Fredipedia: The Definitive Fred Thompson Reference
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Posted on 08/09/2007 11:59:52 AM PDT by hardback
Newspapers and the blog world were busy talking about possible presidential hopeful Fred Thompson’s selection of Bill Lacy to lead his yet-to-be-official campaign. Lacy, who led Thompson’s 1994 senatorial campaign in Tennessee, is taking a leave of abscense from the Dole Institute of Politics to take the post.
After today's announcement that former Senator Fred Thompson has hired Bill Lacy to join his campaign team and run day to day operations, there is little doubt that Thompson really does intend to run for President.
For all of the talk about the dangers of continuing delay in an official announcement (something that I tend to agree with) the fact that Lacy is joining the team is a likely signal that the recent reshuffle at the almost-Fred '08 campaign was less a move of desperation and more of a preparation for the long and hard slog of a long-term campaign.
It was Lacy, after all, who took Fred Thompson from a 20-point deficit in 1994-when the race against Jim Cooper looked all but lost-to an overwhelming victory. With Lacy's guidance, the underdog crushed his Democratic opponent with a Statewide majority of over 320,000 votes and over 60% of the overall vote total.
Lacy also made Fred Thompson a marketable candidate. The red pickup truck for which Fred Thompson would become so famous as both a candidate and a Senator was the brainchild of Bill Lacy, who is a real believer in shaking hands, holding babies, and pounding the pavement to reach out to the grassroots.
Lacy has real Presidential Primary experience as well. In 1980, Lacy ran Ronald Reagan's campaign in the Maryland Primary, which that year proved to be a pivitol test for the Republican nomination.
Mr. Lacy knows how to lead underdogs to victory, and his depth of experience should be seen as a sign that Fred Thompson is ready to wage a come-from-behind effort to win the nomination if that is what is needed.
Just when I was prepared to say it was getting too late for Fred Thompson, he doesn't hire a Big Gun-he hires the political equivalent of a B1 Bomber.
There is little doubt at this point that Fred Thompson is running for President-the only question now is whether he will wait too long to make it official.
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Fredipedia: The Definitive Fred Thompson Reference
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“Well, that’s it. I am NOT voting for Fred Thompson under any circumstances after this hire!!”
Funny, I read earlier today that Lacy says he was originally against that idea, but that Thompson did it anyway.
Well, you know, he did work for Dole and I hear he talked to GWB once.
Run Fred, run!
“Mr. Trisham announced to me the other night that he didn’t think Fred was going to run. I politely suggested that he keep those ideas to himself.”
LOL!
Perhaps Mr. Trisham should ask the question of whether Mr. Thompson would have been able to lure Mr. Lacy from his “dream job” without private assurances that indeed, Mr. Thompson is running.
sitetest
Me, neither! I can’t believe Jeri let him do this...
But if Fred Thompson thinks good staff or even superb staff can pull him across the finish line, he's dead wrong. I need to see a lot more effort and "fire in the belly" before I can consider him seriously.
There are a lot of second tier candidates working harder than Fred right now. Two of them (Duncan Hunter and Tommy Thompson) definitely have better presidential resumes.
Winners, hire winners.
Yep, and they are SHARING 2% in the polls with 2 other people. So much for 'fire in the belly' when you can't even get out of the cellar.
I’ll suggest that to him, should he have the temerity to mention it again.:)
Sincerely,
trisham
Fred has said he will declare his candidacy around Labor Day, I think it would be good to judge the ‘fire in the belly’ factor then. (and it won’t take long if the Iowa caucuses are moved up to December!)
I agree!
He is one of them ‘merican Republican types...
Damn hippies...
Lazy bums the whole lot of 'em... Fred slept through law school, that is what I heard...
Hey, maybe we should start claiming to be from Missouri, and post Missouri pictures on all the FDT threads.
It worked last time.
Show Me!
-The Missourian
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