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.
If Romney get's the nomination I just might be staying home next November, or write in Fred or Duncan's name. His supporters' behavior has made it pretty much impossible for me to ever want to see Romney in public office.
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Welcome to Free Republic. LOL!
I don’t care about Romney’s supporters - I don’t want someone with his views and record in office...
...given a better choice.
But what if Hillary is opposite him - which person will be worse?
To me, you vote for your absolute favorite, ideologically perfect candidate...IN THE PRIMARIES.
When the General Election comes, you vote for the candidate who will do the least damage, who won’t leave the economy a wreck and the nation vulnerable to foreign enemies.
Just my opinion.
Besides, Romney won’t get the nomination - not now, with Fred in the race.
But they will put the adulterous wife of a philanderer in as first lady?
Or how about making the wife of an adulterer president?
I’ll take Jeri Thompson any day over Rudy’s wife or Hillary’s Husband.
You don’t think anyone said anything about Rudy’s wives? Please. Intellectual honesty?
Fred’s giving a big speech in Nashua, NH this afternoon, on the same spot where Kennedy launched his Pres. campaign forty five years ago. Maybe C-Span will tape it.
Are you really criticizing Fred’s wife?
Twenty-four years, merely ONE generation younger, not TWO.
Speaking of "taking one to know one..." if the foo shits er, whatever.
I don't know Rudy's wife, but the other....no question about that. I would also include Kerry's wife in your selection.
His wife is not important. His absence of fundraising is. The big donors have already committed. You can’t run a multistate campaign without money because the major skilled operatives demand hundreds of thousands in salary.
Romney is running a crisp organization and has all the money he’ll need. Guilliani’s early start got him some up front money too.
The reality is MONEY wins, not ideas. Talking about ideas is what happens when candidates don’t have money. Why? Because ideas are a dime a dozen. Money isn’t. You can have ideas tomorrow by issuing a white paper. You can’t have money tomorrow unless you persuade donors, and that doesn’t happen overnight.
Thompson has a very steep hill to climb.
Criticizing? Nah, jealous as hell. :o)
She is 40-something and an experienced Republican fundraising specialist. You called her a “22 year old twit” and you were wrong on both counts.
And as for their age difference, why does it matter? They are obviously in love, happily married with two adorable children. What’s wrong with that?
Surely you don’t base presidential election decisions on such shallow objections.
stop spamming the thread, please
KNOCK OFF THE SPAMMING!!
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