter in a primary makes up his mind behind the voting curtain. His first objective is party and next is what he remembers about the candidates. And that isn’t very much. Many of them only have a fleeting picture in their minds. If they remember Fred as looking old and tired it’ll go against him.
He said he didn’t want to run and then backtracked and he didn’t register in Texas. Are these mental lapses? If I were Fred I’d rather go back to Hollywood.
Fred is one of them. I am waiting to go hear him speak, and hopefully see and meet both of them when they come to Michigan.
I can support all the rest (well maybe a couple I can't), although of the current front runners I have the most serious reservations about Huckabee. I think he would be a disaster as a candidate, and if he actually won he might be a very poor President.
All the Democrats (especially the hag) scare the crap out of me thinking they could become President..........
We seem to be of similar mind. Huckabee is good but I don’t think he’s good enough at this time.
Just hurt my teeth gritting them so hard. I am scared spitless.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.