With little notice, Fred Thompson endorses McCain
As a presidential candidate, Fred Thompson will be remembered for the listless, almost apathetic way in which he ran his campaign. At times, it seemed he went out of his way not to make a splash. And so it was with his endorsement of John McCain.
Thompson delivered his imprimatur to McCain via a statement, rather than some sort of telegenic public event. And he did so fairly late in the day Friday, which he surely knows usually means minimal attention or bounce.
As the McCain camp attempts to get more and more Republicans to wrap their minds around the idea that he will be their nominee, it no doubt will welcome having Thompson on board. But it's also safe to assume that many McCain aides, and perhaps the candidate himself, are thinking it would have been more helpful for Thompson to have tipped his hand ...
before last Tuesday.
Tennessee -- Thompson's home state -- was among those with a primary on Super Tuesday. And in the GOP contest, Mike Huckabee edged out McCain by two percentage points.
Of course, given how Huckabee absolutely decimated McCain in today's Kansas caucuses -- despite strong support for McCain from one of the state's U.S. senators, Sam Brownback (another former presidential contender) -- perhaps Thompson's backing would have meant as little earlier as it does now.
-- Don Frederick
Andrew Malcolm's immigrant parents repeatedly stressed the importance of active participation in a democracy. Early lessons included learning the alphabetical list of states by watching televised roll calls of national political conventions. That childhood exposure led to a lifelong fascination with politics, including 40-plus years of covering them and a brief stint practicing them as press secretary to Laura Bush in 1999-2000. A veteran foreign and national correspondent, Malcolm served on the Times Editorial Board and was a Pulitzer finalist in 2004. He is the author of 10 nonfiction books and father of four.
Johanna Neuman is a veteran Washington correspondent for both The Los Angeles Times and USA Today, having covered presidents and politics as far back as Ronald Reagan. A former president of the White House Correspondents Assn., she authored a book on media and foreign policy, “Lights, Camera, Wars.” Most recently she was co-author of the 
Subscribe to this Blog
I don't believe your information at all. WHERE IS THE STATEMENT, WHERE IS THE VIDEO?????? Your IGNORANT LA Times if you think we will BELIEVE your words simply because you print them. SHOW US SOME PROOF OF WHAT YOU SAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here's a thought. FRED comes out in the next few days with Mitt at his side. THEY both speak to the future of this great country and commit to reentering the race, with their delegates, as a TEAM!!!!!! Would that be something or what!!!! FRED!!!! Give it some thought!!!!!!!!!!!!
God Bless and good night
Jeff Childress
St. Louis
Posted by: Jeff Childress | February 09, 2008 at 09:55 PM
THE DRAFT - Why has no one broached the draft in light of Mr. McCain's avid interest in years of active participation in war in the Middle East? We are currently scraping the bottom of the competency barrel in military recruitment at this point - years and years of war comes with a price tag of American lives, loss of limbs not to mention an expense that, given our current economic condition is not conducive to success. Will we be taking out an Adjustable Rate Mortgage on our country from China?
Posted by: Meredith Kurz | February 10, 2008 at 04:54 AM