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National Review is no longer a conservative magazine. It is becoming in many respects hard to distinguish from the New Republic. It was a movement conservative magazine in the 1960s and even in the 1970s, but it has drifted away from many conservative principles. Some conservatives do write for it, but many are willing to drink the Rudy Kool Aid or trust that Romney is now an authentic conservative, despite the scant evidence. It has become primarily an elitist Northeastern mouthpiece, which looks down its nose at the hinterlands, particularly the south. I canceled my subscription years ago.

I am sure Fred is not sharing his strategy with any folks at NR, especially this fellow(whoever he is). This little preppie thinks it is too late. What a joke. He does not know his history, which most of these pundits do not. There are many examples of candidates hiring staff a lot later and overcoming leads that were more formidable than this. One example is 1996 in Louisiana. Phil Gramm, the Senator from the neighboring state of Texas was far ahead and was the overwhelming favorite. Enter Pat Buchanan, who did not begin assembling a staff until Christmas. He wound up clobbering Gramm in Louisiana on February 6, only 6 weeks later, driving him from the race and propelling himself to strong finishes in Iowa and a win in New Hampshire. And Fred Thompson has a heckuva lot more going for him than Buchanan and a lot more time.

If Fred wins Iowa, which I think is likely, that will probably end it, because the momentum will likely propel him to a win in New Hampshire. Organization is grossly overrated. It does not elect Presidents. It serves as an excuse when someone loses.