There's been no announcement for Fred Thompson yet. And increasingly I think the question will be not when, but why should Fred announce? The man is ahead in Rasmussen and doing just fine in other national polling.
And now we find that he's matching up quite nicely with Hillary in head-to-head polling. This will give him nice momentum without having to announce. He's for real, he competes nicely with top Democrats, and he's a conservative. The Republicans are waiting.
And there is the money factor. According to my understanding of federal election law, he can't raise it without announcing. But this week it's clear that none of the top Republicans are burning up the fundraising department. Especially in comparison with the Democrats. Could be one of two things. Either there are fewer Republicans than there used to be, or the money is out there waiting for Fred, whenever he decides to announce.
My bet is that the money is there and waiting. Which means Thompson strategists can delay their announcement knowing that the money will wait, and are not being scooped by Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney. Fred Thompson may have originally planned to announce this week, but things are going so well, why not wait?
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. the longer he waits, the better for him. As i've said before his speeches are horrendous. He has no substance, and talks in broad, vague terms. Not to mention his record as a quite lazy senator. He will fall under a ton of scrutiny once he gets into the race, scrutiny i'm not sure he can take. But whatever happens vote for Hillary in 08!
Patrick at 10:46AM on Jul 6th 2007
2. Once he enters the race he will come under a ton of scrutiny i'm not sure he can take, just remember to vote for Hillary in 08!
Patrick at 10:47AM on Jul 6th 2007
3. patrick, hillary wont win so dont waste your vote, vote fred instead
comar at 1:18PM on Jul 6th 2007
4. Just remember, Fred was a Nixon mole that only turned on his master when it became evident that all was lost. Please Fred don't run. My friends and I will have to quit our jobs to campaign against you.
Steve Seivers at 4:56PM on Jul 6th 2007
5. The best time for another republican to announce would be after the report of General Petraeus on the state of the surge. By that time, if things continue as they are going, in the war and in the Senate, the door will be wide open for a republican presidential candidate against the war.
Steve Bonomo at 5:33PM on Jul 6th 2007
6. Fred is definately going to get in and he will win. People that don't understand his message are just not listening. Hillary's message is confusing because she changes her message depending on who she is talking to. Voting for Hillary is a vote to further destroy this country.
Dave at 8:08PM on Jul 6th 2007
7. I went to Fred Thompson's website and could not find a single thing on what he stands for, his vision for America, solving Americas' problems, etc. All I get is news, events, Blogs, fundraising, among a few others. Mr. Thompsons' message, if there is one is not connecting with me because I don't know what it is. All I see, is him playing defense with whoever provides bad news about his chances.
As a conservative Republican, I cannot vote for someone who is so undecided on issues that he has not even entered the race yet. Another option is that he is trying to see what works for Americans before he decides what his positions are. Another option is that he does not have enough money to build an organization sufficiently strong to make a strong run for president.
In my opinion, Giuliani and Romney have the best organizations among the GOP. The only significant opportunity for Thompson is to take some of the unemployed people away from McCain, whose fundraising system has toppled. Of course, who wants a failed team of individuals who worked for someone who was originally picked to take the presidency by significant margins and failed in the process. Why would Thompson want leftovers to help him run his campaign into the ground. But, then again, what else is left?
It would appear from my perspective that Fred Thompson has little chance to win. Individuals from his campaign seem to think everyone is waiting for him to officially announce his candidacy to contribute to his campaign. Another perspective is that everyone who they are trying to get have already given the maximum to another candidates' campaign and left Thompson out in the cold.
I have had other significant challenges with a Thompson candidacy other than him being an actor, and government insider, those challenges are now with him as a lobbiest (an insider). I think lobbiests play a powerful roll in government and has been the cause of significant bad moves on the part of our government over the centuries. In my opinion, lobbiests are the ultimate bureaucrats who buy politicians in order to move their agenda in a direction that will be most beneficial for themselves and those wealthy parties they represent. Its not the issues that are important, its the money, and benefits to polititians that get a law passed in away that gives these wealthy parties the most bang for their buck. I just wonder how many politicians Thompson has bought over the course of time! Either way, it is likely to come out in the press that his lobbying practices may not or do not represent the conservative perspective anyway. The Dems are likely to take full advantage of his lobbying practices and twist it in away that is most likely to be to their benefit.
David at 10:45PM on Jul 6th 2007
8. anyone who thinks Fred or any republican will win by a landslide in 08 is absolutely crazy. IF they win it will be an extremely close race. Does anybody really think that someone who supports Bush can win in 08. Hillary has the best chance and for a good reason. I don't think anyone will argue that Hillary will prolly win at least all the states the dems won in 04, and expect the dems to pick up some western states such as New Mexico & Colorado. Couple in the fact that she will prolly win arkansas and kentucky(which has been turned democrat by its awful republican governor) and is a strong leader in Ohio, i think it woould be amazing to see how any democrat could lose in 2008. And the answer to those who think hillary is too polarizing, she gets Obama as VP and a dream ticket is formed. No doubt Obama can help win over those Clinton haters. I love how this race is going and i look forward to continue to support hillary in every way i can!
Patrick at 12:36AM on Jul 7th 2007
9. anybody that votes for hillary does so out of complete ignorance! The woman wants complete socialism! Have you heard her new slogan "We must bridge the gap between the rich and the poor." she wants to do this by handing out entitlements to the poor and not so poor. things like free rent, food,health care, transportation, educating your children and sending them where the government thinks they should go to school, telling you where you must live, work, etc. Her and Bill ran a Govenor's school in Arkansas and they would invite the top high school grads there for the summer. Then they would teach them that they were so smart that ordinary people could not understand them and they owed it to thier country to help run America because most people were not intelligent enough to do so. Some parents said thier kids had to go through counseling after attending that school because they were convinced no one really understood them and they became depressed and withdrawn. I'm telling you the clinton's are complete socialist. And socialism always leads to communism because one of the top people running the governmet decide thier way is the most intelligent and beneficial and take over - by being the most feared, which means killing everybody that opposes them!!!(read "education against america" by marlin maddox)
right now i'm with fred. i don't know all his stance yet but i do know he's against abortion, amnesty to illegal aliens, he's for the border fence and smaller federal government. he also earned only one million dollars lobbying - over a 13 year period. if he was in it for the money he would have made much more! he's also a christian - which means he believes in the ten commandments and that everything he does he has to answer to God first - then to "The People."
tina at 1:38AM on Jul 7th 2007
10. Let me see, where to begin... Ahh yes, Patrick, I'm a conservative Kentuckian and you're a liberal idiot. And you need to learn to proof-read your rantings or hire an editor. Do you know anything about capitalizing which letters in a sentence? Enough about your opinions, go back to school so you might learn an informed one. David, are you a fiscally conservative Republican or a socially conservative one? Because by my account, you're certainly not both. Or maybe either. Rudy is a wolf in sheep's clothing. I'm not sure if he's a fiscal conservative, but he ain't no social one, that's for sure. And Mitt, well, he's got more than one God...Do I need to explain? Anyone?
As for Fred Thompson, he didn't even ask for this gig. It was bestowed on him by a large (very large ~ you'll soon see) block of fed-up Americans who want a real leader elected. Someone who represents the vast majority of us and our views. We are tired of the minorities controlling this great nation of ours. We love God, family and country, in that order. We want our country to be benevolent, yet respected in this world. We want our country BACK! And Fred Thompson is just the man to get it back. Read a little more carefully David, and I believe you may realize Fred's positions are core conservative ones.
And E.H. or ozzhanson,... Hitlery??? Now that's just priceless! You get the "Analogous Award", hands down.
Don the Dolfan at 4:23AM on Jul 7th 2007
11. Putting the Clintons in the White House (again) is giving this 16 years there. Marcos tried that in the Philippines as they crooned to the people. That is on another name for BILL CLINTON, PRESIDENT. We must look for another potential individual to run for Office. As a Citizen, I can only vote for the one I think would be the best in Office. Therefore I vote for: F R E D T H O M P S O N
Eleanor at 11:06AM on Jul 7th 2007
12. I would rather vote for Hillary Swank or Hillary Duff!
Rob at 2:13PM on Jul 7th 2007
13. At first look, Fred Thompson comes off as a quiet nice guy. After that, what? He has been merrily going along, not announcing he is a candidate, picking up supporters, raising money but, not one word about being a president.
Fred Thompson was at one time a Senator, I'm not sure how long he was a Senator. I do know, either he left his office after a term was up or in mid stream. He berated the Senate for not being able to get anything done, is this what we could expect from him again? Matbe a Bill or Law he wants passed is rejected with no chance of it being passed, will he fly the coop, whinning he can't get anything done? If he can quit once, he can quit again. I don't want that in the back of my mind if a crisis comes up and Freddy decides, he's not up to the task.
David Rosenberg at 3:33PM on Jul 7th 2007
14. We need one more stooge and then we have a comedy "The Three Stooges".Lets look at these two first.Hilliary has too many faces and multiple tongues,don't know which,what,why and who to believe if you really an intelligent and concern American unless you're blind and a fool you vote for her.Fred Thomson is leading in polls without saying anything? wow!who are you guys polling fools and uneducated ones,hahaha what a joke.No wonder why this great nation founded through the spirit of family values is sliding more to become a handicap country because of the kind of leaders you people suggests like these stooges.Let me put it simple they might know A B L M D few letters of the alphabet,but misses all of the rest.Thats how I look at these two candidates,well one is the other don't know what is going on.
Jor at 11:43PM on Jul 7th 2007
15. Mark my word...here's the way it will play out in '08: Hitlery will get the DNC nod, absolutely no one else. The Clinton war machine and the GOP will see to that all others are dragged through the mud. Obama is just too junior. Edwards, well...$400 haircut--the 'common' man pays that for rent. When Fred Thompson announces, it will be all over for the left. Few in this country want the fence-sitting Rudy McRomneys. Hitlery is toooo polarizing--no different than W has become now. So, it will be Hitlery against Thompson in '08 and Fred will win somewhere between 'handily' and a landside. E.H--Newton, Iowa
ozzhanson at 12:31AM on Jul 8th 2007