Fundraising Is Thompson's First Big Test

CBS News ^ | Sept. 28, 2007 | David Miller

[Plutarch]

The end of the year's third fundraising quarter means a lot for all the presidential candidates. But it may be especially meaningful for the race's latest entrant: former Sen. Fred Thompson, who is vying for the Republican nomination.

Like the other White House hopefuls, Thompson is expected to release highlights of his quarterly fundraising report at the end of this month. But while all the other candidates will be releasing their third reports, this will be Thompson's first - he only officially entered the race Sept. 5 after a lengthy "testing the waters" phase.

The "Law & Order" star hasn't actively competed in any straw polls and has yet to take the stage at a debate, making the report the first concrete measure of how Thompson's campaign is shaping up. As if that wasn't pressure enough, the first few weeks of Thompson's run haven't been greeted with the same glowing press coverage he received when he first started considering a bid in March. Stories in the national press have focused on high staff turnover, frustrations over the role played by his wife, Jeri Kehn Thompson, and his inability to galvanize the support of conservative Republicans, particularly the party's influential contingent of evangelical Christians.

Is the scrutiny perhaps a little unfair? People in Thompson's campaign seem to think so.

"The expectation level for everything we've done has been ridiculously and artificially high," Thompson communications director Todd Harris said. "Everything that we do is being judged through this ridiculously inside-the-Beltway prism ... I think it's more than a little unfair..."

But even if the focus on Thompson's fundraising numbers is disproportionate, there's no question that they are important to determining what effect he will have on the race for the Republican nomination. He runs second to Rudy Giuliani in national and some state polls, and even appears to be leading the pack in others. But much of that is based on buzz - his fundraising will reveal if he has the capacity to capitalize on it. Thompson will need plenty of money to build an organization that can compete with Giuliani and Mitt Romney, who tops the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire...

But Fabrizio says Thompson will have to raise "well over $10 million" to satisfy skeptics. "If Fred Thompson showed up on reporting day and said he raised $20 million this quarter, that would floor everybody," he said. "If he shows up and says that since the beginning of June he only raised $10 million, everybody's going to go, 'Huh?' "

[Plutarch]

Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson, a former Tennessee senator, listens to questions during a round table discussion with members of the media in Franklin, Tenn., Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007. (AP Photo/John Russell)

(1)What's with the red tint on the photograph? AP manipulation?

(2)"The expectation level for everything we've done has been ridiculously and artificially high," Thompson communications director Todd Harris said. "Everything that we do is being judged through this ridiculously inside-the-Beltway prism ... I think it's more than a little unfair."

This sounds very wimpy.

[Badeye]

I wouldn’t take CBS News seriously on any topic, let alone one thats a) Entirely political in nature and...b) one thats about a Republican.

Given he just entered the race the first week of September, and its third quarter reporting, I don’t see how it will be a viable way to gauge Thompson’s run.

End of the fourth quarter...then you can do this.

but not now, as CBS is trying to do.

[Slapshot68]

Well, I hope Fred knows he won’t be able to get any money from anyone in Hollyweird.

Well, maybe Tom Selleck.

[stm]

His numbers for the third quarter are totally meaningless anyway since he came in at the tail end and it takes a little while to really “ramp up”. Let’s see what they are at the end of the FOURTH quarter.

[stm]

Or Chuck Norris, Bo Derek, Dennis Hopper, James Woods (maybe), Clint Eastwood, Ben Stein, Sly Stallone, Robert Duval or Heather Locklear.

[mewzilla]

Note to CBS: Like FDT is gonna need a lotta money....

Nice try, though.

[Cicero]

As you say. He’s been running for less than one third of the third quarter, a fact that was somehow omitted from the article.

As for the criticism that the Thompson spokesman’s comment sounds weak, what can one expect, when CBS got to choose the sound bite? I imagine they probably talked for 15 minutes, and these are the particular words that CBS chose to extract from it.

[vietvet67]

After 1-2 debates Fred will be rollin in the $$$$.

Not to worry..

[Plutarch]

Another example of the photograph, with more pixels, doesn't look as unnatural:

[kellynla]

“Well, I hope Fred knows he won’t be able to get any money from anyone in Hollyweird.

Well, maybe Tom Selleck?”

I see you just signed up; so I’ll be nice. LOL

But you don’t know what you’re talking about.

Just to name a few conservatives.

Bruce Willis
Ben Stein
Robert Stack
Rick Schroeder
Regis Philbin
Joe Pesci
Fess Parker
Chuck Norris
Heather Locklear
Dennis Hopper
Charlton Heston
George Hamilton
Kelsey Grammar
Mel Gibson
Glenn Ford
Chad Everett
Buddy Ebsen
Bo Derek
Doris Day
Tony Danza
Robert Conrad
Bruce Boxleitner
Ernest Borgnine
Tom Beringer
Danny Aiello

I know I left out many other actors but there are more who are “not out of the closet...yet.” LOL
And the ones I named are just the actors, I didn’t post any directors, producers, musicians, singers and/or various and sundry other personnel in the entertainment industry.

[ex-snook]

How about this scale. Those who want America to be the world’s policeman and economic supporter will not support a conservative who puts American citizens first. We’ll see how ca$h he raises from special interests and we will know who he is indebted to. If this wasn’t true a batsh’t crazy, wife cheating liar would be broke instead of leading the GOP pack.

[Slapshot68]

I stand corrected, however you have to admit that the ratio of lib to conservative in hollyweird is vastly disparate. lol

[Josh Painter]

When I look at that article, I see BS.

[kellynla]

"however you have to admit that the ratio of lib to conservative in hollyweird is vastly disparate?"

you’d be surprised...of course the general public thinks that everyone who lives our here are raving libs but once you get to know the people behind the “stars”;
you’ll find that many if not most are down to earth regular folks who are just trying to make a living and raise their children.
It’s just the one percenters who get all the publicity who are liberals. Of course most actors refuse to admit they are conservative because they fear being “black-balled.”

The ones who vote “D” in L.A. are the ones on government subsistence.(ie: welfare & food stamps) which amounts to about half the population who receive some kind of government assistance every month!
Those of us who actually pay taxes in the upper brackets vote “R” except of course, for the bleeding heart Lib “stars” in the movie industry...and who knows who even they actually vote for when they go in the booth???

[CommerceComet]

Might want to update your list: Buddy Ebsen died on July 6, 2003 and Glenn Ford on August 30, 2006. RIP.

[kellynla]

I forgot to mention that almost 20% of the registered voters in CA are “I” and those are the ones who turn elections here! And finally, in CA, the Republicans have beome the majority in 12 counties in the last ten years.
While the liberals are aborting their children;
pro-life conservatives are multiplying like minks. :-]

[Always Right]

Who cares what Fred raises in a quarter in which he wasn’t officially running. The media is just hoping to set up Fred for a ‘failure’. Fred will raise plenty of money now that he has officially entered the race.

[kellynla]

Thanks I will.

[Politicalmom]

Rick Schroeder’s a conservative?

“Ricky” Schroeder?

I did not know that. :)

[kellynla]

“And finally, in CA, the Republicans have beome the majority in 12 counties in the last ten years.”

Correction:
Make that 17 counties in the last 12 years!
And the percentage of registered “D” is 42.5%
while the “R” is 34.5% with the remaining either being “declined to state” or “other”
2006