Posted on 08/23/2007 12:56:47 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
In the latest Gallup presidential poll, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson ranks second among Republican voters.
One political strategist said Thompson could swim the Mediterranean with all the "testing of the waters" he's done, but he still has yet to take the plunge and officially announce his candidacy.
Thompson got razed for wearing expensive Gucci loafers to the Iowa State Fair, but he did eat some meat on a stick and he even held a pig.
Would he do all that if he weren't running?
On the radio show "Mickelson in the Morning," Thompson said, "I have declared that I'm going to declare."
Thompson has certainly been honing his message.
"Some people in this country apparently think if we can pull out of Iraq, our problems will be over. You and I know better than that," Thompson said in a recent speech to a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Kansas City.
And the other candidates are treating him like a rival.
When Thompson wrote on his blog Tuesday that he'd spent a lot of time in New York City filming the TV show "Law and Order" and that he doesn't like the city's gun laws, a spokeswoman for former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani shot back.
"Those who live in New York in the real world — not on TV — know that Rudy Giuliani's record of making the city safe for families speaks for itself," said Giuliani's communications director, Katie Levinson, in a statement.
Enough Dress Rehearsal
Some are getting more than a little annoyed with Thompson's long rehearsal for a run. One liberal blogger just filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission saying Thompson, who's already raised more than $3.4 million, should have to play by the same rules as the other candidates.
"Fred Thompson is breaking the law and it's very important to hold him accountable. Failure to do so would create a dangerous precedent for the electoral process," said Lane Hudson, a blogger for NewsForTheLeft.com.
Thompson's organization says Hudson's complaint is "completely without merit."
When and if Thompson says those two words, "I'm running," the dress rehearsal is over and the real show starts.
"Once you do get in, you don't have time for mistakes. You don't have time to be off message. You don't have time for diversion. You have to run a flawless campaign," said Frank Donatelli, a former political director for President Reagan.
Some say that Thompson's announcement may be coming too late. One adviser told ABC News that the Thompson camp realizes "there is a point where people will lose their patience." Many believe that an announcement from Thompson will come in early September.
All this garbage is so hilarious. Just because Fred didn’t join the other candidates in announcing obscenely early (in order to maximize their $$$-raising potential), he is castigated as a “hold-out.”
The MSM is just ticked off because people are already tired of the obscenely-early-announcing candidates — as most of us here knew they would be.
Run, FRed, Run!!
Brit Hume
Fred Flubs Lines At VFW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM8i_8XKSFA
I prefer more decisive candidates. This “will he or won’t he” thing is too show business for me.
Fox News is backing Rudy Giuliani, so remember that from now on when you watch them.
Obscenely early?
Fred Thompson missed the Ames Straw Poll, which has long served as a major test towards winning the Republican nomination.
There’s early. And then there’s late.
Fred is late. Whether that hurts him has yet to be deterimined.
Fred will jump in when he is ready. In the meantime, there is one every bit as conservative as Thompson and receiving little or no recognition. Duncan Hunter deserves the support and backing of true conservatives.
He needs to be elevated in the rankings so we can get both of these fine gentlemen on the same ticket next year.
Liberals have hijacked our election process. To the point where they can thrust maniacs like McCain and RINOs like Guiliani upon us as if they were viable conservative candidates.
Perhaps Duncan Hunter will be able to get his name out there, but for now he appears to be shut out. The liberal media isn't going to help him any.
As far as Fred Thompson, we'll see what comes about when he announces. Maybe he is or he isn't "all that", but I'm confident if he "comes close", the conservative storm will be impressive.
Doesn’t change the fact that Thompson fumbled. It’s surprising.
I am stongly in Fred’s camp and prepared to cast my vote in 2009 when he can make up his mind like the girl he is.
The guy may have some good ideas. He may even have the stuff to be a good President. But this coyness isn’t helping him any. In my book, if you want the job, then get in there and fight for it.
In the mean time, he is doing well in the polls while other candidates are spending their donor's money as fast as they can get it and still can't get traction.
Personally, I like the idea that he isn't caving in to media pressure to do what they want him to do when they think he should. I don't know who I'd vote for, but he's on my short list. If he gets in, great! If not, there are several good candidates to choose from.
He either wants the job or he doesn’t want the job. If he needs more time to decide if he really wants the job, then maybe he should take it, but he’s losing credibility with me.
It is going to be difficult for Fred to live up to all this hype.
People have been viewing him as a tabula rasa, projecting all their hopes and dreams.
No one can live up to those kind of unrealistic, inflated expectations.
“Are People Losing Patience With [Fred]Thompson?”
Nope!!
Did you like Ronald Reagan? He didn’t announced his candidacy for President until November 13, 1979.
The MSM wishes we could bypass all this election messiness and just go directly to the coronation.
I believe he announced around the same time as the other candidates, didn’t he?
No sarcasm intended: I’d be really interested to know.
Also, this whole election cycle is a bit screwy this time around.
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