Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Thompson Takes on McCain [Jonathan Adler]
Last weekend, some Cornerites lamented that Fred Thompson was attacking Huckabee and ignoring McCain. Some even made the (in my view silly) suggestion that Thompson was angling to be McCain's running mate. Well, that talk should now be put to rest, as Thompson has added some critiques of McCain to his repertoire, pointing out McCain's past and present views on taxes, immigration, and carbon controls, and their tendency toward "bigger government conservatism." Hot Air has the details here.
Let me add that I always thought Thompson's decision to attack Huckabee first was a smart strategic move. As folks here and elsewhere noted, Huckabee occupied much of the space in the primary that folks once thought Fred would occupy: conservatives dissatisfied with the McCain-Giuliani-Romney choice. So it always made sense to me that Fred should reclaim some of this territory first, reestablish his base among conservatives, and gain some momentum. Once this has been accomplished, Fred could then expand his efforts to bring folks over from the other candidates, which he is now beginning to do. The latest Rasmussen national tracking numbers show him tied for third with Romney and Giuliani, and in easy striking distance of McCain and Huckabee, who are effectively tied for the lead.
01/15 02:14 PM
