Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Thompson Will Challenge For Iowa
Captain's Quarters ^ | September 7, 2007 | Ed Morrissey

Posted on 09/07/2007 8:36:10 AM PDT by Josh Painter

Fred Thompson spent the day of his official launch campaigning in Iowa, seeking to exploit the diffidence Republican voters have felt over the slate of GOP candidates in the state. Some wondered whether Thompson might have focused on Super Tuesday states first, especially in the South, but the campaign feels that Thompson has an opportunity to surprise people in Iowa:

"Fred D. Thompson took his bid for the White House to the campaign trail Thursday, vowing to compete aggressively for the support of Iowans and pitching steady, experienced and conservative leadership."

"'I still have the same common-sense conservative beliefs I did when I ran in 1994,' the former senator said in a speech at a Des Moines conference center, a not-so-subtle reference to criticism about the changing positions of his main Republican rivals, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani."

"'The preseason is over,' he declared. 'Let's get on with it.'"

Thompson begins at a big disadvantage in Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses, trailing Romney and several others in establishing an organization here, but his advisers believe it is a contest he cannot skip. They plan to target the conservative base here, a group that has consistently expressed frustration with its presidential choices this year.

He'll be running from behind in Iowa. Mitt Romney has built a pretty good organization in the state and has been rewarded with wide support, if not deep. Caucus systems reward organization, and Fred would have to tap some serious discontent if he expects to overcome Romney's head start -- and Romney is no slouch as a campaigner, either.

Still, a win isn't a necessity in Iowa. A second-place finish in the state could give Thompson a lot of momentum, especially since it would mean beating Giuliani. He has a better chance of doing that in Iowa than in New Hampshire, in which all three other top-tier contenders (John McCain included) have more substantial base support. If Thompson can steal a march in Iowa and then take a couple of the other January primaries, he could have real momentum heading into Super Tuesday.

Of course, he has to prove that he can campaign first. All of the predictions about his ability can get tossed out the window at this point. He'll prove himself in the next few weeks, and with four months to go, voters will have plenty of time to get to know Fred Thompson and decide if he has what it takes to run a winning campaign.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Iowa
KEYWORDS: campaign; fredthompson; gop; ia2008; nomination
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-84 next last
To: the gillman@blacklagoon.com

the gillman@blacklagoon.com wrote: “No way in Hell.”

Suit yourself. Vote Democrat, vote third-party or stay home. The end result is the same.


21 posted on 09/07/2007 8:53:25 AM PDT by Josh Painter ( "Frankly it [all the criticism] makes us more resolute." - former Sen. Fred Thompson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: starfish923

Are you being sarcastic?


22 posted on 09/07/2007 8:53:28 AM PDT by Petronski (Cleveland Indians: Pennant -17)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: rhombus
Hey, that's what the Rudy supporters said.

*************

No kidding. Which ones?

23 posted on 09/07/2007 8:54:34 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Politicalmom

GREAT shot.

To all, public apology for my error!

Mea culpa. Mea culpa. Mea maxima culpa.

24 posted on 09/07/2007 8:55:20 AM PDT by starfish923 (Socrates: It's never right to do wrong.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Politicalmom

Ignorant morons suffering from CPWS..

Chronic Panty-Wad Syndrome.


25 posted on 09/07/2007 8:55:23 AM PDT by prairiebreeze (PUT AMERICA AHEAD! VOTE FOR FRED!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Petronski
No, that’s my job...

See...

“Fred's just too lazy to even be in Iowa, his 22 year old bimbo of a wife is running him ragged and the pharmacy was out of the little blue bill. He has to stock up and move on to New Hampshire...”

26 posted on 09/07/2007 8:55:39 AM PDT by ejonesie22 (I don't use a sarcasm tag, it kills the effect...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: starfish923
but there is NO WAY in God's green earth that American voters will put a 22-year-old blondie twit as First Lady...no matter how nice, sweet and smart she is.

If the vote was based on who's going to be the First Lady, Bill wouldn't have been elected.

Anyhow, maybe this non-issue can be solved if Jerrie Thompson takes a few cues about make-up from Hillary, and has a reverse liposuction job done on her calves.

27 posted on 09/07/2007 8:56:05 AM PDT by Ancesthntr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Politicalmom

Oops, forgot this part. I didn't know it was a two-parter.

28 posted on 09/07/2007 8:56:29 AM PDT by starfish923 (Socrates: It's never right to do wrong.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Sturm Ruger
Stupidity is tiresome, but entertaining...
29 posted on 09/07/2007 8:57:07 AM PDT by ejonesie22 (I don't use a sarcasm tag, it kills the effect...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: sarasota
was I the only one who was distracted by his constant head bobbing?

He needs to stop that - I like him a LOT, want him to be the next President, but that is distracting. For that matter, he needs to get the fat bags under his eyes sucked out.

Nitpicking and really shallow things aside, Fred's The Man.

30 posted on 09/07/2007 8:58:05 AM PDT by Ancesthntr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Petronski
I owe you an apology. You were having fun calling Mitt Romney by his first name, "Willard" and I said you should call Fred by his first name, "Frederick."

I was wrong, his first name is not Frederick, it is Freddie.
Freddie Dalton Thompson.
31 posted on 09/07/2007 8:59:30 AM PDT by elizabetty (Ron Paul - Because Moonbats Need Choices Too!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Ancesthntr

eewww...


32 posted on 09/07/2007 8:59:39 AM PDT by ejonesie22 (I don't use a sarcasm tag, it kills the effect...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Politicalmom

Heading up to see FRed tonite!!!


33 posted on 09/07/2007 9:01:22 AM PDT by FlashBack (WoundedWarriorProject.Org)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Ancesthntr
1. If the vote was based on who's going to be the First Lady, Bill wouldn't have been elected.
2. Anyhow, maybe this non-issue can be solved if Jerrie Thompson takes a few cues about make-up from Hillary, and has a reverse liposuction job done on her calves.

1. You think so? Dem voters KNEW Kerry's wife, yet they were still put up for the candidacy.
Besides, it DOES matter who the first lady is. All pols will tell you that running for office is a JOINT project for married folks. Children have to be included in the decision as well. The wives and husbands are WELL scripted and have their own handlers. Relunctant spouses and children can screw things up royally.
I think it matters VERY much, not only to me but to most of the voters in this country.

2. Meow. :o)
Accordingly, none of this should matter. :o)

34 posted on 09/07/2007 9:02:06 AM PDT by starfish923 (Socrates: It's never right to do wrong.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: starfish923

Jackie Kennedy was 10 years younger than Fred’s wife at the same point relative to the election.

Maybe it was OK because she was a brunette?


35 posted on 09/07/2007 9:04:47 AM PDT by Atlas Sneezed ("We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them, I won't chip away at them" -Mitt Romney)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: elizabetty

Freddie baby, who loves ya?

36 posted on 09/07/2007 9:05:04 AM PDT by Petronski (Cleveland Indians: Pennant -17)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
Actually “Getting Ready” by “Rare Earth” may be fertile grounds for a political rewrite....
37 posted on 09/07/2007 9:07:46 AM PDT by taildragger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: taildragger

Met one of the “Rare Earth” guys once...........


38 posted on 09/07/2007 9:10:24 AM PDT by Red Badger (ALL that CARBON in ALL that oil & coal was once in the atmospere. We're just putting it back!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: starfish923
I really like Fred Thompson but there is NO WAY in God's green earth that American voters will put a 22-year-old blondie twit as First Lady...no matter how nice, sweet and smart she is. She would look like his GRANDDAUGHTER, instead of his wife.

Reminds me of an old video (from the late 70's I think) I saw awhile back with a pundit saying how Americans would never vote for a divorced man to be President of the United States.

LOL, we know how that turned out.

39 posted on 09/07/2007 9:12:41 AM PDT by Sonny M ("oderint dum metuant")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Sturm Ruger; All
Some wondered whether Thompson might have focused on Super Tuesday states first, especially in the South, but the campaign feels that Thompson has an opportunity to surprise people in Iowa

IMHO, Fred's doing the right thing. Not because Iowa is so grossly significant, nor to kiss the hindquarters of Iowans, but because other candidates that are more philosophically similar to him than Rudy are competing hard there. When he takes the wind out of their sails by doing well (and a win is not necessary), they'll begin to drop out, basically leaving the conservative wing of the Party with a choice of Fred or stay home. Most will choose Fred, esp. as he and his views become better known. New Hamphire is mostly about the same thing. After both of these primaries, folks like Tancredo, Hunter, Brownback and Huckabee will be out, and possibly McCain as well (and if he's not out by then, then for sure he will be by the end of Super Tuesday week). Most of those voters and their contributions will go his way, and THEN he'll go into Super Tuesday with the race being between Rudy, Romney and him - with most of those primaries being on HIS home territory. That is when he'll garner lots of delegates, and finally be looked upon as the front-runner, which will enhance collections, etc., etc. IOW, he'll have George H. W. Bush's famous "Big Mo."

Paul will stick around for a while - that's what gadflies do. Romney will drop out before Rudy, and probably never get more than 10% of the delegates. I think Rudy will get 20%-22%, no more, and Fred the lion's share of the rest, giving him the nomination.

BTW, folks, let's try to have a civilized discussion during the primaries - don't forget the 11th Commandment, given to us by Ronaldus Maximus: Thou shalt not trash thy fellow Republican. Talk issues, bring facts and non-trashing opinions to the table, and may the best person win the nomination. THEN we can start trash-talking the Dem nominee, if trash-talking is going to occur at all.

40 posted on 09/07/2007 9:13:37 AM PDT by Ancesthntr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-84 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson