The rumor on the internets today is that Fred Thompson will likely drop out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination and push supporters to John McCain. All predictions point to a poor showing in Iowa. Couple this with a national campaign lacking spark, and it’s easy to believe Fred’s hours are numbered.
Thompson’s campaign, which last spring and summer was generating fevered anticipation in the media and with some Republican activists, has never ignited nationally, and there are no signs of a late spark happening here in Iowa, where even a third-place finish is far from assured.
This reality — combined with a fundraising drought — left well-connected friends and advisers of Thompson Wednesday evening predicting that he will pull the plug on hype and hope before the Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary.
Thompson’s departure could shake up the race more than his continued presence. Friends and advisers said they have long considered it likely that if the lobbyist-actor is forced from the race he would endorse John McCain, his former Senate colleague who lately has been staging a political revival in New Hampshire.
“Without a solid third-place finish, there’s no point in going on,” a Thompson adviser said Wednesday. “It was an honorable race, and he turned out to be a good candidate. The moment had just passed.”
Let’s face the facts – Fred’s heart just hasn’t been in this thing. I don’t know what he expected, but it sure looks like he thought he’d be automatically nominated with little or no effort. Soon as he found out he’d have to actually shake a few hands, eat at a couple drive-ins and make appearances at a dozen county fairs, he mentally checked out of the race. All that talk of Fred constantly running for protection in his air conditioned trailer now start to make sense. Ah, those actor types…too bad his conservative talk was just a good script.
Update: Liar liar pants on fire.
Tags:
2008 Election, Politics, Republicans, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Iowa Caucus