Posted on 01/09/2008 7:31:36 AM PST by jellybean
Thompson cruises through S.C. By RODDIE A. BURRIS
GOP hopeful looks ahead during N.H. primary
They were voting in New Hampshire, but Fred Thompson was stumping in South Carolina.
The television actor and former Tennessee U.S. senator became the first of the 2008 presidential candidates to arrive here Tuesday, abandoning the nation’s first primary and casting his lot in the Palmetto State.
Tuesday, he opened an 11-day bus tour, campaigning in Greenville, Lexington, Camden and Columbia. Political analysts think Thompson might need to win the Jan. 19 GOP presidential primary to keep his campaign viable.
“This is his kinda state,” said Yusef Hameen, 54, of Camden, who wandered out of his Broad Street clothing store to see the commotion caused by Thompson’s afternoon arrival. “That’s why he’s here early. He’s a Southerner, so he got here ahead of the rest, which tells me he thinks it’s worth it.”
But Hameen confessed he doesn’t plan to vote for Thompson, which probably is another reason the former “Law & Order” star is here so early. “I know him more as an actor,” Hameen said.
About 40 or so people gathered around variously to see Thompson, who shook hands, posed for pictures and smiled a lot. He strolled into a couple of shops and greeted folks, then boarded his bus again.
“Hey, buddy! It’s good to see you,” Thompson said to one bystander. “I didn’t expect a crowd.”
Brenda Moseley of Dalzell and Judith Henderson of Sumter also were among the curious who walked up to see Thompson. But are they going to vote for him?
“I’m undecided,” Henderson said.
“Don’t know yet,” Moseley said.
Henderson said she likes U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
“I’m on the religious right, and I’m still looking. We’re looking for a God-fearing candidate.”
The bad news for Thompson, who did not take media questions in Camden, is the latest Rasmussen poll out Tuesday showed him in fourth place in South Carolina, with 11 percent of the vote, down from being tied for the lead here among Republicans as recently as November.
That didn’t faze Brian Wieneke of Camden, who said he “lucked up” on Thompson’s visit while picking up his children from school.
“We saw your bus and freaked out,” he told Thompson.
Wieneke, who had his daughters Ashleigh, 10, and Briana, 13, along, said he is a native of Brentwood, Tenn., where Thompson was his U.S. senator.
Kansas GOP: Fred Thompson Files The following information was released from the Kansas GOP Tuesday:
Topeka, KS—Today, Fred Thompson became the sixth candidate to file for the Kansas GOP Presidential Caucus. Thompson’s campaign filed the official paperwork and paid the filing fee this morning.Kansas Republican Party Chairman Kris Kobach stated, “I’m delighted to see that the Thompson Campaign has decided to devote its resources and attention to the Kansas Republican Caucus.
“With the filing of Senator Thompson for the Kansas Republican Caucus, we nearly have a full field. The candidates all recognize that if there is no clear winner coming out of Super Tuesday on February 5th, the Kansas Caucus will be an important battle ground.”
The KS GOP Caucus will be held on Saturday, February 9, 2008. In order to participate in the caucus, participants must be registered as a Republican by January 25, 2008 and must provide a photo ID at the caucus location. For more information about the caucus visit www.ksgopcaucus.org.
The Kansas Republican Party does not endorse candidates in a contested primary. This announcement should not be construed as an endorsement for any specific candidate.
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Thompson Campaigning In South Carolina; Says Iran Still A Threat GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP)- Republican White House hopeful Fred Thompson is campaigning in South Carolina, skipping the New Hampshire primary and the cold weather there.
Thompson said Monday in Greenville that he had no second thoughts about leaving the six-foot high snow banks behind. Instead, he'll be traveling across South Carolina enjoying balmy temperatures in the 70s.
The former Tennessee senator also was asked about Iran as a nuclear threat. He says it's difficult to rely on intelligence reports that say the country has ended its nuclear weapons program because the reports are unreliable and politicized.
Thompson says security advisers and analysts object to elements of reports and then later leak information to reporters.
I’m just happy people are reading this stuff! It gets irksome hearing the same old talking points regurgitated about Fred not campaigning hard enough or is not doing enough to get his name/face out there. I challenge anyone who believes that to put their name on the Fred list and find out the truth!
Thompson 'staking an awful lot' on S.C. By Dan Hoover, The Greenville (S.C.) News
Link only allowed due to copyright complaints.
Thompson draws 'line in sand' in South Carolina By JIM DAVENPORT - Associated Press Writer
SUMTER, S.C. --Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson said Wednesday he is drawing a "line in the sand" in South Carolina, hoping that familiar Southern territory can revive a campaign sputtering following his last-place finish in New Hampshire the night before.
The former Tennessee senator and actor arrived in this early primary state the day before New Hampshire voters went to the polls, and has steadily ratcheted up the importance South Carolina will play in the future of his White House bid. The Republican primary here is Jan. 19.
"I'm proud to say I am drawing a line in the sand in South Carolina," Thompson said Wednesday morning in Sumter, home to an Air Force base, on the second full day of his 11-day swing through the state
A day earlier, Thompson joked with a couple of hundred people at a barbecue restaurant that they should watch his "Law & Order" reruns because he can use the residual checks. But he also held out hope that his focus here could mirror results in Iowa, where he tied for third.
But Wednesday looked to be a reality check for Thompson supporters and the fence-sitters trying to decide between him and his GOP rivals.
"I think he just has to get heard more often," said Richard Anderson, a 56-year-old, Republican-leaning independent. "He's not a screamer. He's not a foamer."
Michigan transplant Sandra Miller said she also is drawn to Thompson for his seemingly more subdued personality, and discounted the importance of his New Hampshire loss.
"I don't think it means a lot," said Miller, 67, as she waited for Thompson to talk at restaurant packed with about 120 people.
Still, the South Carolina campaign is going to depend on less mellow and more sprint from Thompson than he's demonstrated to date. Some of Thompson's most influential supporters say privately that his delayed entry into the race lost him potential ardent supporters.
Recent polls in South Carolina show former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee leading, with Thompson's support tough to read. He placed second in one survey; in two others, he placed fourth and fifth.
Thompson on Wednesday didn't appear to be changing tactics, telling the crowd he's a laid back Southerner.
"What you see is what you get," he said. "If they like that, I'll be in great shape."
During a morning radio interview, Thompson said Social Security is heading toward being broke and people shouldn't expect money now being spent on Iraq and Afghanistan to be turned to domestic programs. Even with current spending there, military spending is low by historical measures, he said.
"We're going to have to have strength and unity and power and wisdom going forward," Thompson said.
Connecting Michigan to South Carolina (Re: Fred Thompson) I found this article in National Review Online. While the subject does not match the title of my post, I will post my own take on it.
HORSERACE, MITT ROMNEY, FRED THOMPSON, MIKE HUCKABEEYa gotta realize that even though this currently doesn't look good for Thompson in South Carolina, it is still a couple weeks from now. This all hangs on what happens in Michigan and what happens with Romney here. The way I see it, Romney supporters are most likely to switch to Thompson. Of the three ahead of Thompson in South Carolina, Mitt Romney seems the most conservative, at least by what he says. So if they are with Romney due to his recent conservative conversion, Thompson will be the most likely for them to turn to since he is fully conservative.Meanwhile, In South Carolina...
I've got a couple of items to update about South Carolina. First, Rasmussen puts the former Arkansas governor up big: Mike Huckabee 28, John McCain 21, Mitt Romney 15, Fred Thompson 11.
Second, after chatting with one of the Thompson Associates, I hear Thompson is going to announce a move that says he's all in at this point. (Or doubling down; pick whether you prefer poker or blackjack metaphors.) The bottom line is, Thompson and the people around him know that South Carolina is a must-win. Mitt Romney may look very damaged by the time South Carolina votes, however, and Team Fred thinks they're a likely first choice for Romney fans losing faith in their man. (Would Mitt fans go to "Don't Mormons believe Jesus and Satan are brothers" Huckabee or "You are the candidate of change" McCain?)
- Also, expect Thompson to spend an enormous amount of time laying out all the ways that Huckabee is not an across-the-board conservative. Thompson's people believe the ball is bouncing his way, as he'll soon be able to make the case he's the only remaining candidate who can rally all wings of the Republican coalition.
- At the First Monday club, a group of Hilton Head Island Republicans who have been kind enough to invite me to speak in the past, about ten folks said they had found their candidate, but four to five times that number said they were still undecided. No straw polls were taken, as First
- Monday organizers didn't want to see blood on the floor. UPDATE: "Thompson is going to announce a move that says he's all in at this point." Here's the move:
Click here to read what that move is and the full story.
More Connecting Michigan to South Carolina (Re: Fred Thompson) In the below post I connected the importance of Michigan going on to South Carolina, regarding Fred Thompson. Here is some more, even more positive for Fred, from American Chronicle. The previous article showed the Romney factor, for the Thompson factor. This one shows the McCain factor, for Thompson
New Hampshire Primary: Post-MortemEither article looks good for Thompson one way or the other, depending on what happens to McCain or what happens to Romney, in Michigan. Most important for MICHIGANDERS, y'all need to VOTE FOR FRED!Dustin Gawrylow
January 9, 2008Republicans
John McCain's "surge" in New Hampshire will likely be short lived unless he can run within 3 points of Mitt Romney in Michigan. Since Romney's father George was governor of Michigan, failing to decisively win Michigan would probably represent a death blow to any momentum being created going into his February 5th efforts.
Mike Huckabee, with his 3rd place - beating Rudy Giuliani in his back yard - showed that his strength goes beyond the bible belt. Ron Paul's tie with Giuliani in independent rich New Hampshire would have to be viewed as a slight disappointment given his stronger than expected showing in Iowa last week.
Michigan will also be big for Fred Thompson whose future in South Carolina may be predicted by McCain's performance in Michigan. If McCain struggles in Michigan and Romney walks away with the state, the likelihood that McCain will bow out and endorse Thompson before February 5th increases. A strong McCain performance in Michigan will mean that Thompson will have to will South Carolina on his own and will require a dismal McCain performance in S.C. to build any momentum at all.
Of course, being the Fusion Candidate allows Fred Thompson to hang back and aim for delegates rather than states and hope for a convention decision. [more, if ya care to read about the Democrats]
“No Clear Frontrunner” Posted on January 8th, 2008
By Sean Hackbarth in StatementsCommunications Director Todd Harris had this to say about the results in New Hampshire:
Tonight’s results, with no clear frontrunner, prove the GOP nomination is wide open. The next battlefield is South Carolina, where voters are far more conservative than in New Hampshire and deeply concerned about illegal immigration in America. Fred Thompson is uniquely positioned for victory in the Southern states. He is the only true conservative with a plan to end illegal immigration and protect our sovereignty.
Video: Juli on the Web Endorses Fred Thompson Posted on January 8th, 2008
By Sean Hackbarth in Video[via RedState]
Wow, I sure hope he gets some TV time in SC, it seems to be the only way anyone gets ahead in this mess of a primary season. I have to admit I’m apprehensive with this strategy, the drive by media sure isn’t going to help him any, and are actively ignoring him. National TV, local TV, whatever he can get booked on, go on. Hit on immigration continually, it has to be a winning issue. Talking to the average voter about Iran...I just don’t know.
Thompson plans stops in Conway, MB, Surfside Presidential hopeful Fred Thompson, the former Tennessee senator staking his bid for the White House on a strong showing in South Carolina's Jan. 21 Republican primary, has three stops planned in Horry County on his statewide bus tour.
At 2:15 p.m. today, Thompson will park at the corner of Third Avenue and Elm Street in Conway and walk the downtown, said spokesman Joshua Gross.
At 4:30 p.m., Thompson will be in North Myrtle Beach at the Fuddrucker's restaurant, 10435 N Kings Highway.
After Thursday night's Republican debate, Thompson will make one more local stop before getting out on the road. At 10 a.m. Friday, he'll be at Surfside Jenny's, 1013 Glenns Bay Road, Surfside Beach.
I can’t even bear to read the FRed threads any more.
Why can’t people just stay off the FRed threads and leave us alone? Why do they have to spam their garbage and harass us?
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