George Allen has endorsed Fred Thompson and will occupy a top-spot on his campaign leadership team per Marc Ambinder:
Former Sen. George Allen has endorsed Ex-Sen. Fred Thompson’s presidential campaign and will serve as a member of Thompson’s national leadership team.
Also, Thompson will announce today that former TN Sen. Howard Baker will serve as his national campaign chair.
Other members of the leadership team include former State Dept. official Liz Cheney and former Sen. Spence Abraham.
Several of Allen’s former advisers are raising money for Thompson or have agreed to serve as advisers to his campaign.
This has been rumored for some time and is not all that surprising considering that FDT has filled the niche that Allen would have occupied in this field.
October 8th, 2007 at 11:30 am
I don’t think I would want anyone with the last name Cheney on my campaign.
October 8th, 2007 at 11:32 am
Cheney and Allen, wasn’t that the Mascott for the republican party in 2006?
October 8th, 2007 at 11:36 am
The Democrats made a mistake in going after this guy, George Allen. He’s as dumb as a brick, and he would be a sure loser in the general election, if the Republicans were to be stupid enough to nominate him. Instead, they traded two years of control of the Senate for an easy victory in the presidential race, next year.
October 8th, 2007 at 11:58 am
If Allen keeps his mouth shut this endorsement probably won’t hurt Thompson too much. The last thing Thompson needs is to be bogged down having to answer for Allen’s macacas.
October 8th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Looks like many here view Allen as a political liability. I’d have to agree with that.
October 8th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Liz Cheney was announced sometime in July. I remember posting here when she was hired, so that isn’t anything new. I knew Allen was behind Thompson’s candidacy from the getgo. He was one of the original pushing for a Thompson campaign back in March. I’m glad he’s done this officially though. He might not have been a good candidate, but he’s a likeable fellow.
October 8th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Sorry, I’m a little out of it. I’ve been working this morning, but I’m glad Baker has stepped up as well. That was a given too, but although he’s moderate, he’s respected in many circles, and well liked as a person.
October 8th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Allen is damaged goods. I’m speaking as a Virginian here. Granted I liked him better than Gilmore, he has no future in Washington. If Fred Thompson really wants to get a lighting rod into his campaign, he should hire Ralph Reed.
October 8th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
This this endorsement supposed to be a good thing?
October 8th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
I meant “is this”
October 8th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
Allen is completely radioactive. This is a curious announcement.
October 8th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Oh boy! Who is George Allen? Is he supposed to be a well-known person?
October 8th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
In any event, was there supposed to be a fight for Virginia’s delegates anyways?
October 8th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Shawnie,
He was the early favorite to win the GOP nomination before he got defeated for re-election to the US Senate by a dumb comment and got borked by Jim Webb’s campaign.
October 8th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Oh yeah, the reason this was announced today is because Allen will be serving as Thompson’s Campaign spokesman in the press room after the debate.
October 8th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
George Allen endorses Fred,,,, not very surprising that he would vote for the actor over the Italian-American frontrunner, considering what a racist and bigot he is.
October 8th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Awakened,
Agreed. I rejoiced when George Allen had his Macacca moment, and again when he lost to Jim Webb. Given the party’s infatuation with Fred, there’s absolutely no doubt Allen would have been the nominee competing against a field so bereft of “true conservatives”. And he would have lost by staggering margins. But, frankly, I find your opposition to Allen puzzling in light of your interest in Fred. Allen had a superior resume. He undoubtedly was more abreast of current issues. And he at least had sincere hints of Southern charm and charisma, qualities Fred is utterly bereft of. I’ve been trying to go on ol’Fred of late, so I’ll leave it at that. Tomorrow may well be the last time I’m capable of looking at Fred with anything like open-mindedness. If he’s a dud in tomorrows debate, after being a dud in every setting I’ve yet seen him in, then I’ll be forced to consider him..well, a dud. And a George Allen waiting to happen.
October 8th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
#15 Tommy, I’ve been reading articles about how Thompson rushes out after appearances, saying he will take questions by the press, but then rushes to his SUV and drives away without giving the press any time.
Also, I read that he doesn’t ask people very many questions at events and doesn’t make very much eye contact. The Great Communicator?!
Now, if he is having George Allen answer questions for him after the debate, how do we really know who is running for the nomination? Fred Thompson or George Allen? Is Fred Thompson just a figurehead — because he plays a president on t.v.?
Is Fred Thompson so afraid of answering questions in person that he has to have someone else speak for for him?
If so, this is just really pitiful!
If this is normal, that someone other than the candidate answers questions after the debate for all the rest of the candidates, let me know. I’m not familiar with this.
What’s going to happen – are they going to put a microscopic earpiece in Thompson’s ear and have someone feed him the answers at the debate – because he doesn’t do well without a script?
Tommy, I know you really like this guy, but I just don’t understand why he is even a candidate.
October 8th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
beth,
I read articles saying many different things about each candidate. I’ve found more than half of them have conflicting stories. I’ve read some really vile things about all the candidates. Some are quite amusing.
Know what I think about them? Not much. The MSM wants their opinions to be the final say, and if a candidate tells them to take a hike, then they can be vicious in their coverage.
I don’t put much stock into them, especially the left leaning ones.
October 8th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Matt: ‘But, frankly, I find your opposition to Allen puzzling in light of your interest in Fred. Allen had a superior resume. He undoubtedly was more abreast of current issues.’
Well, I don’t really judge candidates on the basis of their resume or awareness of curent issues. I think about what kind of judgement a candidate has, about his positions on the issues. And I do think that Thompson has the judgement to be president. But Allen… oh boy, George Allen. I dislike Allen so much that I’m not sure I could bully myself into voting for him in the general election. He’s unintelligent and utterly obnoxious, he’s a terrible speaker, a terrible debater, a terrible everything. I cringed whenever I heard him speak on the Senate floor. I wouldn’t say that Thompson has all these negative qualities.
‘And he at least had sincere hints of Southern charm and charisma, qualities Fred is utterly bereft of. ‘
I don’t find Allen charming at all. Maybe it’s just me, but he rubs me the wrong way. Thompson is a different story. He calls them as he sees them, or at least, does that more often than other politicians. I don’t know, I just like the guy. He comes across as a true individualist. He’s a federalist with libertarian tendencies. I think he would veto the Internet-gambling ban that Bush and Allen supported. He’s not much of a Southerner, really.
‘If he’s a dud in tomorrows debate, after being a dud in every setting I’ve yet seen him in, then I’ll be forced to consider him..well, a dud. And a George Allen waiting to happen.’
Well, I think that he will dud (I presume that’s something negative) in the next debate. The expectation bar has been set so high for him, that practically everything will come as a disappointment for all but his most cultish supporters.
I’ll concede that Thompson is somewhat of a gaffe-machine, but that may be because he’s only getting started now. Giuliani and others had their fair share of gaffes when they started their campaigns. Remember the ‘public funding for abortion’-meltdown? He favored the Hyde Amendment, and yet he allowed a CNN-interviewer to goad him into saying that he does favor it. All he had to say is this: “Yes, I did support public financing for abortion, in cases of rape, incest and for the life of the mother. And that’s what the Youtube-video was about, but that part where that was made clear, was cut out.” Yet months after the fact, people still believe that he wants to fund all abortions – or maybe that’s what they want to believe. That’s when his slide in the polls really began.
October 8th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Bethtopaz: ‘Is Fred Thompson so afraid of answering questions in person that he has to have someone else speak for for him?’
Yes, Thompson is the only person who has a spokesperson. Shame on him!
Seriously, have you ever seen a candidate answer questions in the post-debate ’spinning room’? If not, why are you only trashing Thompson?
October 8th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
This endorsment by Senator George Allen is HUGE. You may disparage Sen. Allen now but remember that he was likely the presumptive nominee had he won his Senate seat or even had he retired from the Senate and not sought another term. Not only will he be a huge asset to the campaign but he will likely bring his talented campaign manager and Rove protoge, Dick Wadhams, on board. George Allen could also be key to winning the Rush Limbaugh sweepstakes this cycle for his all-important and influential endorsement which could help sway the primary.
October 8th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Is that a joke? Sen. Allen ran as incompetant a campaign as Sen. Kerry did.