Fred - Not Till October?
Give It To Us Straight
By California Yankee Posted in 2008 — Comments (49) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Speaking to reporters at the Midwest Republican Leadership Conference, former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson told reporters he "expects to officially announce his candidacy in either September or October."
Does this mean Fred's recent pre-announcement lacks credibility? Maybe not, consider the Associated Press report on Fred's speech. According to the AP, Thompson is still expected to announce his bid early next month, saying he will "certainly be making a statement within short order."
Fred's stealth campaign needs to get its act together and give it to us straight about when Fred will announce.
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Fred - Not Till October? 49 Comments (0 topical, 49 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
I was intrigued about Fred's candidacy, but have to say less so now. Let's go, Rudy....I want to beat those dems
I agree Fred needs to get in the race in early September. I was very enthusiastic about him, but it's important he come out and say something.
Donors have held out, waiting to see what he is going to do and this has depressed fundraising for other candidates making them look bad. Fred is sucking up the oxygen in the room and in fairness to everyone, he needs to make his intentions clear. He's been coy long enough; he's spent months now familiarizing himself with the issues. He already knows there has been criticism of his long non-candidate status and his non-campaign had not rebutted the perception that he was coming in right after Labor Day. He also has to know that if he waits longer his campaign will suffer -- I certainly would have major doubts about him. He needs to be on the same stage debating with the other candidates on Sept. 27.
If the debates actually involved a routine back and forth, rather than being moderator-centered, maybe they'd be useful. But when the game plan is for the moderator to ask questions, and the candidates to just work in part of their stump speech into the answer every time, it doesn't achieve anything.
So I don't think he loses anything by not being in them.
I agree with you Neil the debates are not that useful as constructed. My point was that Fred needs to put himself out there like the other candidates and stop being coy. It would be fine if he decided to skip debates as long as he made up for it in offering vision.
What does Fred gain OVER his competition, as a prospective candidate, when he starts being just like his competition? Why does he *need* (your word, not mine) to drop down and be part of the gang?
I didn't say he needs to be just like the competition nor does he need to drop down. It was my being underwhelmed by the field that really got me excited about Thompson. If he waits to get in until October and still ends up getting the nomination, then his strategy is brilliant and I will be eating my words. But I think it is more likely that he would drop from the top tier.
Good thing nobody who has an agenda of pushing other candidates ever posts on Red State, so that we can get an even handed analysis of the candidate.
haystack's 12th:
Conservatives (and Presidential Candidates especially) shall offer no aid and comfort to the opposition in times of legislative conflict (and ensuing political campaigns).
until Labor Day but after that he is playing with fire. The voteing is starting to take place way to soon to waiting until October.
I have been holding to my contribution (as meager as it may be) but I doubt many others will hold any longer.
It is time to.... or get off the pot.
"I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way."
John Paul Jones (letter to M. Le Ray de Chaumont,16 Nov.1778)
Rudy just came out with his tax policy over the weekend- and it is hardcore conservative policy.
Rudy Giuliani has the achievements, desire and ideas to be the next President of the USA..
United States Air Force
http://airforcepundit.blogspot.com
They need to find a message on the formal announcement and stick to it.
The coy, flirtatious approach may work in dating but not in presidential campaigns.
This whole election thing is viewed as just another reality show by a lot of Americans anyway... don't you know the sexiest one always wins?
< half-sarcastic>
Are you referring to the fact that different rumors have had different dates?
Ever think that some of this rumor mongering might be, oh, not entirely grounded in fact?
As a fellow Tennessean, I will say around next Tuesday, the 4th is the day. Don't let this "hunt" for Fred October get you running over to another camp. Keep your powder dry. Enojoy the holiday weekend then come back and get ready to go to work.
I'm calling you for a title the next time I write a blog entry. Brilliant!
...when they see me they'll say, "There goes Loren Wallace,
the greatest thing to ever climb into a race car."
....the best contribution Fred can give would be for him to raise the issue of entitlement reform, which he seems to have championed to this point. I hope the real contenders like Rudy and Romney tackle the issue soon.
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
...a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right...
---Thomas Paine---
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/romney_encounter...
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/favorables/elect...
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/2008_republican_...
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/south_carolina_t...
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/daily_presidenti...
...a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right...
---Thomas Paine---
You don't see the others going after each other nearly as much as they are going after Fred.
I'm still on the fence with Rudy and Fred leading the way. Mike ... please just run for Arkansas Senate.
This only plays into the "lazy" accusation, and after all this I might start believing it!!! Declare already grandpa!
Darn it all Fred, you must declare on fast200's time schedule and not your own!!!!!
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The CIA has better politicians than it has spies - Fred Thompson
I think the biggest single reason why the Democratic Presidential candidates have raised so much more money than the Republicans is due to Fred not yet officially entering the race. I think a lot of donors, particularly the grassroots, are waiting to see him perform as a candidate and are thus holding out on writing checks.
I agree that the 2008 campaign has started earlier than I would like, but we need to adapt to the new rules of the game, or we're going to get beat. A candidate needs to raise around $500 million to be competitive, and the Republicans are getting badly beat at the money game by the Democrats.
It also hurts Fred, at least from my perspective, that his reluctance in entering the race seems to go along with the "gossip" that's floating around that Fred is a bit lazy, and doesn't take his job very serious. He seems to like the good life of being a Hollywood actor more than he did being a US Senator, where he had a very unremarkable record.
Ideologically speaking, I'm closer to Fred Thompson than all the other candidates, but I do feel there is some truth to these rumors. I don't see Thompson campaigning as hard as a Giuliani or Romney, and I also unfortunately see him being a "Vacationing President" if he were to win the White House, being a little too laid-back to get much accomplished.
I'm still very open to his candidacy, but his reluctance to enter the race has fueled my reluctance to support him.
"Back in the thirties we were told we must collectivize the nation because the people were so poor. Now we are told we must collectivize the nation because the people are so rich. "
William F. Buckley, Jr.
I agree that the 2008 campaign has started earlier than I would like, but we need to adapt to the new rules of the game, or we're going to get beat.
But does the public? Are they getting burned out already? Do they care at this point?
What if the smart play is waiting? You assert a question as a statement of fact. Yes, several of the candidates have started the 2008 cycle early, but that doesn't mean the public has.
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The CIA has better politicians than it has spies - Fred Thompson
Fred doesn't appeal to independents: he's the dream conservative candidate, but Fred Thompson is no Reagan. He lacks both the charisma and the energy, and both are required to run as a far-right wing candidate.
And what does the price of beans in June have to do with any of that?
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The CIA has better politicians than it has spies - Fred Thompson
"...far-right wing candidate?" I am not sure which is worse the use of leftist rhetoric, or the mischaracterization of Fred's record.
...a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right...
---Thomas Paine---
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The CIA has better politicians than it has spies - Fred Thompson
R vs D fundraising only matters in the summer leading up to the conventions, when the candidates are jsut spending off all their money in the runup to when they'll start suckling at the federal subsidy.
We'll get our money when someone has enough delegates to take over. Before then it doesn't matter.
It is my understanding that neither the Democrat nor Republican nominee will likely accept federal matching funds because by doing so, you will have to abide to caps on fundraising.
Both candidates will likely greatly exceed these caps, and will likely prefer to rely purely on private contributions.
The money race does matter, as candidates that can raise a lot early on can better organize and get out their message in a lot of key states in preparation of the general election.
A candidate can never have too much money!
"Back in the thirties we were told we must collectivize the nation because the people were so poor. Now we are told we must collectivize the nation because the people are so rich. "
William F. Buckley, Jr.
The comment I was replying to bemoaned that the Ds combined had raised more than the Rs combined, implying that we're at some future disadvantage as a result.
When in fact all that's going to happen is that when the R race is concluded, our donors will just kick it into high gear to catch us up and more.
(Never mind the fact that HRC's fundraising totals are bloated by the fact that some of her donors are giving 4k a pop, blowing their whole primary and general election donations at once, so she isn't actually ahead like the numbers may seem).
The primary schedule may be compressed, but that just means there's going to be MORE time afterward to gear up for the pre-convention airwave battle as both sides drain out their primary warchests.
So even if we ARE behind, we can catch up. And I think we'll catch up all the more easily if FDT wins, actually, because of all our candidates, he's the least likely to split us.
We are quickly approaching the, "What's the point?" phase.
Romney/Owens '08?
Romney/Huckabee '08?
Romney/Martinez '08?
Romney/Coleman '08?
Solid Veep picks all.
Paul/Paul '08!
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The CIA has better politicians than it has spies - Fred Thompson
Fred is apparently waiting for the end of Lawn Order season re-runs so the other candidates can't ask for equal time. Bad planning and execution on his part as his listening campaign has gone stale and appears amateurish.
If October is not too late to announce, when IS too late to announce? Can the rabid Fredheads help the rest of us establish a baseline?
I have nothing against the man, and would likely support him if he gained some steam, but the comments from his solid supporters that consistently downplay his announcing are approaching comedy.
before the first primary/caucus. That's about the time "real" people start paying attention.
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The CIA has better politicians than it has spies - Fred Thompson
Thompson has waited way too long to announce his candidacy. He had the momentum in May and June but now it will take a miracle for him to come out of the blue and beat the likes of Rudy Giuliani. Sorry Fred-Heads, this race is Rudy's to lose.