At least we wouldn't have had to worry about your stealing the silverware on your way out.
[Art.] In 2007, though, with the Republican presidential field wide open, Thompson decided to run for the nomination, only to find that he'd gotten in too late to have an impact.
Fred was an intended victim of the RiNOs' 2008 strategy, which could be called "stomp all the water out of the shallow end of the pool". They did it again in 2012, with nobody the wiser except Sarah Palin.
Fred was contractually obligated to NBC through the end of the 2007 season of Law and Order, which included summer reruns. Viz., if Fred had announced in July, his lawyers no doubt explained to him (as if they had to), NBC would and could have held him liable for lost ad revenue from the moment they had to stop showing reruns because he'd announced for high public office.
So he stayed out until September, played by the rules, no cat-and-mouse "non-campaign campaigning", and by the time he went to join in the fun leading up to some South Carolina beauty pageant (non-binding referendum or poll or whatever), he was so flat-broke and bereft of backing that he had to take a taxi to the venue. This story was told by a press guy who was no Fred fan, and in fact had been working for another candidate, but had seen Fred speak to the gathering from the official podium. The man said to a candid group in the bar, that when Fred started to speak, just by his delivery and manner of speaking, "he was the President of the United States".
Fred was the real deal, and the fact that he never sat in the Oval Office should be numbered among the dark victories of Karl Rove and his masters.
BTTT