Thompson Rises to Third in SC Poll

Boston.com ^ | 17 January, 2008 | Foon Rhee

[Roy Tucker]

Fred Thompson, making what could be his last stand in South Carolina, has inched up to third in the latest tracking poll leading up to Saturday's first-in-the-South primary. Thompson has 14 percent in the Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released this morning, sliding ahead of Mitt Romney, who slipped to 12 percent, even though some of the polling was done after he won the Michigan primary on Tuesday. Romney is chasing delegates in Nevada, whose caucuses are also Saturday, after saying he believes John McCain has South Carolina locked up. McCain held his lead in the new poll, with 29 percent, compared to 22 percent for Mike Huckabee. Ron Paul and Rudy Giuliani were tied at 5 percent, according to the poll. A Clemson University poll also gave McCain a 29 percent-22 percent edge over Huckabee, who won the leadoff caucuses in Iowa but hasn't finished better than third since. Thompson, the former US senator from Tennessee, plans to air a 60-second ad during today's evening news across South Carolina in which he talks up his conservative credentials in a folksy way designed to appeal to Southern voters. "I've been a conservative all my life," he says, then citing his "100 percent pro-life" record and asserting that Americans' fundamental rights come "from God, not government." McCain, meanwhile, picked up the endorsement today of the Charleston Post and Courier, which also endorsed him in 2000, when he lost to now-President Bush. The newspaper's editorial board said McCain's record in the eight years since only reinforced its belief that the Arizona senator is the best suited for the presidency.

[Josh Painter]

Fred won’t be endorsing McCain, but what if he did? What makes McCain any worse than Rudy Clinton, Mitt Kerry or Mike Carterbee?

[sageb1]

Let’s see. The Bush administration tried to marginalize us by calling us racists when we fought them on shamnesty. O’Reilly tried to marginalize Free Republic by allowing Lanny Davis to spew lies and by using out-of-context material to lie some more. The MSM (including FOX) has tried to marginalize Fred Thompson by ignoring him and/or playing the same word games his opponents have used.

I’d say maybe there IS a VRWC. Except this time the “R” stands for RINO.

[Eastbound]

PS: I forgot to say,

"GO, FRED, GO!"

[Bailee]

See the polls dont mean diddley squat. Everyone needs to go voter there conscience.

[norton]

"Does a third place finish in SC keep Fred going on to Florida or does he call it a day? I hope as the best conservative in the race he'll keep going, but it's a tough call. "

If you'd started late,
if you were the only actual coservative in the field,
if you'd been rated at about 1 - 2%,
then 9,
then 12,
then 14 and third place.

Even if you barely made or barely missed third place in the primary....

What would you do?

[sageb1]

Josh, if Fred ends up being forced out after Super Tuesday, I would hope that just on principal, he would refuse to endorse anyone. If Rush can get away with it, so can Fred.

[Neu Pragmatist]

Spare me your nonsense . I’m well versed in the political realm , and must say you are far from qualified on educating anyone regarding politics .

Romney’s record speaks for itself , it’s there for everyone to see if they want to know the truth .

The people who have endorsed Flip are going solely on his word , not his record . He will be a massive disappointment if he does indeed win the nomination , and will do irreparable damage to the Conservative movement if elected .

[Route66]

Fred should stay the course. The other candidates can’t unite the party. Not one of them will be able to just cake walk to the nomination. They all have serious brick walls they will hit soon and we may even wind up in a brokered convention.

Fred is the conservative we need. Let’s keep him in the race.

[servantboy777]

The answer would be yes.

[doc1019]

Please, educate me.

[Politicalmom]

They lie just like their candidate.

[khnyny]

LOL. Oh ok then. You know better than everyone who’s endorsed Mr. Romney because you’re “well versed in the political realm”. That’s comforting./s

[Petronski]

Anyone who fell for that BS doesn’t deserve a vote.

Trusting Romney or his Sleaze Machine is a fundamentally flawed act of naivete.

[Neu Pragmatist]

Of course you can’t address , nor defend Flip Romney’s record ...

[Romneyfor President2008]

That’s an ARG poll. You know what that means. LOL

[Petronski]

Bork is a gungrabber. He’s a great fit with Slick Willard.

[khnyny]

So you probably supported the Senate in its opposition of Bork in ‘87?

[Petronski]

I didn't learn about his views on the second amendment until I read one of his books...Slouching Towards Gomorrah I think was the one where he says the right to keep and bear arms is a "collective right."

[sageb1]

He’s referring to the (NYC) MWSNBN, of course. And I don’t see it either.

[SuziQ]

I’m not sure he has the money to keep going.

Before the last debate, he was looking for $540K for help in buying media spots in SC. A few days after the debate, he ended up with over 1.3 Million. Not too shabby, and it mostly came from NEW contributers, not the folks who had already contributed.