Fred’s “I Paid For This Microphone Moment”

Fred Thompson is getting some good reviews of his debate performance this afternoon, while the Des Moines Register (or as we used to call it “The Locust Street Liar”) is getting hammered for running a joke of a debate. The former Senator got a couple of good shots in, most notably when he went after the idiocy of the debate format:

Note the focus meters going through the roof—if Thompson can connect like that more often this race could get very interesting.

Thompson could easily come in a strong third in Iowa, which gives him some room in the key contests in South Carolina and Florida. This race is very much up in the air, and Romney, McCain, Giuliani, Thompson and Huckabee all have paths to the nomination. Again, look at how the actual results in Iowa confounded the pollsters in 2003—expect that something similar could result this year as well.

5 thoughts on “Fred’s “I Paid For This Microphone Moment”

  1. “if Thompson can connect like that more often this race could get very interesting.”

    The first step would have to be for Grandpa Fred to actually get out on the campaign trail and engage the public in his quest to become President……and more than one or two events per week.

    “Thompson could easily come in a strong third in Iowa”

    Thompson may very well finish third in Iowa, but it will be anything but a “strong third”. If he pulls in 15%, I’d be incredibly shocked. I’m looking for more along the lines of 11-12%.

    On behalf of everybody reading this blog entry scratching their head, please inform us what possible “path” Fred Thompson has to the Republican nomination at this stage? Did we all miss the part where Tennessee moved their primary up to Dec. 30?

  2. The first step would have to be for Grandpa Fred to actually get out on the campaign trail and engage the public in his quest to become President……and more than one or two events per week.

    Which is coincidentally what he’s doing…

    Thompson may very well finish third in Iowa, but it will be anything but a “strong third”. If he pulls in 15%, I’d be incredibly shocked. I’m looking for more along the lines of 11-12%.

    That’s about where he is now. All he has to do is get a few points ahead, which isn’t all that hard when he’s concentrating heavily on Iowa. He could take some from Huckabee, some from Romney, or even some from the also-rans.

    On behalf of everybody reading this blog entry scratching their head, please inform us what possible “path” Fred Thompson has to the Republican nomination at this stage? Did we all miss the part where Tennessee moved their primary up to Dec. 30?

    Decent showing at third place in Iowa. Wins South Carolina on the 19th, Florida on the 29th. That momentum shifts into Super Tuesday on 2/5 which is when the nomination will likely be decided. Look at how many Southern states are part of the Super Tuesday race—if Fred holds on by then he’s got a chance.

    At this point, it’s anyone’s race. Romney could win, Fred could win, Rudy could win, Mike Huckabee could win, and McCain could win. Other than the fact that Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo have no chance and should pack it in now, this race is wide open. (Ron Paul, who has no chance, has enough money to last through Super Tuesday and probably won’t concede until the day before the convention.)

  3. Unless Thompson scores a surprisingly strong third in Iowa (and there’s no evidence yet he stands to), the less-than-five-percent and likely sixth place showing he’s looking at in New Hampshire will take away any momentum he may have going into South Carolina. The only thing that could save Thompson is a COMPLETE meltdown of Huckabee, who is currently sucking away the vast majority of Thompson’s only strong constituency…..southerners. But if Huckabee implodes, particularly in Iowa, it’s hard to see any other beneficiary of that implosion that Slick Willard, which puts Thompson in an equally impossible situation of holding off Willard in South Carolina after inevitable Willard victories in New Hampshire and Michigan that follow a Huckabee-less major Willard win in Iowa.

    Thompson has to do or so something very bold to change the complexion of this race in the next 10-15 days if he hopes to be a player in January. If he continues on autopilot, he has no chance of capitalizing on any potential loss of momentum by the top-tier candidates.

  4. Thompsomn has no chance becuase republicans voters in general, of which I am one, have no interest in old grump Fred. We dont need his brand of politics……the reason Huckabee is surging is because folks are seeing him as the candidate of the future, of hope and of change on the GOP side. There is no way a guy like Thompson can win the general….

  5. The latest Iowa poll shows Thompson continuing to fall….tied with Giuliani at 9%, with Huckabee at 33% and Willard at 24%.

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