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.
I find this far better than the 8-10 candidates who announced their campaign within 6 weeks of the 2006 elections. Those are the people who scare me... the ones that crave power so badly that their whole careers are built around the campaign.
the ones that crave power so badly that their whole careers are built around the campaign.
...they’re pols, so of course they crave power and their careers are built around the campaign. Nobody ever gets elected by accident or through the spontaneous outpouring of a majority’s will. Their job is:
A)Getting elected
B)Administering power.
Give that man a cigar! My thoughts exactly. Some of these dopes have basically been in campaign mode since November 2004.
For me, it’s not the fact that he hasn’t gotten in the race, it’s the drama around when he’ll announce he’s getting in...he’ll announce on such and such a date, no it’ll be this date, no that date...they need to announce a date and stick to it!
Having only read the headline, what drew my eye was the statement that implied that We were losing patience with Fred because he hadn’t formally declared his intentions.
I for one have been very glad that he has not declared yet.
I think that the presidential campaign season is far too long
It is now late August 2007. The first primaries or cauci are at least over 4 months away.
I firmly believe that any candidate (opportunist) (regardless as to party) should not be allowed to announce their candidacy before Jan 1 of the election year.
All primaries and cauci are to be held in May or June. Party nominating conventions are to be held on consecutive weeks in July after Independence Day celebrations (order to be determined by coin toss.)
The month of August is to be quiet time from ALL CANDIDATES for ALL Elected positions across the nation. Campaigns may begin on Labor Day (should Labor day be decided by Congress to be advanced to an earlier date campaigns cannot begin until the first Monday in September and not before.)
I realize that this proposal will probably never see the light of day.
I must admit a certain admiration for Parlimentary systems that are able to hold most of their elections within a 3 month schedule most even shorter.
We should not be in such a hurry to either pick our nominees or elect our President.
Oh really? The reason that Michigan has the highest number of Muslims in the country is because of Abraham. Abraham also said that if he were to be re-elected, he would increase the quota for Muslims to come to the United States.
Abraham is highly praised in The American Muslim Council (AMC) publication in an interview with him. AMC asked the question: "Do you believe that AMC's role in promoting the interests of Muslims in America has begun to reduce discrimination against Muslims and mitigate the negative stereotypical image of Muslims and Islam in the West? If so, how was it accomplished?
ABRAHAM: I commend the American Muslim Council's efforts in reducing discrimination against Muslims and mitating the negative stereotypical image of Islamin the West. The efforts of AMC in sponsoring such dinners as that of February 13, 1996, assists in shredding a positive light upon the many wonderful accomplishes of the religion and the members of the Muslim community. The AMC should continue this good work by encouraging political involvement among its members.
The dinner Abraham referred to was the first White House Celebration fo EID Al-Fitr on February 20, 1996 by President and Mrs. Clinton. The AMC publication also shows a portrait of the First Lady holding the Koran.
As for AMC, Steven Emerson writes in his commentary, "Friends of Hamas in the White House," that AMC's tactics of claiming anti-Muslim racism rather than acknowledging the existence of Islamic extremism deliberately serves to silence criticism of terrorists." "The American Muslim Council is a radical group that supports radical Islamic terrorists movements," says Seif Ashmawy, the American Muslim publisher of the Voice of Peace in New Jersey. "I am shocked and outraged that the White House would embrace them."
Unfortunately, President Bush picked up on the tradition of honoring the end of Ramadan in the White House.
And Spencer Abraham understands the threat of Muslim terrorists?
Beam me up, Scotty!
Yup. Whether it is showboating, indecisiveness or warped thinking, Fred and his political threads are really getting tiresome. You can easily get the idea ole Fred isn't ready for political prime time. I used to think Fred should "fish or cut bait." Now I just think, "Shut up, go away and don't come back until you're ready."
At least if he gave a reason for not announcing. If he said, “Look, I’m going to officially announce, but I have these contractural obligations with the television show I have to fulfill first. As soon as I’m free of those, then it’ll become official.”
He wasnt prepared and didnt know the speech, I watched it later in the day. He better get in and get it together.
The reasons for the delay have been spelled out almost ad nauseam. Some come along and say “well I don’t know why he is waiting, he needs to sh*t or get off the pot” or some such rot. Then it is explained to them that he is not really declaring “late” he has contractual obligation that had to be worked through and he is building his team etc. They will go “Well ok, thats fine... But he needs to go ahead and declare this delay shows he is yada yada yada...”
It really is interesting...
btw....isn't he Christian?...
More on the AMC interview with Abraham:
"AMC: In which ways, if any, did the Muslim community play a role in your successful 1994 campaign for the U.S. Senate?
ABRAHAM: As you may know, I am very proud of my heritage (Lebanese Orthodox Christian)and of the bipartisan support that I received from the American Muslim community during my Senate campaign. The community in Michigan and all over the United States encouraged and supported my candidacy--and for that I am grateful. I am working hard in the Senate to listen to the views of the Muslim community and to make sure that the community has a place to voice those concerns."
Are any of you listening?
One more time.
If he actually says he is going to declare in terms that give any specifics, reason for the delay, date etc. then that statement itself become the declaration. There are some laws here that prevent all that. It would in essence void the reason for the delay which is primarily the equal time rule for the networks.
That is the reason we heard the statement from Wolf at Law and Order about no FDT episodes after the new season. No reason given, just the fact that he has left the show. To actually state directly that he left the show to run for president would imply declaration.
Let us just say that the night carl cameron tried to propagate this story we had a thread here on FR. Out of 40 something viewers... we had one that agreed with you. Fred was honoring a double amuptee from the Iraq war... choked up and honored the man and the Nation that brought him forth... stepped on an applause line (Fred was honoring the hero not looking for an applause line). It is all BS!
LLS
And that is the truth.
Fred must have a few skeletons on the closet. I doubt that he will run now, he has waited to long.
It is getting annoying. That’s fine if he doesn’t want to do it, but then go away and let us figure things out.
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