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Thompson: "I Need to Come in Second"
CBS News ^ | Dec. 30, 2007 | John Bentley

Posted on 12/30/2007 3:14:08 PM PST by FocusNexus

Saying he plans to make no changes to his campaign, Fred Thompson asserted today that he needs a strong finish in Iowa caucuses. "I need to come in second," he said.

While Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee are both polling in the 27 to 28 percent range, Thompson is neck and neck with John McCain at around 11 percent. When asked if he would stay in the race if he finished third, he said "I'm not going to talk about things like that."

He did talk about the consistency of his presidential run. ..."But I'm going to be the same. It's worked for me pretty well in my career, being Fred, and I'm going to continue to be Fred."

(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; elections; fredthompson; ia2008; iowa
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To: ImpBill
You didn't ask me but here is my take - I am done voting "against". Either I vote "for" or I leave that slot blank.

Hear, hear!

I've decided to set a threshold for who I'll vote for. The more disgusted I get with politicians, the higher that threshold will get, but right now it's pretty low. I'd vote for most of the Republicans in the general election, even some real fruitcakes like McCain.

101 posted on 12/30/2007 7:01:39 PM PST by JohnnyZ ("When we say I saw the PATRIOTS win the WORLD SERIES, it doesn't necessarily mean ...." - Mitt)
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To: Pravious
:"Perhaps the notion of having the Witch in office will be frightening enough for me to show up election day and vote for whoever has an “R” next to their name... but right now the only lever I want to pull is to flush all of these guys out of the race and demand another hand of candidates to choose from."

Although this slate of Republican candidates don't do it for you, think about the troops as a previous poster suggested. It is they who deserve our participation in the process. We should give them the best we got.

102 posted on 12/30/2007 7:11:48 PM PST by maxter
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To: skeeter

I know how difficult a decision it is to make and having made it I find not a great deal of solace, but it is simply the juncture I have come to.


103 posted on 12/30/2007 7:40:27 PM PST by ImpBill ("America ... Where are you now?" --Greg Adams--Brownsville, TX --On the other Front Line)
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To: FocusNexus

He was JOKING about coming in second, people!


104 posted on 12/30/2007 7:40:34 PM PST by Mobile Vulgus
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To: Finny

Thank you. It is why I support the man.


105 posted on 12/30/2007 7:42:31 PM PST by ImpBill ("America ... Where are you now?" --Greg Adams--Brownsville, TX --On the other Front Line)
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To: plain talk

“If so, who would he support? McCain?”

Almost certainly.


106 posted on 12/30/2007 7:46:26 PM PST by COgamer
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To: snarkybob

If a frog had wings, he wouldn’t bust his butt everytime he jumped. IF IF IF.

FRED sure didn’t sound like a quiter this morning on FNS, course Brit and all still have a speech block on saying “FRED THOMPSON”.


107 posted on 12/30/2007 7:56:36 PM PST by dusttoyou
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To: Maelstorm

“Those polls show well over 50% of Republicans in Iowa undecided. Let us see who they make up their minds for.”

I wish the undecided voters would watch the interview at the C-SPAN link below, and then read the transcript (no video yet) of Fred’s interview with Chris Wallace. I believe it would help them to realize that Fred is the man we need in the White House! GO FRED!

Campaign stop in Iowa: Scroll down page to video.
http://www.c-span.org/VideoArchives.asp?CatCodePairs=,&ArchiveDays=100&Page=2

Transcript of Fox News Sunday interview:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,319053,00.html


108 posted on 12/30/2007 8:08:30 PM PST by seekthetruth
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To: plain talk
You are either a troll or clueless about the news from today about the campaigns. I choose to think that you're clueless.

In regards to your comment " Based on this and an earlier quote that he doesn't really want the job methinks he is getting ready to bail" you are either willfully ignorant of the facts in this case (link from Instapundit):

FRED THOMPSON corrects the media. "Today I had this story written about me regarding what I said at a Town Hall event in Burlington, Iowa by a reporter who wasn’t even at the event."

or you are intentionally spreading misinformation.  Which is it? (see also here at NRO and do a simple Google search to find how dishonest the "earlier quote" story is)

The USA today story that started the "Fred doesn't really want the job" crap (and please don't try to deny that's what you're referring to) was from a reporter who didn't hear Fred speak, lifted a few words from someone else's article and rearranged the context to suit her agenda.  She has already had to publicly apologize and the paper has issued a (very quiet) correction after the original reporter who was there, apparently as liberal as any MSM toady, publicly said that the USA today reporter got it wrong. (like Diogenes, I am pleased to find an (apparently) honest reporter)

I haven't found an original, in context, source for this new CBS "quote" so I don't even know if it's real, but I can state 100% that it is incomplete and taken out of context.  Based on the earlier story my bet is that what they left off was something like Fred saying "some weasels who hate our country are saying" before he said "I have to come in second" and then went on to explain what he really feels he has to accomplish.

This is pure spin by people (you?) who hate Fred and probably hate conservatives (I haven't read your other posts and am only basing this on this post) trying to artificially raise the bar for Fred.  My take is that you've been fooled by other bad people into believing this.  Am I wrong?

109 posted on 12/30/2007 8:24:51 PM PST by Phsstpok (When you don't know where you are, but you don't care, you're not lost, you're exploring!)
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To: Phsstpok

Apparently you didn’t bother to check out how long I’ve been posting to this to see I am not a “troll”. If you had looked at some of many posts here you would have also seen that I am in fact a Fred Thompson supporter. So enough with the childish attacks and temper tandrums.

From the CNN story “And if you notice, I put the emphasis on running. I said I’m not particularly interested in running for president,” Thompson said in an interview on CNN’s Late Edition.

So — Thompson clarified that he really doesn’t want to run for President of the United States.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/12/30/thompson-insists-he-has-the-desire-to-win-the-white-house/


110 posted on 12/30/2007 9:37:50 PM PST by plain talk
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To: Brilliant
Nobody had a chance of beating Nelson without the full and undivided support of the party.

how did their annointed one work out for them? oh yeah...

111 posted on 12/31/2007 4:09:53 AM PST by bill1952 (The right to buy weapons is the right to be free)
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To: bill1952

The “annointed one” was Katherine Harris. She got 39% of the vote. Personally, I think we could have done better with another candidate.


112 posted on 12/31/2007 6:23:51 AM PST by Brilliant
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To: plain talk

I specifically said I didn’t care about any of your other posts, only that one.

That post was dishonest and referred to a dishonest and discredited news story. Even the author of that news story has had to apologize and retract what she said, yet you still continue to try to insist that it’s the truth.

You continue your dishonesty, particularly saying that you are a Thompson supporter. That is clearly a lie.

I said you were a troll OR ignorant and specifically chose to say that I assumed you were merely ignorant. Now I am sure that you’re either playing the part of a troll or are a complete fool.

Since you insist you’re not a troll then you are a fool.

Fred doesn’t want to RUN for president because he is not consumed by personal ambition. He is concerned about our country and feels he needs to be in this increasingly meaningless “horse race” that the idiots in the MSM insist on pushing in order to help fix what is wrong. You chose to take the side of the MoveOn.ORG / DNC / MSM goons in this argument.

I’m done with you.

Is that plain talk enough for you? Please quit pushing lies and propaganda.


113 posted on 12/31/2007 6:33:27 AM PST by Phsstpok (When you don't know where you are, but you don't care, you're not lost, you're exploring!)
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To: Brilliant
>The “annointed one” was Katherine Harris

What? I do believe that we are talking about two entirely different things here.

Harris was the people’s choice, anointed, if you will, but in no way was she “the anointed one” for the GOP party leaders in general, and the Bush family in particular.

In fact they withheld any support at all to make sure that she would fail -as far as they could manage.
Look who they threw all of their money and support at. Martinez. - and don’t say thats because he had the best chance.

He would have had no chance at all without the total committed support of the party leaders. - Probably would have garnered about 30-40% of the vote.

Look how that worked out for us.

The GOP is great at supporting RINOs and pro amnesty types such as, lets say, ARLEN SPECTOR, but is no longer convergent with conservative value systems at all.

And that is a shame. Thank you for your post. Happy New Year. - Bill

114 posted on 12/31/2007 6:58:40 AM PST by bill1952 (The right to buy weapons is the right to be free)
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To: linn37

did see a poll in the paper that has him second in Iowa.

Source? You are holding out on us.


115 posted on 12/31/2007 7:01:29 AM PST by napscoordinator
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To: napscoordinator

Thompson is looking for an excuse to drop out of the race. No way can he finish second.

He will quit the day after the Caucus.


116 posted on 12/31/2007 7:02:35 AM PST by barryg
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To: NormsRevenge

I can’t believe those pictures. Why do they use them? He looks HORRIBLE in those. My parents are going to be 62 this year (2008) and look thirty years younger than Fred. Look at those eyes. Yieks!!!!


117 posted on 12/31/2007 7:03:44 AM PST by napscoordinator
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To: Owen

How can a staff of any skills at all allow something like this?

His staff is very young. They are mid twenties and are working on their first official campaign so I doubt they know any better.


118 posted on 12/31/2007 7:09:59 AM PST by napscoordinator
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To: barryg
Not a chance.

Nobody expects him to take Iowa, and almost nobody down here in the South even cares about Iowa or NH.
I was surprised that he even made the trip or spent the money, other than getting tired of the “lazy” tag.

He will take large percentages in the Southern states, and to think that he will drop out before SC isn’t realistic.

119 posted on 12/31/2007 7:24:02 AM PST by bill1952 (The right to buy weapons is the right to be free)
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To: bill1952

The problem is that we don’t have any true conservatives who will run and can win. You need both.


120 posted on 12/31/2007 7:40:00 AM PST by Brilliant
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