Posted on 08/08/2007 2:36:49 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Word of Fred Thompson's imminent entrance into the presidential sweepstakes rippled through Republican circles this spring. Two months later, that talk is pretty much the only thing the Thompson campaign has to show for in New Hampshire.
But don't worry, all you Fred-heads. Thompson, a former Tennessee senator, may lack a Granite State office, campaign staff or fundraising team. But he's got one thing the other GOP hotshots don't: Dan Hughes.
"I'm sitting here in my basement ready to go," Hughes told us by phone yesterday.
Hughes, a former state representative from New Castle, is Thompson's man on the ground (or, underground) and, despite the absence of public events, he's feeling good about his candidate. Hughes said he's been inundated with phone calls from potential Thompson supporters since the ex-senator and actor hinted at a White House run in May. Many of the inquiries come from people already signed on with other candidates who now find themselves with a wandering eye, Hughes said.
"There are a lot of people who are, quote-unquote, committed to campaigns, and they're really not so committed," he said. "Some people started early, and in the their enthusiasm they signed on with someone. And now they're not too enthusiastic any more."
Hughes expects Thompson to officially announce his candidacy next month and a campaign staff to materialize soon after.
"In early September he will be formally announcing - hopefully. Although that hasn't been announced either," Hughes said.
Though he's not an official candidate, Thompson is acting like one: He's raising money and has visited most of the early voting states, including a much-hyped trip to New Hampshire in June. Still, Hughes said, Thompson is legally restrained from taking more formal steps - like hiring staff and buying television ads - until he files official campaign papers.
"He wanted to test the waters for him and his family," Hughes said. "It's a big decision to run for president.
We do hear, however, that the Thompson folks are busy interviewing candidates for jobs on the New Hampshire campaign and they expect to settle on paid staff here within the month.
Those staffers may have their work cut out for them once they set up shop here. Polls show Thompson near the front of the pack nationally but running a distant third in New Hampshire. Fergus Cullen, chairman of the state Republican Party, described Thompson's presence here in two words: "Radio silence."
"No one seems to be hearing anything from that organization," he said. At a meeting of the Republican National Committee in Minneapolis last week, Cullen said many GOP officials were speculating whether Thompson would abandon his candidacy before it ever formally began.
"The ability to build a statewide grassroots organization is starting to diminish," Cullen said. "There is a window of opportunity, and that window is closing, but it's not closed yet." Hughes, for one, isn't discouraged by such talk. He says he talks regularly to Thompson staffers in Washington and Nashville, and occasionally hears from Thompson himself, or his wife Jeri Thompson.
"I tell them to keep the lines tight and the powder dry," Hughes said. "Remember: We didn't start late, everybody else started early. And (Thompson) never bought into that."
Just in time
Sept. 5 is the day when Thompson will announce his candidacy, NBC's Tim Russert reported this week. That's just in the nick of time for the Republican debate at the University of New Hampshire, scheduled for that night.
Thompson hasn't made a "formal commitment" to that debate, Cullen said, but his campaign has seemed "favorable" to it.
"We've had some discussions with him and we've had positive indications," Cullen said.
YUP.....that, a genital lock box, Red ChiCom $$$$, 900+ FBI Raw Data files, no record/"legislative baggage" and a "sycophantic press" does "wonders"
Which part of “Fred has NOTHING to gain by being vice-president” do you not understand?
He will go back to his nice life with his wife and children if he doesn’t become the nominee.
usually the people of NH expect a lot of one on one with the Candidate.
What does all of this really mean if we still end up with Hillary Clinton as the next POTUS? Socialism may still take over the entire U.S. for the long-term starting in January ‘09 if the majority of Republican voters and a majority of conservative voters fail to come together and vote in large enough numbers to truly prevent a socialistic U.S. from becoming a long-term reality.
At last report, Romney had $12 million in the bank. Giuliani had more. Add them together, and Hillary still had them comfortably beat. That’s why I say it’s gotta be Giuliani and Romney. Any other combination will give us a ticket with no money.
I just don’t believe he’s a serious candidate for President. The only thing I can figure is that he’s hoping this charade will earn him the VP nomination.
So you are advocating RINOs on a conservative website? Gutsy, I’ll give you that; especially since Jim Robinson hates Rudy Giuliani, IIRC.
Have they ever expected it more than 14 months before the general election?
Giuliani is better than Hillary, which in my opinion is what we’re going to end up with unless we throw our strongest candidate at her. At this point, Fred has not proved that it’s him.
I have no doubt that FT will pick up a large number of "entertainment" dollars as well as athletic dollars....
Aunt Hill has basically promised tax increases and attacks against banks and lending operations, so there will be a number of business people in the mix too....
Romney has nearly $9 million in debt according to yesterday’s Human Events article, meaning he has three million left.
When Fred announces, he will have no problem with fund raising.
Romney only has three million dollars left.
The debt is probably to himself, though.
I wouldn't vote for Giuliani if you paid me. (La la la, I don't care if Hillary's elected la la la)
Neither Romney or Giuliani has a message, though. Fred Thompson, Duncan Hunter, and even Ron Paul have a solid conservative message.
Of the 3 you mentioned, the only one that even has an outside chance of winning is Thompson, but he’s squandering it.
In before Pissant bump.
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