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Goodbye Fred
RealClearPolitics ^ | Salena Zito

Posted on 01/22/2008 5:37:11 AM PST by LonesomeHawk

Goodbye Fred By Salena Zito

MANCHESTER (NH) -- Fred Thompson spent most of caucus night in Iowa hovering between third and fourth place -- a far cry from the lofty first-place position he held in Rasmussen's poll of likely Republican caucus-goers last June.

It has been a long time since Thompson has made a compelling reason to be in this race. And it should be a very short time before he confesses a compelling reason to exit stage right.

A bystander in his own race, Thompson's political what-could-have-been slipped through his fingers long before he announced his candidacy. "The process for running for president has begun so early," says GOP political strategist Charlie Gerow, "that if you are not in the game, you are not in the game ... and Fred Thompson was never in the game."

(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; democrats; fred; fredthompson; gop; republicans; salenazito; thompson
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To: seekthetruth

This article was before his poor showing in Sc and who really cares if paul or huck drop out(there just a sideshow anyway)


81 posted on 01/22/2008 7:35:31 AM PST by italianquaker (Is there anything Ron Paul doesn't blame the USA for?)
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To: The Pack Knight

He is a beautiful man...


82 posted on 01/22/2008 7:39:31 AM PST by ejonesie22 (Mike Huckabee, Tithing via Taxation, the Christian Democrat way...)
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To: LonesomeHawk

“Electile Dysfunction”: the inability to become aroused over any of the leading
contenders for president put forth by either party in the 2008 election year.


83 posted on 01/22/2008 7:40:21 AM PST by tumblindice (Chuck Norris ends every relationship with, "It's not me, it's you.")
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To: LonesomeHawk

Then I hope the GOP is ready to splinter.


84 posted on 01/22/2008 7:41:40 AM PST by Centurion2000 (It's only arrogance if you can't back it up.)
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To: The Pack Knight

“This article was published over two weeks ago.”

The sad part is that it’s still relevant today.


85 posted on 01/22/2008 8:02:56 AM PST by teddyballgame (red man in a blue state)
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To: Polybius
EXCELLENT post in #80. Please continue to post that info to the many "pouters" I've seen lately (and during every election cycle) on FR.

I find it absolutely appalling that anyone on this forum would sit home and pout during such an important election, thus allowing a democRAT (especially Hillary Clinton) to become the next Leader of the Free World...

86 posted on 01/22/2008 8:09:57 AM PST by nutmeg (Imagine Hillary Clinton or Barack Hussein Obama as Commander-in-Chief...)
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To: MinuteGal; LonesomeHawk
This presshag wouldn't recognize a real man even if he jumped into her twin-sized bed.

Bump!

I also wonder if LonesomeHawk is yet another alias for her or just a coworker at the Trib.

87 posted on 01/22/2008 8:13:03 AM PST by jazusamo (DefendOurMarines.com)
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To: AmericanInTokyo

So you cannot support your position?

And you misjudge me. I have some concerns with Mitt Romney.


88 posted on 01/22/2008 8:17:47 AM PST by tortdog
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To: LonesomeHawk

If Republicans were conservative, there’d be no contest and Fred would be on top.


89 posted on 01/22/2008 8:20:05 AM PST by DungeonMaster (WELL I SPEAK LOUD, AND I CARRY A BIGGER STICK, AND I USE IT TOO!)
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To: Huck

Check yours, and listen ONCE MORE. I’m 50 years old, I’ve voted for a handful of Presidents now. I’ve watched this country go from mostly conservative to mostly liberal in my life.

I’ve watch the two major parties in this country switch values.

My father, a life-long Democrat has exactly the same value system as I do. And yet, we’re both registered in two different parties - and we AGREE on who should be President, and it’s neither Hillary Clinton, nor Huckabee, nor Rudy, nor is it Romney. My father clearly remembers Romney’s father and as I’ve said before, and will say again, Liberal Apples don’t fall far from the tree. Romney is a liberal in disguise.

Fred Thompson is the ONLY conservative left on the list. The rest are pretenders, and any pretender who runs as a Republican is as bad as any Liberal democrat.

I would RATHER SEE a DEMOCRAT in office if the country is going to go to crap, than a PRETENDING Republican that can be blamed later (as in, “It’s all the Republican’s Fault” - whomever he might be - As in “It’s all Romney’s fault and he was a REPUBLICAN”.

Are you getting this yet?

The truth is, folks, this country survived Bill Clinton - but, we’ve lost a lot of credibility in the world. If we let a fake conservative take office and he further destroys America’s credibility then we deserve it. Letting the Clinton further ruin us isn’t going to be any different than say letting McCain or Huckabee in office and watching them ruin things. The DIFFERENCE is, at least it is a “Republican in name only” doing it, it’s a Democrat.

Something that the whole WORLD will be able to see with their own eyes.

No - I don’t want Hillary in either, but I’m not voting for Romney AT ALL.


90 posted on 01/22/2008 8:26:21 AM PST by Rick.Donaldson (http://www.transasianaxis.com - Visit for lastest on DPRK/Russia/China/Etc --Fred Thompson for Prez.)
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To: Rick.Donaldson
I would RATHER SEE a DEMOCRAT in office

I heard you the first time.

91 posted on 01/22/2008 8:33:05 AM PST by Huck (Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms.)
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To: Sybeck1

Mitt has got everyone fooled.


92 posted on 01/22/2008 8:35:42 AM PST by Prophet in the wilderness (PSALM .53 : 1 The FOOL hath said in his heart, there is no GOD.)
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To: gruna

Romeny has my support now......


93 posted on 01/22/2008 8:36:21 AM PST by JFC (I am now a MITTEN)
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To: Sybeck1

Being kind, I hope you are right, but the fact is that you are speculating in a big way.

My guess is that he reads his victory as a mandate from the middle, and governs like Lindsay Graham, or worse.


94 posted on 01/22/2008 8:36:56 AM PST by RinaseaofDs (If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything)
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To: All

Let’s examine a few arguments from the thread and note the degree to which they cannot be consistent.

“Romney is a panderer and will say anything to get elected and he doesn’t believe in anything.”

“Romney will govern as a liberal, regardless of what he says.”

Note the problem with this? How can someone you feel has no values at all be presumed to govern as a liberal?

Why does anyone run for president? A consuming personal ambition and ego to the exclusion of all else? A consuming personal desire to serve the country’s best interests to the exclusion of all else? A consuming personal desire to drive the country in the philosophical direction personally held to the exclusion of all else?

Or a combination? You see the issue? If it was only 2 of those three possibilities, motivations are easy to analyze and it’s easy to plug someone into a category of admirable or distasteful. A 100 - 0 - 0 mixture could be called distasteful, but because of that final 0 a person would get points for not being overbearing.

So all candidates probably are a mixture of the three in terms of motivation. Remember Hillary’s cry, and how she instinctively babbled words to conceal that the crying was about item 1 and tried to transform it into item 2?

With Romney, and people wanting to claim he has no values, then they also can’t call him a liberal. He’s probably somewhere around 40 - 30 - 30. With the failed Thompson candidacy, the FR presumption is 0 - 50 - 50, which is, of course, profoundly arrogant to be forcing his values onto people. With McCain, the perpetual candidate, we see something like 80 - 10 - 10, with that final 10 being a sort of perverse set of values where he takes great pride in championing liberal causes as a Republican. Huckabee comes to the table at 50 - 0 - 50. A bizarre combo.


95 posted on 01/22/2008 8:38:03 AM PST by Owen
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To: counterpunch

Thompson was a non-starter from the get go.

Now’s he’s dead.

Buh - bye.


96 posted on 01/22/2008 8:38:06 AM PST by Richbee (Why is modest warming any cause for alarm and the ALARMISTS?)
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To: seekthetruth
I didn't know Fred had 12 million to run on, that's more than I thought he had.....
There is no reason for Fred to drop out.
97 posted on 01/22/2008 8:39:47 AM PST by Prophet in the wilderness (PSALM .53 : 1 The FOOL hath said in his heart, there is no GOD.)
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To: tortdog

All of them


98 posted on 01/22/2008 8:41:21 AM PST by Prophet in the wilderness (PSALM .53 : 1 The FOOL hath said in his heart, there is no GOD.)
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To: Rick.Donaldson

I like your rationale, but would hold my nose and vote Republican on the sole issue of terrorism. Any Republic would be stronger on this vital issue. Hillary or Obama would slash the military and downplay any threat, a truly freightening scenario.


99 posted on 01/22/2008 8:42:02 AM PST by teddyballgame (red man in a blue state)
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To: Prophet in the wilderness

“There is no reason for Fred to drop out.”

...other than the fact he doesn’t have a prayer of getting elected.


100 posted on 01/22/2008 8:43:19 AM PST by teddyballgame (red man in a blue state)
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