Posted on 12/31/2007 9:55:24 AM PST by rface
And so this is the way the savior's campaign ends - not with a bang, but with an empty signup sheet..........
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This is what a disaster looks like: Fred Thompson, the former future "savior" of the Republican Party, looking droopy-eyed and jowly in a black leather jacket and tan ten-gallon hat, wandering like some lonesome lost cowboy through the snows of southeastern Iowa in search of voters - and not finding many.
A few minutes earlier, the former U.S. Senator, "Law and Order" star, and would-be conservative hero had emerged from the Smokey Row coffeehouse, where, in his endless search for the only kind of media he can afford - free - he'd sat down with the local newspaper. Otherwise, Smokey Row held at most two dozen largely disinterested patrons. Thompson famously loathes the grip-and-grin side of politics and smiled wanly through his chit-chats. As he staged a handshake with one woman, the photographer had called out, "Look at each other!" Thompson couldn't resist mocking the artificiality of the forced smiling eye contact. "That's the hardest thing in the world to do," he chuckled.
At least someone cared enough to get her picture taken with him. Many of the folks in the quiet coffeehouse ignored Thompson.........
[ snip ]
Perhaps defensive about the wan crowd at the Smokey Row, Thompson's press secretary took care to note that this visit was an unannounced drop-by; nothing should be read into the head count.....
[ snip ]
Out in the hallway stood three campaign workers holding clipboards. "Would you like to sign up to caucus for Fred?" they called to the departing voters. Few stopped.
"That's it. The room's empty," one worker reported back to the others. I could see the signup sheets from over their shoulders. One had two names recorded on it, another just a single name. The third was entirely empty. And so this is the way the savior's campaign ends - not with a bang, but with an empty signup sheet.
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Folks,
Recognize reality.
George W. Bush faced the same hostile media Thompson does. Bush made a commitment to excellence in organizational management (the Presidency is part of the Executive Branch, remember?) and his staff did what had to be done to maneuver the media to report. Thompson has failed to do that.
George W. Bush began the hard work required to orchestrate a national campaign organization years in advance and did what was required of him to raise the money needed for victory. Thompson has failed to do that.
George W. Bush’s team manufactured the correct message to appeal to independent voters . . . the phrase “compassionate conservative” . . . because it is independent voters that decide elections. The far left cancels the far right. The middle decides. This has been true for about 50 years now.
Thompson has failed to find a similar message that portrays himself as a moderate with acceptable conservative credentials.
Rather than be all doom and gloom for the Thompson people, I will say this. Iowa is decided by only a few tens of thousands of voters. Though his organization and staff have proved pathetically inept (which unfortunately reflects their management), small numbers of voters do create the chance for a miracle appearance of some tiny number of uber Thompson zealots that sway results. Thompson, in that regard, is the same as Ron Paul.
Can see no reason to peel off FRED08 stickers.
All those rootyMcRomneyites and Paulbearers need to remember the adage about not counting chickens before eggs hatch.
No one or no poll will guess right about Thursday night!
In defense of the ignorant, if they don't know that they are ignorant, then they cannot be "willful".
Turns out he was 20 minutes from me the other day, would have been happy to go. Kinda irks me.
However, give him props for going out to see the peeps. The DSM Register has an article today about how Hillary is not taking questions from the audience at any of her stops, from people, or the press. Iowans don't take too kindly to that. Saying how John Edwards opens the floor every time, and so does Biden. Plus Hillary is not going to be in Iowa on Caucus night. The supporters here expect the candidate to make an appearance. I am sticking with my prediction of Edwards, Hellary and Obama 1, 2, 3 in Iowa, with no more than 6% between them.
As for Fred, we'll see....
You’re on! How about $100?
“It’s a fair bet that the best Republican candidate is the one least supported by the mainstream media.”
Right! It is also obvious that the author of this article did NOT attend the coffee shop campaign stop that Fred made in Pela, Iowa! The folks certainly did not ignore Fred and the video of the interview and interaction with the folks there proves it! But then, it is CBS, so what else can we expect! GO FRED!
But the MSM has been busted time and time again misrepresenting and outright lying regarding Sen. Thompson's campaign. If you need to recruit these friends to feel better about your candidate, you may want to take a long, hard look in the mirror and take stock.
You are correct. The GOP race is in fact a five way tie.
It is really almost unthinkable that the Republicans would actually be crazy enough to nominate McCain or Huckster.
So it will be Fred or liberals Rudy or Mitt. The Dem press will tell us that Rudy and Romney are really “moderates,” that Fred is too conservative to win, etc..
I am the county chair here, I estimate right now I have 50 to 60 committed that I know of. There were around 100+ at that event, so I am sure there are more. My goal is 150 to 200 at the caucuses committed. With 24 precincts thats about 6 to 8 people committed to Thompson, which should give us first or second place in most.
Why is Thompson trying to raise expectations , when all the other candidates are trying to lower theirs?
What is the strategy here?
The Dominant Media is pulling out all stops to Nix Fred.
Think about it people, what does that tell you, they are $&!+ing their pants that Hilda will have to Mano-e-Mano against him.
That goes for our "Conservative Talkers", I am SO tired of Bill Bennett, Medved (and or insert name here) talking about all the RINO's and not a freakin' word about Fred.
Something smells here.....What do these people have against him, is it personal...
Because he's dead in New Hampshire and he HAS TO come in first here in order to win South Carolina. If he doesent do that he's finished, and he knows it.
If he doesent show a sense of urgency here , then it'll seem like he doesent care enough to be President. Thats been his problem all along; no sense of urgency.
Mabe Clinton 42
Well, I mean second here. Second in Iowa.
Well, it looks like the "Talk about ANYONE but Fred" game got a little too nerve racking and a guy like Mike just can't help but revert to his "roots" and puke up a trash piece.
Michael Crowley
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Michael Crowley is an American journalist, and currently senior editor and columnist at The New Republic magazine. He is also a frequent contributor to GQ magazine, Slate.com, the Readers Digest, and the Washington City Paper. He guest-blogged for a time at Talking Points Memo.
He grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, graduating from Philips Exeter Academy in 1990 and Yale in 1994.[1]
Fred isn’t perfect. But Rudy and Mitt and McCain are a damn sight less perfect, in my opinion.
I don’t buy into the Leftist line that conservatism is dead, old fashioned, tired, unworkable. That we need a more liberal candidate, “someone less partisan, someone who can get along with the Dems.”
I don’t think so. I think Fred will be in until SC is over.
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