Posted on 01/03/2008 1:00:16 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
It looks like the Politico website has another fascinating scoop full of un-substantiated and un-named sources.
That is that John McCain's campaign is literally hanging by a thread. He is low on money and fallen to a fourth place tie with Ron Paul in Iowa. Sources (unnamed) say that a McCain shellacking in Iowa will likely drop him out of the running in New Hampshire where is organization is running on fumes.
In Iowa McCain has gone from 13% and high hopes of pulling a surprise to falling to 10% and a tie with a surging Ron Paul. UPDATE: ARG poll confirms the McCain slide in Iowa. McCain has gone from 17% on Dec. 23rd to 11% as of yesterday (Jan. 2). While Thompson continues to climb and increase his lead on McCain.
Other sources say that McCain's slippage in Iowa has concerned his camp so much that they have attempted to leak an un-substantiated rumor that Fred Thompson (though leading in the polls and leading in fundraising)is likely to drop out and support McCain. This could possibly be John McCain's "who me?" moment that reminds voters of the depths of McCain's pettiness.
It is that Ron Paul surge that unnamed and anonymous sources inside the McCain campaign are most concerned with. Because those same Ron Paul independents will likely help Paul much more in New Hampshire than they will John McCain. Remember in 2000 it was those very independents that McCain relied upon.
It is not very likely that McCain can survive a fourth (possibly fifth) place showing in Iowa, then lose his "independents" to Ron Paul and Obama in New Hampshire and there is rank speculation that McCain will indeed drop out soon and endorse his old pal Fred Thompson.
Thompson Story Fell Apart
Of course the Politico website also tried to pass off a rumor that the surging Fred Thompson might actually bow out of the race if he did not take second place in Iowa. Of course Politco reporter Jonathan Martin fell back on a "jocular" moment to base his speculation on.
Yet all indications from the Thompson campaign are that Jonathan Martin and the Politico have again "stepped in it." Word on the street is that the Thompson campaign, over the holidays, raised $1.8 million dollars. Also Byron York, who is actually on the ground in Iowa, recently spoke with a top advisor, on the record, to Thompson who said "I can't put enough adjectives in front of the 'deny' to accurately describe how vehemently I'm denying the story."
Let's not forget that it was this same "Politico" website that got seriously busted for misreporting the facts of a fire hall visit by Thompson.
NOTE: Of course if one were to read the Politico hit piece on Fred Thompson this morning you would understand impetus behind this post. Note how I easily pieced together a scenario based on unnamed and anonymous sources "inside" the McCain campaign? Notice how more realistic THAT scenario sounded than the made up scenario of Thompson?
Do these folks at Politico have any credibility at all? I mean I know I am a Thompson supporter but wow... Who writes a hit piece like that the day of the Iowa Caucus? Who lists anonymous sources "inside" the campaign?
I heard Hillary is dropping out.
She might as well, the closest she'll ever get to the oval office again is on a White House tour.
With the primaries crammed together in such a short time frame and these guys are already on the ballots, why would anyone drop out?
Fred to Tim Russert, “I was wondering if he [McCain]decides to end his [campaign] if he would endorse me.”
http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&fg=rss...42d&from=34
And with enough viable candidates, a brokered convention is a real possibility, despite the fact no one seems to think so.
I heard Romney was going to stop using hair care products.
Now Politico is suggesting it was McCain’s camp that put out the Fred dropping out rumor? This is getting better all the time. Fox is now saying it was the Romney camp (which seem substantiated earlier this a.m. here on FR).
Politico is really trying to muck things up in the Iowa caucus. Tune in. It’s not over by a long shot.
McCain may drop out ...After he turns on and tunes in, of course.
It is time for some candidates to begin dropping out and throwing their support to Fred. I can’t imagine why Tancredo went for Romney.
I would love to see a brokered convention. It would be exciting and actually interesting to watch.
Politico is dropping out and sending all their readers to FR.
$$$$$$$$$$
I heard it too! Clinton may drop out and back Musharraf.
Most of their readers' heads would explode after two minutes at FreeRepublic! Truth is best taken in low doses after years of left-wing horse sh*t!
Romney's hair can take care of itself!
It says he may drop out and support Thompson then says he played dirty tricks on Thompson. McCain didn’t campaign in Iowa and is leading in NH. Any showing for him in Iowa is a plus.
A candlestick, in the library, by the butler.
Remember when they announced John Edwards was dropping out....
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