BREAKING NEWS: Fred Thompson ambles back to the sidelines

Republican Fred Thompson dragged his feet getting into the presidential race, much to his detriment. He moved more expeditiously getting out of it, issuing a simple, three-sentence statement today announcing -- to no one's surprise -- that he was ending his candidacy.

Thompson bowed to what became inevitable after his third-place showing in Saturday's South Carolina primary. Less than an hour after the polls closed that night, when it was already evident he would be an also-ran, Thompson addressed his supporters in the state -- remarks that walked right up to a withdrawal but stopped just short of it. Since then, he has been absent from the campaign trail.

Some of his higher-profile backers had jumped ship before Thompson officially abandoned it. Earlier today, ex-New York Sen. Al D'Amato -- who like many Republican leaders had not so many months ago viewed Thompson as the candidate who could magically cure what ailed the GOP presidential field -- switched allegiance to John McCain. (D'Amato seems mainly motivated this campaign season to sidetrack fellow New Yorker Rudy Giuliani, long a political foe.)

Thompson entered the White House race with a semi-splash, you'll recall, using the couch on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" to proclaim his candidacy in early September. But by that time, the bloom was already off his rose. His clear interest in running -- and efforts to generate support for such a bid by his longtime political mentor, Howard Baker, and other respected Republicans -- had been a hot topic ...

in the political world throughout the spring.

But Thompson dithered. He started acting like a candidate but avoided formally becoming one. By the late summer, his flirtation had grown oh-so-old (and spurred growing criticism). And his decision to choose the "Tonight Show" venue to make his move turned out to be a misstep. While he was in Burbank, the other Republican contenders were in New Hampshire for a debate, and Thompson's snub of that gathering was never forgiven by many in the Granite State.

Thompson leaves the race having secured all of five convention delegates and amid speculation that at some point he'll endorse McCain (a Senate colleague in the 1990s). But he never developed much of a cadre of committed supporters, so those who were leaning his way in upcoming primaries may well scatter to different candidates. A state senator in Georgia who had been backing him, for instance, on Monday switched to Mitt Romney.

When the book on the '08 campaign is written, Thompson will be mainly remembered for providing an object lesson in how not to mount a campaign.

For the record, here are his tallies in the GOP contests to date:

-- Iowa, 13%

-- Wyoming, 25%

-- New Hampshire, 1%

-- Michigan, 4%

-- Nevada, 8%

-- South Carolina, 16%.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[Nash]

I expect most of Fred's support will be divided between McCain, Romney and Paul. Those who want a "winner" at any cost will go with McCain. Those who want a warmongering "fiscal conservative" will look past his questionable record and adopt Romney and the small federalist and 2nd amendment contingent who can look past the 100 years war in Iraq will go with Paul.

[Dan Campbell]

Thanks for helping to all of the Fred Thompson supporters. Please turn your conservative and Christian views to Governor Mike Huckabee. He is the best choice for our President!!!

We support him 100%

Dan Campbell
Sgt., USMC

[Taylor]

To all Fred Thompson supporters:
You may be looking for a new candidate, but if you want to go with one that will care about traditional conservative values, vote and support Ron Paul!
ronpaul2008 (dot) com
RON PAUL 2008!

[PA Huckabee supporter]

Thanks for all that you have done for our country, Mr. Thompson! Hopefully Mike Huckabee's conservative views which are similar to yours and his great track record as Governor of Arkansas for over 10 years will appeal to your followers. May God bless you!

[everyday]

There were only three real conservatives in the race, Thompson, Romney and Hunter. Now there is one left ..Romney. Backing Romney now is a no-brainer. We need a conservative to run America no matter if he is a Mormon, a Baptist or an Athiest. When it comes to politics real conservativism is my religion! McCain, Huckabee and Rudy are NOT true conservatives!

[politicalsanity]

Now that Thompson and Hunter are out of the race, I'm wondering just when the media might start providing coverage of the Ron Paul campaign. It can't be that the field is too crowded with only 5 Republican candidates remaining-- and that total is likely to fall soon, since both Huckabee and Giuliani have their staffs working without pay.

Pretty soon it will become clear to the rest of the country what the Paulunteers have known for awhile-- that there is an intentional media blackout of Ron Paul.
The media (with a notable few exceptions) have ceased to be objective news reporters and have lost their credibility.

[Dan]

In a Republican party where everybody seems to have divergent opinions, it is sometimes hard to stand back and appreciate the similarities, not only between the candidates, but between a candidate and his party's platform. For many Republicans, and most true conservatives, this cycle has been a dissapointing, if not alarming one. It comes on the heels of two terms of expansionist foreign adventurism, deficit spending, wasteful government programs, gross federal mismanagement, and repeated scandal. That the very nature of conservatism has become a prime issue to Republicans is indicative of the fractures in the party and its electorate.

If you take away the names and the (R)'s and the rhetoric and look, side-by-side at the records of the Republican candidates, some trends become apparent. The majority of Republicans seeking nomination do not set any sort of conservative standard in their projects or voting record. Some could even be classified objectively as liberal! Mass amnesty for illegal immigrants? No Child Left Behind? Raising taxes 47 percent? One called Barry Goldwater an "incompetent, confused, and sometimes idiotic man." The list goes on, but the party will not, if candidates think that a hawkish foreign policy and some lipservice to small government are the only credentials necessary for success.

The Ron Paul community has always had a bit of a soft spot for Fred Thompson. He isn't taken to cackling at ideas of small government, he isn't keen on snap judgements, and he cares about the core of the Republican party. When our candidate was excluded from a Fox Debate, Fred brought up many of the same issues that Ron may have raised. While it is a competition, we always felt glad that at least somebody else understood the principles of conservatism, and the important thing was that the message was being heard. But now Fred Thompson has left us, after rough showings in states that wear their philosophy on their sleeves until it comes time to actually vote. This is disheartening, because the future of our party and of the very word 'conservative,' we feel, has now been winnowed down to one last candidate... Ron Paul.

We need a coalition of thinkers, of people who can look past the rhetoric, see beyond the posturing. We need conservatives in mind and spirit. This is our party, and it is a confused one. But we must never confuse our principles, and in that refusal, we can light the way to victory and a restoration of real values in government.

Will you join us?

Fred Thompson on the issues:
http://www.fred08.com/Pri...
Ron Paul on the issues: http://www.ronpaul2008.co...

[Dan]

To be quite honest, Ron Paul is the guy with views that are most similar to Thompson.

[Cleaner44]

Fred Thompson supporters are smarter and more conservative than Huck's, JulieAnnie's and McCain's. I suspect most of them will join the Ron Paul Revolution and work to return the Republican party to conservatives much to the dismay of the Neocons.

[Russ]

From the beginning I knew I could only vote for a true conservative: Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson. At this point it is unequivocal, Romney has my vote!

[Marcelo]

In a Republican party where everybody seems to have divergent opinions, it is sometimes hard to stand back and appreciate the similarities, not only between the candidates, but between a candidate and his party's platform. For many Republicans, and most true conservatives, this cycle has been a disappointing, if not alarming one. It comes on the heels of two terms of expansionist foreign adventurism, deficit spending, wasteful government programs, gross federal mismanagement, and repeated scandal. That the very nature of conservatism has become a prime issue to Republicans is indicative of the fractures in the party and its electorate.

If you take away the names and the (R)'s and the rhetoric and look, side-by-side at the records of the Republican candidates, some trends become apparent. The majority of Republicans seeking nomination do not set any sort of conservative standard in their projects or voting record. Some could even be classified objectively as liberal! Mass amnesty for illegal immigrants? No Child Left Behind? Raising taxes 47 percent? One called Barry Goldwater an "incompetent, confused, and sometimes idiotic man." The list goes on, but the party will not, if candidates think that a hawkish foreign policy and some lipservice to small government are the only credentials necessary for success.

The Ron Paul community has always had a bit of a soft spot for Fred Thompson. He isn't taken to cackling at ideas of small government, he isn't keen on snap judgements, and he cares about the core of the Republican party. When our candidate was excluded from a Fox Debate, Fred brought up many of the same issues that Ron may have raised. While it is a competition, we always felt glad that at least somebody else understood the principles of conservatism, and the important thing was that the message was being heard. But now Fred Thompson has left us, after rough showings in states that wear their philosophy on their sleeves until it comes time to actually vote. This is disheartening, because the future of our party and of the very word 'conservative,' we feel, has now been winnowed down to one last candidate... Ron Paul.

We need a coalition of thinkers, of people who can look past the rhetoric, see beyond the posturing. We need conservatives in mind and spirit. This is our party, and it is a confused one. But we must never confuse our principles. By refusing to do so, we can light the way to victory and a restoration of real values in government

Will you join us?

Fred Thompson on the issues:
http://www.fred08.com/Principles/PrinciplesSummary.aspx?View=OnTheIssues
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues

[Joe]

Senator Fred Thompson is a great American and was going to be a great President untill Mike Huckabee came into the picture. Hopefully Fred can get a Vice Presidential bid under Senator McCain who I am now surpporting.

[Charma]

I am a FredHead and I can tell you who I will not support . . . McCain, Huckabee, Giuliani or Paul. I am currently,while feeling shell shocked, deciding if I will support Romney or write in Fred.

Just an FYI for those of you who support any of the above. Do not come to Fred Thompson blogs or forums and try to talk us into voting for your candidate. We know where all the candidates stand and that has been the reason all along that we were supporting Fred.

In our own time we will all choose the candidate to support if only to make sure that no Dem makes it to the White House.

[Celi]

It will be a cold day in hell before I vote for Huckabee now that Thompson is out. McCain is the logical choice.

[JP]

A lot of you need to look at the facts. McCain and Huckabee are in the wrong party. These men are liberals in disguise. Pro-life? Sure Evangelical vote? Whatever. Look at the facts, look at the issues. The only two REAL conservatives left are Romney and Paul, and Paul is losing hope of winning fast. If you want a real republican in office, vote for Romney and forget all that P.O.W. junk.

[Roger]

Fred Thompson was the ONLY candidate in this race with his dignity, morals and more than adequate vision of how this government was created and meant to operate! He is our only hope and I WILL be writing him in, even if I am his only vote, it is the only way I will be able to sleep well. ( I am NOT republican by the way) I am an American, I can see past party lines and vote on the candidates themselves, not what party they belong to. These americans claiming that....."It doesn't matter as long as we dont have a "dem" or "republican" (whichever party they favor) in the whitehouse" need a serious wake up call. Does this mean they would be as mindless as to vote for a rabid monkey if that monkey happened to be their party nomination to represent them in the race? I would certainly hope not, however I am afraid that some people would.

[Anne Marie]

Vote for Ron Paul... the truest conservative!
Since the media won't show you who he is, google him or go to RonPaul2008.com and read his platform.
No other candidate has a solid plan to help our economy, protect our homeland / borders, and bring us back to the standards on which our country was founded... The Constitution.
www.RonPaul2008.com

[Kay]

Mitt Romney is the only choice now. He is the true conservative- he will cut taxes and create jobs. He is the ONLY candidate the understands the economy and knows how to bolster it. He has been doing it for 25 years.
Go MITT!

[e]

Fred was never serious about wanting to become President

[MC]

Ron Paul is going to win, and I love it.
Ron Paul is my hero because he is the ONLY candidate who wants the government to perform according to law.
When you make politics equate with lawlessness (such as going to war without declaring a war; anyone ready for those treason trials?) then our society becomes lawless.

[Norman Sukut]

Why anyone would have taken Fred Thompson seriously after his spurning of the Washington he wanted to lead leaves me baffled. He was at best an undistinguished Senator/Actor that fled the scene when he found out it was tough work. Go back to CSI. I want someone that really wants it.

[Chip Shirley]

......................................Mitt Romney's MLK Lie.............................................

You know that the corporate-media likes Romney when they let MLK Day pass without even mentioning Romney's blatant lie about having seen his father march with Martin Luther King! He only told that story a few weeks ago? A reprise of that story during the event could have mortally wounded him, but that's not how the game is played by CNN, MSNBC and
FOXNEWS etc.

Huckabee is the only candidate who attended the MLK memorial in Atlanta. He got over 45% of the African American vote in Arkansas and he got
the endorsement of many of the clergy at the King event. He also was invited to sit with the King family. Any of the other R candidates would be getting kudos through the roof for this, but the corporate media only compliment candidates who they OWN.

Mike Huckabee was a Republican Governor who inherited a deficit and left a
surplus. He also took Arkansas from 48th to 8th in education. Huckabee is the REAL Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. 'Read All About It!'
mikehuckabee.com