Fred Thompson has told supporters he will enter the race for the Republican Presidential nomination next Thursday, according to Jonathan Martin at The Politico:
Fred Thompson will formally announce his candidacy for president next Thursday night, September 6th via a webcast, political director, Randy Enwright just told supporters on a conference call. The Tennessean will then head out on a "grass-roots tour" of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Sourced at the above link, but no more relevant information on that post.
IMO, Thompson waited roughly three months too long to get in this thing. The primary calendar, already front-loaded, keeps shifting earlier every week, so the voting is barely over four months away. Thompson can't use money raised for his "exploratory committee" for the campaign by law, so he has to do it all from scratch.
On June 6, there was a high demand among Republican primary voters for a conservative alternative candidate with a chance to win, and Thompson was the beneficiary of that yearning, as well as of the building suspense over his plans. He just waited too darn long to pull the trigger. People won't stay at the edge of their seat forever; when the time is right, you need to move. That's why Barack Obama got in when he did - and he leads all candidates in fundraising despite constantly showing his inexperience. If he had waited three extra months, the effervescence would have gone flat, and I believe that's Thompson's fate for having poor timing.
The concerned conservatives have either learned to love Giuliani, given Romney a closer look, recommitted to McCain, and or reconsidered Huckabee. Fred is even skipping the Republican debate on Fox News the night before. If he's the nominee, I'll support him against any of the Democrats, but he went from an even-money favorite in the spring to a long shot dark horse now.
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Filed under:
2008 Presidential Race, Primaries, Republican, Thompson
Tags: presidential campaign, Republicans, Thompson
Comments (5)
Thompson can't use... (Below threshold)1. Posted by John in CA | August 31, 2007 3:01 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Jim, are you sure about that? Thought that was the whole issue behind the guy filing the FEC complaint, that Fred! was raising too much money that he didn't have to report right away in hopes of transferring a chunk to his Presidential Campaign.
All I could find to support my position was Thompson faces election complaint
I wish Fred had gotten in earlier. Nevertheless, he's still my guy for now. It's not been the late getting in that's been bothering me so much. It's some of the things he's saying. Like meeting democratics halfway on big issues. That disturbs me. There is no such thing as meeting democratics halfway on big issues.
Does that mean when a democrat party controlled Congress wants to raise taxes by 50%, he'll sign off on 25%?
1. Posted by John in CA | August 31, 2007 3:01 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on August 31, 2007 03:01
2. Posted by kim | August 31, 2007 10:01 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Giuliani for Attorney General, now.
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2. Posted by kim | August 31, 2007 10:01 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on August 31, 2007 10:01
3. Posted by Glenn Koons | August 31, 2007 2:32 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Wow, Fred will be in on Sept. 6 just a day after the next Pub debate. Wow. Well, frankly, I think that it is a bit too late. Now if Rudy wins the nomination, he might pick Fred for that Southern mint julip pick to secure the 11 states of the old Confederacy. If Fred wins, Rudy , Hunter should be in the new Admin. if again he can beat Hil. Which to me, is highly unlikely.
3. Posted by Glenn Koons | August 31, 2007 2:32 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on August 31, 2007 14:32
4. Posted by Jim Addison | August 31, 2007 2:54 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
John in CA ~ I've seen the restriction mentioned before, in connection with other "exploratory" committees, but cannot cite chapter and verse of the law.
Glenn Koons ~ As others have noted, while Fred skips the debate on the 5th, he will appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and will probably have an audience there several times that the declared candidates will have for the debate.
If he hadn't already planned an internet roll-out and concurrent "house parties" for the 6th, he probably could have made the biggest splash by announcing on Leno.
4. Posted by Jim Addison | August 31, 2007 2:54 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 31, 2007 14:54
5. Posted by John in CA | August 31, 2007 4:09 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
I did poke around the FEC website for a bit and couldn't find anything that proved my belief or proved yours. But, admittedly, I didn't look real hard. It was late and was making my head hurt.
I did find that if you were a candidate for a federally elected office, Senator or Representative, you can transfer excess campaign funds to a Presidential campaign. But we know that - witness Hillary. So, if you can do that, why shouldn't you be allowed to transfer exploratory committee funds to the actual campaign.
It's all just too complicated.
5. Posted by John in CA | August 31, 2007 4:09 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on August 31, 2007 16:09