Posted on 01/05/2008 8:29:07 PM PST by Jet Jaguar
Eight years ago, Fred Thompson came for an editorial board visit after we had already endorsed George Bush, to tell us how wrong we were. We should have backed John McCain, he told us. I knew that, of course, but I sat still for his gruff advice as a sort of penance for my failure. I had tried hard (more about that in my Sunday column), but the consensus on our board had gone against me.
As futile as his gesture was at that point, I still appreciated Sen. Thompson's position, as bad as it made me feel. McCain had been the man, and it was the nation's loss that he was not elected in 2000.
Since he knew that then, and Sen. McCain is the same man he was, I've wondered all year why in the world Mr. Thompson even thought of running. As I said back in this column, he forgot to do one thing when he jumped in late: Tell us what it was he brought to the campaign that the candidates already running did not already offer.
Now, it's my turn to return the favor and tell Fred Thompson something that he should already know: It's time for him to do the principled thing again, and assert what he knew to be true back then: He should bow out, and support McCain. And he should do it now; now is when he can make a difference.
Sen. McCain is tied for first place in New Hampshire polls with a damaged Mitt Romney; Mr. Thompson is in single digits. By the time he comes South, all he will be able to do is be a spoiler, to pull just enough voters away from another candidate (and I suspect that candidate would most likely be his longtime ally McCain) to throw the victory to the surging Huckabee.
Nothing against Huckabee on my part; I just don't see him as the alternative Mr. Thompson himself would prefer. Meanwhile, he has continued to express his continuing respect for Sen. McCain; this would be a chance to show he means it.
Speaking of Gov. Huckabee, his victory is his own. But he was not in a position to begin that rise, he was not in striking distance, until Sam Brownback gracefully departed from the race. They had both been drinking from the same well of voters, and Sen. Brownback clarified matters for them.
Quitting when he did was Sen. Brownback's greatest contribution to this campaign, and was the best thing he could have done to serve the values and ideas he espouses. If Sen. Thompson wants to advance his own values, if he wants to make a difference and serve the country -- or if he simply wants the gratification of being a player at all -- he should get behind McCain now.
You refer to Fred Thompson?
The Democrat theme this year is It's time for change, we just won't tell you what that change is. Well, yes, it is time for change. It's time for Republicans to stop bowing over and having a phallic prostrate exam by their own party. You have three empty pantsuits running on the opposing side; no one there wants to take a position, and none are 'liberal' enough to excite their base. Why would we want to mirror them and present empty suits who aren't 'conservative' enough to excite our base?
I don't think it's time for Fred to drop out, just like you don't, I think it's time for every conservative to get off their couches and to support a conservative. This election is in the bag so long as we present someone who can articulate issues, who can present an alternative to the dogma of the media, and the moment we forget that, it doesn't matter who wins - we'll be stuck with big government spenders who want to nanny state our way of life out of existence.
This is the core of our economy, this is the core of our future, this is the core of everything we're fighting for. Empty suits will just take their lead from the media for which panicked worry we have to face this week. We need a real candidate.
I say that candidate is Fred Thompson. Third place in Iowa with small spending, third place in Wyoming with small spending, and quite possibly, third in New Hampshire with small spending (if we're lucky.) But I think we've got a good chance in South Carolina to energize his supporters.
Or we can present a choice to the voters based solely on party identity; where all we can do is claim 'vote for me, I'm a Republican.' That didn't work in 2006, and I doubt it'll work in 2008.
Florida, as well. Extremely important early state.
Looks like the comments in SC are in favor of McCain dropping and endorsing Thompson.
Maybe the headline should chage to read- S.C. readers disagree:)
Even better.
Why do folks think Thompson should drop out?
Fred hasn’t distinguished himself, are you kidding me??? Could he be any more diferent from those he is running against???
Please, pundits of the world, if you’re going to take the time to write about Fred, do him the favor of listening to what he is saying first.
Posted by: DJ | Jan 5, 2008 3:25:10 PM
agree joel, every man and woman in SC should take a look at fred08.com.
There is nobody in the race thats more consistantly conservative than Fred Thompson, period..
Take a look for yourself South Carolina, I’m sure you’ll agree,
Immigration, Right to Life, Terrorism, National Defense, Social Security, etc...
Go Fred!!
Posted by: stlpatriot | Jan 5, 2008 3:27:08 PM
Let’s get one thing straight....Fred is not dropping out! I sent him a little money to let him know we are still backing him all the way, this after the Iowa caucus. Some have it right (not you) that McCain should drop and support Fred which will never happen but it would be a good gesture on a man’s part that wakes up each day and flips a coin to see if he is liberal or conservative for that day....I will stay with Fred as long as he stays in the race.
Posted by: Dick | Jan 5, 2008 3:38:35 PM
I agree with you, Brad. I like Fred a lot, but he has no chance to win this thing. I like him because he is a man of principle who truley loves his country. I believe he ran because he felt he could take the place of Sen. McCain, had his summer slump continued. It did not, he’s back. Sen. Thompson needs to step back and re-evaluate what is best for his country. If McCain was put in the same position, I think he would drop out. As times would have it, he is the current favorite for the nomination. Fred is behind Ron Paul. (I base this off intrade.com). We love you Fred, but we do so because you make choices for the good of the country, not for your own personal ambition.
Posted by: Rob | Jan 5, 2008 3:52:52 PM
> until Sam Brownback gracefully departed from the race
That may be the most ridiculous statement I’ve ever read on this blog. You’re making some sort of assumption that Brownback would have somehow split the 39% of the Iowa vote that Huckabee got? Hilarious. Brownback dropped out because he would have finished in 9th place in Iowa had he stayed in. Zero name recognition combined with zero personality results in zero percent of the vote.
Posted by: Doug | Jan 5, 2008 4:11:39 PM
....If McCain was put in the same position, I think he would drop out...
HA!
McCain was in a much worse position a few months ago when he pleaded for support for the McCain-Kennedy-Bush amnesty plan they tried to ramrod down our throats. McCain is back in the race only because people have forgotten (for now) what he did. His current denials of his support for amnesty might get him some short-term support, but will eventually serve as fodder for any opponent that wishes to expose his mendacity.
Fred did pretty good in IA considering his relatively late start and the compressed time-frame that prevented the social conservatives from really getting to know Huckabee.
Fred will pull support from Huck first. All the other Republican candidates are regarded as liberal. Huck’s foolish followers think he is a conservative, like Fred is in fact, and they should switch to Fred if they really believe in the principles that Huck pretends to support.
Posted by: Allan Stewart | Jan 5, 2008 4:17:59 PM
Wrong. Fred and John may be friends, but there’s no way Fred’s going to drop out merely to endorse McCain’s support of amnesty, man-made global warming, and opposition to the Bush tax cuts. South Carolina Republicans are not going to support McCain merely because he’s a distinguished war veteran. And Mike Huckabee’s class warfare simply will not play here. Fred’s the real conservative, and he’s in this for the long haul.
Posted by: Vince | Jan 5, 2008 4:30:31 PM
WELL WELL , another kool-aid drinking liberal strikes again ! I had been wondering when mccain will drop out for 4 months now , his campaigne is almost bankrupt , he finished 4th in Iowa , and South Carolinians proved they dont want him in 2000 .......Whats left , drop out with dignity after you lose on tuesday and through your support to the only REAL conservitive in the race , Fred D. Thompson . It’s clear to me Obama will pull enough of the young independent voters of New Hampshire from Mcain to keep him a lower tier candidate . not to mention all the votes ron paul will get from independnts ...... sorry sen. , wont happen for you twice in New Hamshire !
Posted by: kevin | Jan 5, 2008 4:34:16 PM
TIME FOR MCCAIN TO GET OUT AND ENDORSE FRED. MCCAIN BLEW IT EARLY ON. MCCAIN WAS THE ANNOINTED ONE AT THE START. HE HAD A LOUSY TEAM WHO ROLLED HIM ON ALL THE MONEY HE RAISED. THE WORST PART OF MCCAIN IS THE FACT THAT HE IS PRO-AMNESTY. MCCAIN CUT HIS OWN THROAT.
Posted by: thestateisaschill | Jan 5, 2008 4:46:16 PM
Either McCain OR Bush was choosing the lesser of two evils and Bush was unquestionably the better of the two.
In going back over McCain’s record combined with his several recent mindnumbing failures in pursuing socialism, not cutting taxes, infringing our inalienable rights, promoting bigger government and pursuing even more damage to our sovereignty, this argument isn’t even debatable.
While he constantly offers he’s a hero for his service in surviving capture of the enemy, I can now point to many military hero’s who adamantly claim he is not and in his only other apparent stake to the highest office of our land inwhich he is for the war against terrorism ( which only the reasonable are )...this does not a president make, far from it.
Where his anger won’t get us into trouble it will certainly hold us back and cause great turmoil from within and a dictator I’m not ready for...McCain isn’t even material for a senator.
Fred Thompson merely needs to hang in there long enough for the people to know the records of the other’s which will swiftly end their candidacies and rightly so.
Posted by: Winghunter | Jan 5, 2008 5:41:14 PM
I cannot believe what I just read. Fred Thompson is the ONLY Republican candidate that continues the Reagan Revolution. McCain is the one who should drop out and help restore a real conservative to the White House. I sure hope voters in the South are smarter than those in Iowa who brought into Huckabee’s schtick. I truly gave Huckabee a chance to earn my support, but when light was shed on his record, I knew I wasn’t leaving Thompson’s side. McCain never had a chance with me or with it appears a majority of Republicans. Romney might as well be Bill Clinton as slick as he is. No thanks, give me Fred in 08!!!!!
Posted by: Dale | Jan 5, 2008 5:51:50 PM
Check it out folks, the news from an hour ago is that Robert Novak discovered that Mitt Romney’s campaign was behind the Politico hit piece that said Thompson was going to drop out and support McCain..
The purpose was to cause strife between these two campaigns so no one could challendge Romney for 2nd place in Iowa.
Romney’s campaign obviously feared that Thompson was gaining too much traction.
Posted by: Carlos | Jan 5, 2008 6:11:10 PM
Novak is another pundit that demonstrates he also doesn’t have a clue on several issues although rumor has it that McCain’s campaign was indicated also in this continued subversion of our election process.
Yet, Fred has weathered many such attacks even though they have taken their toll;
AP Gives Thompson the ‘04 Treatment
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=24127
Posted by: Winghunter | Jan 5, 2008 6:25:08 PM
Well, THAT was a lively discussion for a Friday. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was deliberately provoking folks just to get things stirred up on a slow blog day.
But I wasn’t. If I’d wanted to do THAT, I would have put “Ron Paul” in the headline. That always does the trick.
As for the folks who have kindly suggested I’m not aware of what Sen. Thompson brings to the table, and have directed me to his Web site (which my main blog page links to, day in and day out), rest assured that I have BEEN out there and listened to Fred (just click on the link; there’s video, shot by yours truly — and here’s more), and it is on the basis of that that I have written about his failure to explain why he’s in the race (or not in the race, depending upon your perspective).
Anyway, look at the poll numbers and other factors in New Hampshire, read up on the situation there, and you might see where I’m coming from. Or not. Either way, thanks for joining in the discussion.
Posted by: Brad Warthen | Jan 5, 2008 8:37:57 PM
Brad-
With all due respect, Fred Thompson has talked at length on numerous occasions why he’s in the race. Perhaps you need to need to actually undertake some due diligence and research the record, his answer is out there. And irregardless of the polls in NH, he is the only adult in the room who consistently stands on principle and tells the truth. That’s not something to dismiss so casually as you do, and there are many voters across the country to whom that actually matters.
JJ here. I apologize to the whole comments post. But, I thought it was relevant. I should have posted all comments in my original post.
I could not change the headline. Mods get miffed about that.
Re: Title of article-—what a nutty idea. McCain shouldn’t win dog catcher.
You won't be alone.
Brad Warthen, IQ is about 50.
Well put.
I think McCain should bow out now and endorse Fred Thompson.
Is this author a moron? it’s pretty clear Fred is to the right of McCain of many issues. This includes capitalism and immigration
McCain reminded me of a dirty old man tonight with that disgusting laugh and the obvious sneers directed at Mitt. It really creeped me out.
I think his readers agree.
What I’d like to know is—should Thompson drop out of the race, would he back McCain?
If he would, I would have to find another candidate to support (other than Fred).
Warthen’s favorite pol is Biden, which tells you all you need to know about him. Take anything he writes with a grain of salt. As for his blog, the fascist reviews all the posts and censors them before allowing anyone else to see them. He did this because conservatives were out debating the “non-partisans” or un-party bloggers on his site.
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