The Candidates
??????? And, in addition,?this report indicates that Fred Thompson won the Gwinnett County Republican Convention straw poll last Saturday. And while I am?on the record as believing that straw polls are overrated, especially those which are so high profile?that some candidates spend a ton of money to influence them, you have to be impressed by?someone who does well in them without applying any organizational influence and when their ultimate candidacy is still in doubt.
I was one of those who said from the beginning that Fred Thompson would get in this presidential contest and significantly influence it. And though I am highly suspicious of polling data this early and prior to candidates announcing and engaging one another (as well as straw polls), the strength of Fred Thompson reflected in these numbers is quite impressive given his lack of an organization, formal candidacy, and media apperances. The sum total of it has to be influencing him in the direction of running.
March 27th, 2007 at 8:40 am
Should have also mentioned that Gingrich placed 2nd in this very same straw pole. Let’s see here, the top two guys in this straw pole have not even announced and may not even run. That is very telling.
March 27th, 2007 at 9:25 am
I think Thompson will definitely announce since several prominent Republicans in Tenn. have already endorsed him. All these polls are seemingly like school kids threatening each other on the playground, “My dad can beat up your dad,” type stuff.
I think what it’s really showing, along with everybody announcing their running, is what disarray the GOP is in. Yesterday’s WaPo had a story about Republicans and the war.
All this is not good. We need a representative democracy on the GOP, not just a all out democracy like we have now. It tends to border on anarchy.
March 27th, 2007 at 9:49 am
Fred Thompson hurts Giuliani the most and that is why Giuliani will win the nomination. This is because Rudy is seen in the same light as Thompson as a traditional, conservative, strong leader. Also, because thompson ain’t goin’ nowhere!!
March 27th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Does anyone else see a Giuliani/F. Thompson ticket? It seems to make too much sense. Nice balance, good personalities, Northeast/South, strong conservatives (on seperate issues).
It’s interesting.
March 27th, 2007 at 10:31 am
Interesting JohioW.
I think if Giuliani get the nomination he goes with Rice. (Hillary - women - the black vote, etc.)
I think if Thompson wins the nom, he goes with Rudy, as does ANY OF THEM.
Rudy is the man!!!!!! Yeah!!
March 27th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
Cwpete, your take is just more evidence that so many Republican voters are not satisfied with the GOP presidential field as currently constituted. There can be no doubt that there is a lot of latent support out there for both Speaker Gingrich and Senator Thompson.
JohioW, I don’t see either Mayor Giuliani or Senator Thompson as having the personality to settle for Vice President. We’ll see.
March 27th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
I think the most “prominent” Tennessean to endorse Fred Thompson, is Bill Frist. One of the most ineffectual, weak former senators to have served.
March 27th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
cwpete: That’s a Georgia poll and Newt is FROM there. That straw poll is very telling when Fred did nothing to win it, and win it huge.
KT: Fred will very Rudy a very strong run for the nomination. Very strong. Rudy would certainly go with Rice– except she’s pro-choice. No, Rudy will not accept a VP slot. I thought you understood him better than that. I could see Thompson picking Romney, McCain (they’re friends and he’d help in the general), Pawlenty (great guy, key region).
JohioW: I’ve long said Thompson would be a great VP pick, and that was long before this happened.
Republius: Thompson would be VP. Rudy wouldn’t.
March 27th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
David B: I did not mean that Rudy would accept a veep slot - - I meant that ofcourse, any one of the potential nominess would WANT Rudy on their ticket. I know Rudy, yes, and I wasn’t clear.
March 27th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
KT-
I don’t know whether or not you are from Tenn., but there have been a number of Tennesseans (former Sen. and White House chief-of-staff Howard Baker, a number of Congressmen including John Duncan who had been backing Romney, plus all the Republican state legislators except for two.
I realize that national news doesn’t cover state political news, unless it’s really big, but in the state of Tennessee these are prominent people, even if they aren’t nationally.
I still think that as long as so many Republicans are undecided, the door will remain open and people will keep jumping in hoping they have what it takes to make everybody happy. This election is wide, wide open and probably will be for some time.
March 27th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
:-O ok, Gary, but we were talking about Thompson supporters in Tenn. (??)
March 27th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
KT-
I’m not sure I follow you. Thompson is getting a lot of support from
prominent political Tennesseans, like Baker, Duncan, and Wamp, and I don’t think these people are pushing him for lack of something else to do. Frist is still important, no matter what he’s thought of nationally.
Is Frist the weakest senator we’ve had? I don’t think so. Frist could have done more, no doubt, but how much more, after everybody turned to national security, I think is questionable.
And no matter what neocons say, working in the 2006 campaign, I never heard people say they were upset with the GOP in Congress. It came down to the war in Iraq.
Which brings up another question: Does anyone seriously think that with Condi Rice’s ties to the war, that she would be a viable candidate?