Posted on 06/26/2007 11:44:34 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Former Sen. Fred Thompson has taken his first step toward organizing a campaign for Iowa's leadoff presidential nominating caucuses by hiring a top Iowa Republican campaign staff member, aides to Thompson confirmed Monday.
Thompson has signed Andrew Dorr to serve as his Midwest political director should the actor and Tennessee Republican run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008.
"This is the kind of stellar team Senator Thompson is attracting as he continues to move forward in his determinations," Thompson spokesman Mark Corallo said. "It means Senator Thompson will be ready, should he decide to run, and will have the right team in place to be successful when it's time to go to the caucuses."
Dorr most recently worked as 2006 GOP gubernatorial nominee Jim Nussle's political director, having started in Iowa caucus politics in 2000 for then-Gov. George W. Bush. Dorr, 28, later worked for Bush's re-election campaign as deputy Midwest political director, concentrating on Iowa.
Thompson is expected to announce his plans in the coming weeks. This month he formed an organization that allows him to raise money to hire staff and travel as he decides whether to join the crowded 2008 GOP candidate field.
He has not decided yet whether he will participate in the Ames straw poll, a high-profile Iowa GOP fundraiser set for mid-August.
Details for the event are taking shape while state party officials await word from Thompson.
Iowa Republican Party officials have set the speaking order and determined where each of the eight candidates planning to attend the party fundraising event will pitch their tents around Iowa State University's Hilton Coliseum on Aug. 11.
Thompson was not represented at a meeting in Des Moines last week where the presidential campaigns planning to attend the Ames event were assigned their spots, officials said.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who has been the most aggressive about organizing for the fundraiser, will start the series of 20-minute speeches at 12:30 p.m.
Romney will be followed by U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, Chicago businessman John Cox, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson and Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas.
The eight have committed at least $15,000 each to reserve space to feed and entertain their supporters and other activists.
Individual tickets cost $35 and allow holders to vote at one of dozens of voting machines set up in and around Hilton.
In the past, campaigns have bought blocks of tickets and often bused their supporters to the event.
Earlier this month, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said he would not prepare for the costly straw poll arrangements, and Sen. John McCain of Arizona abandoned his plans to compete in the straw poll. Their names will still be on the ballot.
Giuliani's and McCain's decisions have thrown into question the significance of the Ames event to the 2008 presidential nomination race. The event has become a traditional first test of Republican candidates' strength in Iowa, the leadoff caucus state.
Chuck Laudner, executive director of the Iowa Republican Party, said Fred Thompson would be inserted into the speaking lineup should he decide to participate in the straw poll.
"If Fred gets in or the others change their mind, they'll get put in the middle," Laudner said. "The others don't want to wait on planning their day."
Sorry your so thin skinned, doesn’t help your guy.
You can call Fred a geezer all you want, but when that mountain of a man makes your candidate (Obama?) look puny, no one is going to be thinking of him as old or frail, like you’d like.
Happy trolls!
Should Fred Thompson be using amateurs in his campaign? Would that be an effective way to run an organization that is national in scope? You can’t have it both ways, you know?
You’re right, you can’t. I’m glad you see that he is not an outsider. He is establishment through and through.
jbonham76 wrote: “Fred has no chance in Iowa. Romney has control on the ground.”
Oops! Looks like the greasy-haired gov is losing some of that ground:
“Political Wire got an advance look at a new Strategic Vision (R) poll in Iowa that shows... Mitt Romney still leads his rivals but Fred Thompson jumped to a solid second place and is just six points behind...”
Better look out behind ya, Mitt! Fred’s gaining on you, and he hasn’t even been to Iowa yet.
President Jimmy Carter was an “outsider” and look where that got us. Governor Rommney will do a fine job at Commerce or Treasury in the Thompson administration, I’m sure...
Fred’s people don’t ride buses, they ride armored personnel carriers.
Fred’s people don’t ride buses, they ride armored personnel carriers
I don’t care who ya are.. that’s funny right there
/larry
And as far as hiring “insiders” goes.. well, who the heck else are you going to hire? If this guy could sell GWB in 2004, he must be fairly good. Even if Kerry
(spit) sucked as a candidate.
And hasn’t had to spend any money... All the buzz created is being furthered along by those supporting Rudy and Mitt. Almost as if he is sucking all the oxygen out of the others.... Where have we seen that in the past?
Fred hasn’t even declared yet, nor has he been to the state or been running millions of dollars in TV ads. It’s over 6 months till the poll, you should wait and see if Mitt can hold his lead before you go and declare him the winner.
Admit it, Fred terrifies you doesn’t he?
he has to hold on to the lead (that's already eroding) for some time yet... and Fred hasn't declared... nor spent a penny in Iowa...
Hey,
I am not reffering to polls. I am referring to ground ops. Something that will be wildly impossible to catch up in. The fact that Fred Supporters use polls to defend their guy, shows how little they really do understand.
“I am not reffering to polls. I am referring to ground ops. Something that will be wildly impossible to catch up in. The fact that Fred Supporters use polls to defend their guy, shows how little they really do understand.”
Polls are the only thing that counts, only votes matter in the end. You can have a wonderful organization, filled with brilliant people, but if they and their closest friends are the only ones who vote for your candidate, you lose.
You obviously don’t understand the difference between a normal primary and the Iowa caucus. There many, many factors of which a poll 6 months before hand is only a small factor.
But if you insist a poll is all that counts, looks like Romney is kicking butt and taking names. He just went up by 3 more points, and increased his lead.
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