Mitt's Divided Strategy (Thompson Rumors Traced to Romney)

Townhall ^ | 5-Jan-08 | Robert Novak

[Jay777]

Published reports that Fred Thompson soon will withdraw from the Republican presidential contest and endorse Sen. John McCain have been traced in part to Mitt Romney's campaign, trying to stir up strife between McCain and Thompson.

There is no question, however, that McCain strategists would welcome Thompson's endorsement if and when he drops out. It could help McCain in the Jan. 19 South Carolina primary.

[Plutarch]

This was posted on another thread as possible evidence of a 'trace' to the Romney campaign:

blog post of Fred rumor by 'Jason Bonham' on 1/2/08

mymanMitt co-founder 'Jason Bonham'

Aha, the mystery is solved. Jason's rumor was based on my speculation on FR December 20th, from there it got to Politico. Since I have no association with the Romney campaign, other than being a supporter, then Romney is cleared.

_______________________________________________________

To: festus

Fred Thompson is putting all his eggs in the Iowa basket.

If he comes in third or fourth in Iowa, he doesn't have good prospects. He will probably then withdraw.

If he withdraws, he would likely endorse McCain. Wouldn't that be something. The great conservative hope ends up helping open-borders McCain.

36 posted on 12/20/2007 9:53:01 PM PST by Plutarch

[Petronski]

The blog reaction makes an important point that the politico would be foolish to take a rumor the day before an election.

They would if they were setting out to report straight. If they had motive--like, say, to damage the most viable conservative in the race--they certainly would do it in a heartbeat.

[CyberAnt]

Hannity interviewed Fred - and Fred stated HE HAD NO PLANS TO DROP OUT .. THEY WERE ABOUT IN THE PERCENTAGES THEY THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE .. AND BEING 3rd IN IOWA WAS WHAT THEY EXPECTED.

Never forget .. McCain also won NH in 2000, but he faded fast after that .. as soon as people started hearing the venom in his voice.

I believe the “populists” are really terrified of Fred’s conservatism .. and I think the media is too. They remember Reagan’s landslide .. and they don’t want a repeat.

And .. I also heard Hannity interview Huckabee on Friday and I was shocked by Huck’s attitude. I worked on the phone for years, and I can detect attitude in people’s voices - attitudes they think they can hide in person with a smiling face. What I heard was: Arrogance .. and a sense of HOW DARE YOU QUESTION WHAT I SAY .. almost bordering on haughty. And .. Huck should check out the scriptures on what God thinks about “haughty” people .. Huck won’t like it much.

I don’t care if Huck is a Christian .. we still have a right to know the truth about what he did as a governor.

[Lloyd227]

"If he withdraws, he would likely endorse McCain. Wouldn't that be something."

This thread is more fun than any I've seen in a long while... the concept of Fred endorsing McCain is so rediculous as to look intentionally planted. No one who knows anything at all about these candidates can seriously imagine Fred endorsing that sleaze bag McCain. That's just foolishness and nothing more.

[Cicero]

Romney’s campaign has pulled a number of dirty tricks over the course of the campaign, but I don’t think he did this.

Politico is a leftist website.

I think this is typical DNC type planning. Politico went with it, and the rest of the media picked up the ball almost instantly. Hey, Politico isn’t the New York Times. Why were all the big networks jumping on the Politico bandwagon like that? Obviously because it was a planned operation.

The whole thing was a DNC orchestrated propaganda strike. We have seen this kind of thing repeatedly over the past 15 years or more. It had all the typical hallmarks. One news source breaks the story and then suddenly it’s all over the place.

All Politico had to do to check the story was to call the Thompson campaign and ask. They KNEW the story was false, but they went with it anyway, because they were playing the DNC game.

[Reagan Man]

Typical behavior during political primary season. Just so happens FR is caught up in the middle of a hotbed of wild speculation that will only get worse the further this process goes forward.

My two cents: Since I don't trust Romney, I wouldn't rule out his campaign going into the gutter and engaging in this type of sleazy political propaganda.

[JohnnyZ]

I said again and again and again that the Romney Sleaze Machine fingerprints were all over that vicious attack.

Romney is one of the sleaziest politicians in recent memory.

[JohnnyZ]

You're disgusting, Chuck.

Why do you continue to pimp for that dirty scum?

[Plutarch]

...the concept of Fred endorsing McCain is so rediculous as to look intentionally planted. No one who knows anything at all about these candidates can seriously imagine Fred endorsing that sleaze bag McCain.

Rediculous? I think not. They've been pretty thick in the past.

(This pic is in need of captions).

[visualops]

That’s why you shouldn’t talk about things you have no clue about.

[Eroteme]

Again, with no proof I would say Politico(?) did it on their own.

With their track record, that's a good bet. Politico was probably lurking the blog boards 'cause it's easier than getting out of the chair or picking up the phine, snagged the Jason Bonham rumor (made up of whole cloth,) and ran with it with no other sourcing, simply because he wanted to believe it. More importantly, he needed something juicy to feed the talking heads to keep Politco looking wired.

It answers the Qui bono question far better than Romney or McCain. Too risky. Now with Novak on the scent, Politico's blaming the Romney camp. And unless Novak has some solid sources independent of this rumor circle jerk, Novak's no better than the rest of them.

[Plutarch]

You're disgusting, Chuck.

Why do you continue to pimp for that dirty scum?

Note the crudity, personal attacks and name calling, that the mods allow with impunity, so long as it is a Fredhead doing it.

Gets real tiresome.

[Lloyd227]

Plutarch
Was that picture intended to make a point of some kind? Sorry, but I don't see it and a picture of three people chatting in a hotel room is pretty lame at best.

Rest assured that Fred Thompson will NEVER endorse a sleaze bag like McCain and I'll have to second visualops on this one, "That’s why you shouldn’t talk about things you have no clue about."

[Plutarch]

That’s why you shouldn’t talk about things you have no clue about.

If we eliminated all posting at FR about things in which the poster had no clue, the Alexa rankings of FR would plummet.

[JohnnyZ]

Poor little Plutarch, so angry and bitter since your boy Mitt is losing so miserably!

[Neu Pragmatist]

We have a pretty good idea which camp was behind it ... :)

[Plutarch]

Was that picture intended to make a point of some kind?

Just that Fred was so closely involved with McCain in 2000 that they campaigned together, which suggests that they are thick, as I stated, which has a direct bearing on whether Fred will endorse McCain.

Rest assured that Fred Thompson will NEVER endorse a sleaze bag like McCain.

Thompson has attacked Romney, Giuliani and Huckabee. I haven't seen Thompson attack McCain, have you?

You queue up your Nelson HA-HA graphic, and I'll queue up mine, and we'll see what happens.

[Huck]

Is that a Pespi Fred’s drinkin’ or Foster’s? And that guy with the glasses give me the creeps, with the “come hither” look and the altoids on the bed. Oh well, what happens in Vegas...

[Plutarch]

We'll add taunting to your crudity, personal attacks and name calling.

Good job, JohnnyZ, you're doing the Fredhead contingent proud.

[Neu Pragmatist]

Fred hasn’t attacked anyone . He has debated policy , like a civil man .

MittFlop Otoh ...well we know what he’s been up to from the start of Fred’s campaign ...

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/09/10/antithompson_site_connects_to.html