Thompson finance chair signs on with McCain (McC hopes to get endorsement from Fred)

Austin American Statesman ^ | Jan. 24, 2008 | Ken Herman

[FocusNexus]

Scooter Clippard, who spent the past few months trying to get folks to open their wallet for Fred Thompson's ill-fated presidential campaign, now is dialing for dollars for John McCain.

Clippard, former national fundraising chairman for Thompson, is now national finance co-chair for McCain. The move came two days after Thompson shut down his campaign.

Says McCain, who hopes to get an endorsement from Thompson, "We are honored to have a key leader from my friend Fred Thompson's campaign. Fred made an invaluable contribution to this race and always enriched the discussion of ideas for America's future."

[Iscool]

Keyes is a dynamic guy and certainly says the right things, but he comes off as only marginally sane.

Only to Rino's...When the Keyes, Hunters and Tancredos of the world go political, Rino's flee the area like cockroaches do in sunlight...

[Bird Jenkins]

It was very bizarre indeed.

It was Shakespeare who said "that one may smile, and smile, and be a villain..."

[Ymani Cricket]

I love to hear Keyes speak and applaude what he has to say, but he has a huge chip on his shoulder, comes across as angry and does not seem to have that special something it takes to be CIC. He doesn't listen either. You have to be able to listen to much counsel, not just talk and talk and talk.

[SuziQ]

That may be true but McCain-Feingold was a vast over kill.

As Fred himself acknowledged when it finally saw the light of day, after Fred had left the Senate.

[Yosemitest]

[Bird Jenkins]

Fair enough. I don't mean to knock your candidate, he's a good man. Just joshin' around.

[Owen]

We’ve been through all of this.

Running for president is about a combination of things, and much though the true believers might wish it to be otherwise, only about 10% of that combination is philosophy. It doesn’t matter if it’s Democrats or Republicans, only 10% of the process to get to the White House is about philosophy.

This has been true for over 100 years, since candidates had to start dealing with the logistics of campaign travel.

Management and organization and skills associated thereto far outweigh philosophy. Since about 1945, fund raising has outweighed philosophy too.

The Democrats are fighting a race war for their nomination now. The odds are VERY HIGH this is going to keep at least 5% of potential black votes for Hillary home. The GOP nominee has a great chance to win this even in a year of residual bad will for Bush.

It won’t be the GOP candidate’s philosophy that will decide that victory. This is not a reality created by who the nominee will be. It was going to be true even if Fred Thompson had done what was needed to compete.

Because if he had, he would have had the necessary skills to win — which have very little to do with philosophy.

[EternalVigilance]

He’s angry at what is being done to the country. Until all of us get angry too, it’s just going to get worse.

Alan listens very closely to patriots and sensible people. He just refuses to listen to liberals.

[endthematrix]

Thanks for the late night laugh! This from one of the few who supported Keyes’ in IL. We hoped and lost, BIG TIME!

[Jim Robinson]

Ask Senator Obama.

[dixiechick2000]

Good points...excellent post.

Thank you! ;o)

He did have contractual obligations that prevented him from getting into the race earlier.

He, also, had media against him...the ole build ‘em up just to take ‘em down media.

BTW, did you know there are RINOs courting us? lolol

Do you know for whom you will vote yet?

[verklaring]

the fact that he waited in order to honor his professional obligations, only reinforced our respect for him.

Ditto

[Little_GTO]

Huckabee would get the Evangelicals and the broken glass Republicans, but doubt fiscal or security conservatives will be very enthusiastic.

Just reply with what the party says about the Christians.

Who else would they vote for? Where would they go?

[EternalVigilance]

Maybe he wouldn’t have been Senator Obama if it weren’t for those who call themselves “Republicans” but spent the whole abbreviated election cycle slandering Alan instead of working against Barack.

[TxCopper]

FDT did, after all, endorse McCain in 2000...or didn’t your little “border-box” remember?

[Jim Robinson]

Sooner or later you’ve got to ask the proverbial question. If you’re so damned smart, why ain’t you rich? Or, in this case, why has he never been elected to any office? Obviously, must be something more than smarts involved. Maybe the voters just don’t like being lectured to all the time. Maybe they’re looking for a leader rather than a constitutional encyclopedia.

[Jim Robinson]

What makes you think it’d be any different this time?

[womanvet]

< < Do you know for whom you will vote yet? > >

Fred Thompson, the best conservative who is on the ballot.

and you?

[dixiechick2000]

"FDT did, after all, endorse McCain in 2000...or didn’t your little “border-box” remember?"

Do you remember anything McCain did before 2000?

Since he lost the nomination in 2000, he's crapped all over conservatives at every opportunity.

Has Fred endorsed him yet?

[Jim Robinson]

"Who else would they vote for? Where would they go?"

That's the problem. If they have no one they can support, they'll simply stay home. Reagan pulled the coalition together. RudyMcRomney tore it asunder.