I like the idea of Fred but I’m worried that he will stumble and we’ll have only the “Kennedy Wing of the Republican Party” (in Duncan Hunter’s words) as our choices. That’s why I want to see Hunter built up by grass roots conservatives. I understand the Fred Heads that rightly don’t want to see the conservative vote split in the primaries and think that Duncan Hunter can’t win. But there are three prominent left leaning candidates Romney, Guilianni, and McCain . . . the conservative candidates of Thompson and Hunter can do a little competing too without disaster.
While Giuliani is left-leaning, neither Romney nor McCain are. They're not perfect conservatives, but their records aren't left-leaning. That being said, McCain is totally whacko and I can't support him. And if you look at Romney's record you'll find that he's not as bad as some (including me at one time) have made him out to be.
Thompson needs to remember the lesson from Bob Dole. If Dole had shown the spark of personality during the campaign that he showed afterward, things might have turned out differently for him.