Former Senator and Law & Order star Fred Thompson continues his shakedown cruise for a post-Labor Day announcement.
Those dastardly Floridians didn’t really think they’d get away with jumping their presidential primary ahead of California’s, did they? Over the weekend, the national Democratic Party moved to eliminate all of Florida’s delegates to next summer’s nominating convention in Denver if the state persists in its plan for a January 29th presidential primary. It’s one of the issues shaping the week ahead in presidential politics.
In this week leading into Labor Day weekend, never the most action-packed in the year before the action presidential election, the presidential campaign looks to focus on three major developing areas. The ongoing struggle over the definition of the latest phase of the Iraq War, the timing of the early primaries, and the development of Fred Thompson’s long-in-the-making candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination.
First to Mr. Thompson and his nascent campaign, once said to be readying an announcement around the 4th of July, now seemingly set for an announcement not long after Labor Day.
Now on his third campaign manager, Thompson continued his run-up to a formal candidacy last week with appearances at the Midwest Republican Leadrership Conference in Indianapolis and the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Kansas City. He didn’t make a lot of headlines at either appearance. At the VFW, he was overshadowed by Democrat Barack Obama, appearing the same day, who tried the time-honored trick of telling the crowd what they did not want to hear. Namely, that he will begin a withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.
Thompson, of course, took an opposite tack, arguing to stay the latest course.
It was no surprise who got more attention. While most of the crowd didn’t like the substance of what Obama said, they responded respectfully.
It’s looking now, although it’s hard to be sure with the repeated almost launches, like Thompson will formally announce his candidacy for president via an online video. Then he will follow up with a tour of early primary and caucus states. His first appearance in a Republican presidential debate is likely to be in late September.
Needless to say, he won’t take part in the Texas Republican straw poll on August 31st.
While at times earlier this year in this lengthy run-up to candidacy, Thompson has appeared to be close to or even in the lead — in the Rasmussen robopoll, which uses automated calling of poll respondents — he now seems to be running significantly behind Rudy Giuliani in national polls. As in the latest Fox News poll, in which Giuliani leads Thompson, 29% to 14%.
But national polls can turn very quickly depending upon the results of the early contests, and Thompson and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney are highly competitive in the early states of Iowa, Nevada, South Carolina, and New Hampshire.
Speaking of the early states, Florida is trying to crash its way into the first group of four, with its legislature and governor adopting a plan to move the Sunshine State’s presidential primary to January 29th, a move that might cause an accordion effect with the first four. But on Saturday, the national Democratic Party moved to enforce party rules and block the move, with the party’s rules and bylaws committee, meeting in Washington, voting unanimously to strip all national convention delegates from Florida should it persist in the move.
That would turn the Florida primary, at least on the Democratic side, into nothing more than a so-called beauty contest …
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Wasn’t Thompson in The Hunt for Red October with Sean Connery?
Wasn’t Thompson in The Hunt for Red October with Sean Connery?
I think Thompson is boring.
I think Thompson is boring.
I sispect the bloom is off Mr. Thompson’s rose.
I sispect the bloom is off Mr. Thompson’s rose.
Even if Florida moves its primary to January, after the re-count, the re-re-count and the court challenges, the vote still won’t be official until June.
Very nice!
So Hillary’s people now say the surge ISN’T working. Let me know when THAT weathervane stops spinning.
But do you suspect it?
>Jonathan Hemlock :
I sispect the bloom is off Mr. Thompson’s rose.
Aug 27, 2007 08:36 AM
He was.
>Jonas Blane :
Wasn’t Thompson in The Hunt for Red October with Sean Connery?
Aug 27, 2007 05:54 AM
Well, the National Intelligence Estimate doesn’t make it sound like it’s working. That came out three days after her VFW speech.
>Brasky :
So Hillary’s people now say the surge ISN’T working. Let me know when THAT weathervane stops spinning.
Aug 27, 2007 08:56 AM
No delegates, no Florida primary. So sad.
Thompson sounds like a nice guy. However, he isn’t saying anything memorable.
He’s going to have to ramp it up.
Most of us already knew the Surge wasn’t working. The big news of the NIE was that the Surge CAN’T EVER work.
Did Thompson act with Connery in Hunt for Red October? I don’t remember him in the movie?
No. Thompson played an aircraft carrier commander who had to help Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) get out to where he could link up with the Soviet submarine stolen by Capt. Ramius (Connery).
Incidentally, NWN passed 38,000 comments sometime in the last week.
It’s like Seven Degrees of Fred Thompson…
The Fred Factor. It’s everywhere.
My Bacon Number is 2.
What’s a Bacon Number?
It goes with the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
It’s about how close one has come to working with Kevin Bacon.
If you have Bacon Number of 1, that means you appeared in the same show as Kevin Bacon.
If you have a Bacon Number of 2, that means you appeared in the same show as someone who appeared in the same show with Kevin Bacon.
And so on.
It goes with the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
It’s about how close one has come to working with Kevin Bacon.
If you have Bacon Number of 1, that means you appeared in the same show as Kevin Bacon.
If you have a Bacon Number of 2, that means you appeared in the same show as someone who appeared in the same show with Kevin Bacon.
And so on.
William Shatner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sean Connery and Ronald Reagan all hold Bacon Number 2.
Oh and Bruce Lee.
Interesting which actors you looked up …
Other than Bruce Lee (who’s connected through the movie Marlow – a great flick), all the actors have been “friends” of NWN.
Which reminds me, the Oracle didn’t know Fred Thompson the first time I searched. I have since added his middle name – he also has a Bacon Number of 2.
What were you in that got you to Bacon Number 2?
Bill was in an episode of “Mr. Sterling”, staring Josh Brolin. Josh Brolin was in the Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.
But maybe Bill has another route – the “Oracle of Bacon” doesn’t recognize Bill’s name.
Actually, that’s right!
Imdb is a terrific resource, but it has gaps and isn’t always complete. It’s generally close enough.
I am a registered w/IMDB and could submit any corrections your entry needs…
>Bill Bradley :
Imdb is a terrific resource, but it has gaps and isn’t always complete. It’s generally close enough.
Thanks, Dana. I appreciate the thought, but the page is fine enough.