Is it safe to assume Fred Thompson is done?

[BushKenya]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/19/nh.gop.poll/index.html

I'm thinking, and have thought for his entire campaign, that he's done.

I also believe that there is no lock for the Republican nomination, yet.  Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney can both win it, and if he gets a big boost from Iowa and South Carolina, Mike Huckabee can still win it.  I'm not so sure about John McCain, though I'm not going to rule him out at this point.

The only one I will rule out is Fred Thompson.

[dead0man]

It was only a matter of time before the people that thought he was Reagan Lite realized he wasn't.

[MODU]

I would say so.  He waited too long to enter.  It's the same reason why Newt declined to enter, watching how flat Fred fell upon his announcement.

[politicaltipster]

Find it funny that mid-September is considered 'too long' when as late as 1999 McCain officially declared on September 27th, and then came close to pulling off an upset against Bush. However, I think the chances of Thompson winning have greatly receeded.

[MODU]

Find it funny that mid-September is considered 'too long' when as late as 1999 McCain officially declared on September 27th, and then came close to pulling off an upset against Bush. However, I think the chances of Thompson winning have greatly receeded.

Unfortunately for Fred, this isn't a "typical" (if there is such a thing) election.  When people enter the race 10 months before you, that is a major handicap to overcome.  This is why I preach that the third-parties need to get their act together and nominate someone BEFORE the two parties begin to start their campaigns.

[Mr. Morden]

Find it funny that mid-September is considered 'too long' when as late as 1999 McCain officially declared on September 27th, and then came close to pulling off an upset against Bush.

But he first announced his exploratory committee in December 1998:

http://www.iop.harvard.edu/events_road_to_presidency_timeline2000.html

and was basically running throughout 1999.  He then said in April that he would definitely be a candidate, but waited until September to stage the "formal announcement".  The actual declaration of candidacy was just a formality.  He'd already been campaigning hard for months at that point.

Of course, Thompson also had an exploratory committee a few months before announcing his candidacy (I think he formed it in June).  The difference is, in his case, he really did do a very very minimal amount of campaigning before the formal announcement.  And in fact, even after the announcement, he's only done a minimal amount of campaigning.

[TheresNoMoney]

Thompson is generally clueless. He is very uninformed about many current events and has no idea where he stands on some of the top issues.

[True Federalist]

Depends on how he spins his losses in Iowa and New Hampshire and how fractured the field still  is come February 5.  If he can improve his performance between now and then and spin those losses as being due to his late entry in the race, he still has a chance.  A very small chance, but I think he'll do better once the campaign goes from retail to wholesale politics.

[politicaltipster]

Unfortunately for Fred, this isn't a "typical" (if there is such a thing) election.  When people enter the race 10 months before you, that is a major handicap to overcome.  This is why I preach that the third-parties need to get their act together and nominate someone BEFORE the two parties begin to start their campaigns

Fair enough point, I was just pointing out that standards have changed a lot in 8 years and McCain was the most obvious example I could think of. I think it's pretty well established that Fred Thompson is no John McCain!

[All life is a blur of Republicans and meat.]

Fred Thompson has to be about the most unexciting stump speaker ever.

[MODU]

Fred Thompson has to be about the most unexciting stump speaker ever.

Eh, it's not the worst, but it definitely lacks the charisma that Edwards, Obama, and Huckabee have.

[Aizen]

Stick a fork in Fred, he's finished

[Former Moderate]

Romney, Giuliani, Huckabee, and McCain all have genuine pathways to winning the nomination.  Thompson does not, unless a miracle happens and he changes personality-wise.

[So the Heroes Fall]

LOL, Thompson is behind Paul.

Fred's dead baby, Fred's dead.

[BushKenya]

Its a real shame, too, that Fred is done.  If I were to vote Republican, which I probably won't, I would have had Thompson right behind Huckabee.  Now, besides Huckabee, there is no other Republican I can really support.  Romney would be the other most logical one in my opinion, but I even have doubts about him, and it has nothing to do with his Mormonism, unlike a lot of other doubters.  In fact, the fact that he has a faith makes me more likely to support him, even if I don't agree fundamentally with Mormonism.  There is no other really good candidate in the Democratic Field, either.  So, thats kind of why I support Hillary Clinton -- by default.

[Χahar]

Yes.

[Aizen]

Its a real shame, too, that Fred is done.  If I were to vote Republican, which I probably won't, I would have had Thompson right behind Huckabee.  Now, besides Huckabee, there is no other Republican I can really support.  Romney would be the other most logical one in my opinion, but I even have doubts about him, and it has nothing to do with his Mormonism, unlike a lot of other doubters.  In fact, the fact that he has a faith makes me more likely to support him, even if I don't agree fundamentally with Mormonism.  There is no other really good candidate in the Democratic Field, either.  So, thats kind of why I support Hillary Clinton -- by default.

You're quite good at getting off topic, aren't you?

[BushKenya]

Its a real shame, too, that Fred is done.  If I were to vote Republican, which I probably won't, I would have had Thompson right behind Huckabee.  Now, besides Huckabee, there is no other Republican I can really support.  Romney would be the other most logical one in my opinion, but I even have doubts about him, and it has nothing to do with his Mormonism, unlike a lot of other doubters.  In fact, the fact that he has a faith makes me more likely to support him, even if I don't agree fundamentally with Mormonism.  There is no other really good candidate in the Democratic Field, either.  So, thats kind of why I support Hillary Clinton -- by default.

You're quite good at getting off topic, aren't you?

LOL   Hey, its my topic!!!

[jokerman]

Thompson has a window to perform well in Iowa and win South Carolina.

[All life is a blur of Republicans and meat.]

Thompson has a window to perform well in Iowa and win South Carolina.

Really? This window must be out of my view.

[M]

Thompson has a window to perform well in Iowa and win South Carolina.

Really? This window must be out of my view.

And mine.

[So the Heroes Fall]

South Carolina maybe, but Iowa, no.

[Dr. Cynic]

In the words of the late, great Gorilla Monsoon:

"Stick a fork in him, he's done!"

[All life is a blur of Republicans and meat.]

South Carolina maybe, but Iowa, no.

Well he won't be able to do much in SC if he totally flops in IA and NH. Clearly the state of New Hampshire is looking at him as some kind of joke candidate and it looks like Iowa is moving towards that viewpoint as well.

[All life is a blur of Republicans and meat.]

In the words of the late, great Gorilla Monsoon:

"Stick a fork in him, he's done!"

Is this wrestling day on the Altas?