Posted on 01/20/2008 2:27:30 AM PST by counterpunch
COLUMBIA, S.C.- John McCain was the winner of Saturday's South Carolina primary. Mike Huckabee came in second. Fred Thompson came in third, followed closely by Mitt Romney.
This is a victory that eluded McCain in 2000, and if history is a guide, may have set him on course to become the GOP presidential nominee. No Republican since 1980 has won the party's nod without a win in the first-in-the-South primary.
Saturday's primary loss was clearly a big disappointment for Fred Thompson, but you never would have picked up on that when you heard him speak to his supporters.
"Well, it may be a little early to declare victory, I am not sure," Thompson joked. "We told our folks to vote late, so they'll be trickling in I am sure."
So a lot of folks are now weighing in on Fred Thompson's political future. One political expert from Tennessee weighs in.
"I think he is through if he doesn't do well here, I think he has said so. Even a second place finish won't do," said Jackson Baker, Memphis Flyer.
"This is a gun show he just attended, if he can't get votes from this crowd, in this state which is probably the most conservative state in the union probably, then his message just probably won't play anywhere else," said Baker.
Thompson spent more time campaigning in South Carolina than anyone else. An army of Tennessee Volunteers also came through. They sent out a scripted message to undecided voters.
In South Carolina, apparently, Thompson's message did not catch on. Fred Thompson, however, was far from making any sort of statement about bowing out of the presidential race. Thompson returned home to Virginia Saturday night. His campaign most likely is regrouping, and gearing up for another big fight in the Florida Primary.
After we melted their phones.
>his fresh approach to conservative ideas...
will ensure that he loses 34 states
The conservative base will fracture and he will lose BIG.
I do not believe a majority of the American people have become so suicidal.
Please be sitting down on Nov 5th.
Romney is no outsider.
Not stupid at all.
Fred looks is old, looks old and acts old. McCain is old but avoids the latter two.
(but you did live up to your name)
I don’t know that Fred would support McCain, just because they are friends. He says they differ on several main issues. I am a supporter, and I will be voting for him in the FL primaries, so I hope he pulls through there. If McCain loses FL to Giuliani and Fred finishes 2nd, that would be a big boost, and if he finished first there, that would be even better!
GO FRED!
“This is a gun show he just attended, if he can’t get votes from this crowd, in this state which is probably the most conservative state in the union probably, then his message just probably won’t play anywhere else,” said Baker.
I think their vote of McCain & Huckabee today clearly disspelled that honor (most conservative state in the union).
I’m seriously down...how are we going to stop McCain from rolling now? The votes of the american people have disappointed me.
Don’t stop now, Fred, we just lost Hunter.
Thomspon is our last chance for a conservative to make it.
McCain will have front runner hung on him. The key to his temper is illegal immigration and this needs to be pounded. The MSM will carry his water on this issue until the general if he were to be the nominee. So it will be up to the people to arouse his distemper on this issue and we have time now till FL. Get his flip/flop on illegal immigration out there and arouse his anger and all the reasons he is unfit will come to light.
I’ve given $ to Fred, but even he violated my basic requirement of executive experience in the President. I have a unfavorable impression of Senators as it is.
Unfortunately I’m left with Romney and Jimmy Carter...
Counterpunh, I love your enthusiasm for Fred and it is commendable, but we have been hearing this song and dance since September...even before when we thought he would get in July. The first debate was supposed to bump his campaign, then we had all those “white papers”, then it was the red truck, then it was some you tube videos, then it was another debate, then it was the south, now we are saying be patient for Florida? People just did not get excited about Fred outside of Free Republic and some other conservative websites. What is your feeling? He should win Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi...other than that? I don’t know.
“Of course, if Obama beats Hillary, then it all over as no Republican will beat him.”
That is of course nonsense. “Head to head” polls have shown several Republicans can beat Obama.
The more people hear about Obama’s policies, the more afraid they’ll become.
Feh. SC has an open primary.
Slice and dice the exit polls a bit more, you'll find a lot of people who thought McCain was pro-military and anti-illegal immigration.
And that Huckabee is NOT Jimmuh Carter.
This is a case where the media blackout of Thompson is hurting.
NO cheers, unfortunately.
Fred can win the south as soon as the media lets him speak.
The media gave him ample opportunity the last couple months. He has been on every show. Everytime you turn around Fred was trying to get his message across. Not sure what you mean. Do you think he has not been on the news more than other? I believe he has had the same if not more.
“I think their vote of McCain & Huckabee today clearly disspelled that honor (most conservative state in the union).”
I got out there and voted for Fred. Sadly, it looks like not enough other folk did the same.
Fred’s organization was lacking here. I saw FAR fewer Fred Thompson signs than those for McCain, Romney, Huckabee and Paul. I’d say I saw more Ron Paul signs than any other.
Fred did do a good job with last minute radio and TV ads, but they were too little too late I think.
“I’m seriously down...how are we going to stop McCain from rolling now? The votes of the american people have disappointed me.”
I think we need to be patient, and Republicans need to start voting on principle rather than voting based on “who we think can win”. That’s the only way we’ll end up with a conservative candidate.
Fred, on the other hand, is head and shoulders above Rudy McRomney, in every aspect that really matters,
except getting votes which trumps everything.
So what your saying is if Fred can’t win, then he should make sure that 1 of the 2 Super RINO’S does?
“Do you think he has not been on the news more than other? I believe he has had the same if not more.”
No, I think the news coverage REALLY hurt Thompson. Many stories lately have been about the “Top Three” candidates (McCain, Huck and Romney) with no mention of Thompson. There were also lots more fluff pieces on those candidates.
Thompson got comparatively little coverage, and a lot of that had a “look how bad he’s doing” slant. If all the media does is say a candidate is losing, it’s hard to change that momentum. Also, the constant trumpeting of polls hurts everyone but the frontrunner.
If McCain loses FL to Giuliani and Fred finishes 2nd, that would be a big boost, and if he finished first there, that would be even better!
How is he to do this? First all the candidates are in Florida now and Fred is not. Yes I totally understand that his mom is in the hospital. I am glad that he puts his mother first...he should and I would too, but how does he get votes in Florida not being there?
Interesting take, but I watch alot of Fox news and other news shows and I saw him on quite a bit. He always got to say what he wanted to say. I still think his biggest mistake was not doing what Romney did and get all the news agencies together and give a major speech on Federalism like Romney did for Religion. That would have gotten Fred noticed big time. If I was his campaign manager I would have done that a week after Romney and put it out there in a way that EVERYONE understood. Occasionally Fred would explain something that the average American did not comprehend and that did not help much.
I think that in this day and age there should be a law against the media deciding who is the frontrunner etc. No one knows who is going to win until the votes are cast. How many people (the apathetic voter)voted for a candidate because they heard on TV he would be the winner? I'm old enough to remember when the election cycle didn't start until after the first of the year that the actual election was held. This time is started almost the day after GW was sworn in for his second term. Disgusting.
What is even more disgusting is the ignorance of the American public...they are too busy playing with their Xboxes to find out what the candidates believe in and actually go and vote. I guess we get what we deserve.
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