Thompson Dropping Out Before New Hampshire?

[jon31rm]

Sorry if this has been mentioned:

CBS Evening News reported tonight that Thompson would immediately drop out if he finished lower than the top three in Iowa, and would back McCain.

1. Has this been mentioned anywhere else? Is this report credible?

2. If Thompson does drop out, would Fox News have Ron Paul take his place on the Forum bus? Would Ron Paul even accept an invitation at that point?

Discuss.

[Adamsa]

I don't know if backing McCain can stop a Paul train. :D

[curtisag]

Thompson is pathetic, he never should have run for President. He never really wanted to do what is required to win anyway.

[chiplitfam]

Those old fellas need each other to hold each other up!

[fuzzybekool]

Thompson should quit. It seems his wife wants to be President more than he does. No passion left. It ain't his fault. Ron Paul is just too big out there and Thompson knows it.

[WilliamC]

Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. Fred seemed to expect the nomination to fall into his lap.
Unfortunately for him it didn't. He would like the prize but is not willing to work for it.

[AgentPaul001]

I'm not sure if Thompson dropping out would help us or not. He's not really competitive in New Hampshire anyway.

And we don't want McCain to pickup much more momentum.

[Sergeant Brother]

Those old fellas need each other to hold each other up!

RP is older than both of them. :P

[WilliamC]

I'm not sure if Thompson dropping out would help us or not. He's not really competitive in New Hampshire anyway.

And we don't want McCain to pickup much more momentum.

Something tells me McCain isn't going to :)

[Johnnybags]

Thompson should quit. It seems his wife wants to be President more than he does. No passion left. It ain't his fault. Ron Paul is just too big out there and Thompson knows it.

Fred is going to get squat so he needs to prop up the weakest link in fundraising, McCain. Keep Mr Amnesty going a few more months. FRED is done.

[chiplitfam]

But Ron takes Revolution vitamins!

[prlgrl]

Sorry if this has been mentioned:

CBS Evening News reported tonight that Thompson would immediately drop out if he finished lower than the top three in Iowa, and would back McCain.

1. Has this been mentioned anywhere else? Is this report credible?

2. If Thompson does drop out, would Fox News have Ron Paul take his place on the Forum bus? Would Ron Paul even accept an invitation at that point?

Discuss.

It will give Ron a seat on the Faux News Bus. Ron will be in double digits tomorrow. What will they say then?

[UtahApocalypse]

So that will be the play heh... Thompson drops out making room on the bus. Fox still can claim that was why the original exclusion, and have RP on.

[evadmurd]

Thompson has always been a front for the McCain campaign. That was the only reason for his campaign. Maybe a McCain VP?

[jake]

unfortunate campaign.

Hopefully some Thompson supporters would join this campaign (What were Thompson's positions anyways?!)

[ItsTime]

I hope so! If Fred drops out my grandfather will vote for Ron Paul (my grandfather lives in Maine)

[Mortikhi]

he said if he didnt get 2nd or better in iowa, he was quitting.

no, i dont have a source. i heard it on npr.

[kushaze]

Lets make good with the Fred supporters and hope that they join up with us.

[Dave Pedersen]

Didn't you guys know FOX's bus shrinks on command from David Rockefeller?


It's tha splendidly amazing shrinkable bus.

[Brian Ristuccia]

Sorry if this has been mentioned:

CBS Evening News reported tonight that Thompson would immediately drop out if he finished lower than the top three in Iowa....

Now if Thompson drops out on Thursday or Friday, will Fox still claim there's no room in the trailer this weekend?

[Paulitician]

Hopefully his supporters don't hear this news. This could be a big motivator for them...

[nist7]

Thompson just filed to get on the Texas primary ballot....which is in March.

It looks like Fred has no plans to drop out anytime soon......

[FreedomLover]

this is good, i bet they're are some thompson supporters who would go paul.

of all the other candidates, thompson was the only one i was okay with, and if it weren't for RP, i mightve ended up supporting him

[jon31rm]

From MSNBC.com:

"2nd — Where Fred Thompson said he needs to finish in Iowa.

3rd — Where he'll be lucky to finish. One poll had him tied for fourth with surging Ron Paul."

...so, apparently Thompson wants to finish in the top 2, not top 3. Hahaha...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22475436/

[fortilite]

Bad news, he drained some votes from other neocons.

[Jeremy]

Well #5 is obviously lower...


But him backing McCain is not good for us in NH.

[nist7]

We want Fred to stay in the race as long as possible...this will split up the neocon votes

[RPTXState]

We want Fred to stay in the race as long as possible...this will split up the neocon votes

Have him leave before Texas. Not only do we need a win in this delegate-rich state, but 90% of the poeple who support Fred (that i've talked to) said they wouldn't mind backing Paul if Fred quits.

[zaffa]

What does everybody think would happen if Thompson placed higher than Mccaiin?

[ronpaulitician]

Was Fred Thompson a different politician than the one who runs for president?

[freedominnumbers]

LOL how could thompson back McCain? McCain has none of the same stances.

[davidhperry]

this is good, i bet they're are some thompson supporters who would go paul.

of all the other candidates, thompson was the only one i was okay with, and if it weren't for RP, i mightve ended up supporting him

I agree. I considered voting for Fred before I knew about Dr. Paul.

[davidhperry]

LOL how could thompson back McCain? McCain has none of the same stances.

Supposedly they are good friends.

[fj45lvr]

LOL how could thompson back McCain? McCain has none of the same stances.

I think you are confusing what they SAY and what they actually believe.....these are two completely different things.

[Jobarra]

Now THAT would be interesting :D Thompson 4th, McCain 5th. Thompson curses and endorses McCain. Many Thompson supporters scratch their heads and mouth "WTF?"

I would love to see this... Thompson bows out after Iowa. Huck and Duncan bow out after New Hampshire. I think ultimately Huck's supporters have to come to us and McCain. McCain is almost broke, he just doesn't have the grassroots + money to match up against us. Rudy and Romney just can't take the South(except for Florida) and Midwest(except for Utah). This race could be REALLY interesting after Feb 5th with no clear winners. Just wait until our grassroots get into 'berserk' mode trying to hit all those late states up for votes :D

If I were any of them though, I wouldn't give up until after Feb 5th. If I had the money, I would go the distance even if I was losing. Some of them don't have the money though.

[MozoVote]

If this happens, the "fringe" candidate Ron Paul will have outlasted Gilmore, Tommy Thompson, Brownback, Tancredo, and ol' Freddy.

[Cardinal Red]

Unless something amazing happens. So I expect he'll drop out. That probably hurts us a bit in the short term, but longer term, we've thinned the herd by one more. Giuliani is done as well, he just hasn't figured it out yet.

That leaves RP, Mccain, Huckabee and Romney. Which will mean a lot more attention for us.

Gilmore, Tommy Thompson, Brownback, Tancredo and now (likely) Thompson-- we've outlasted them all-- just a few more to go!

[RP4ME]

i belive he was paid to be an actor in teh drama of the election - seriously...I think there was a plan perhaos it failed...anyway ba-bye

[dirknb@hotmail.com]

We'll pick up some of his supporters. And not lose them.

[Goldwater Conservative]

But him backing McCain is not good for us in NH.

Thompson has been struggling to stay above the margin of error there. Even then, his support won't necessarily transfer to who he endorses. Some of his supporters would go to the two other "tough-looking" guys of the race, McCain and Julie. Romney would pick up a few, especially people who were sympathetic to Tancredo and agreed with him on immigration.

Paul could pick up a surprising amount. I for one still like Thompson (he seems to be the most popular top-tier candidate around here other than Paul), and I've noticed a lot of his supporters like our guy. If nothing else, they can appreciate Paul's conservative credentials (even if they disagree on the war) and can probably relate to how disrespected and even marginalized he's been.

[richk]

If I had to vote for someone other than Paul, it would've been Thompson. I don't know how much of what he says he actually means :o, but it sounds the best out of all the Repubs other than Ron.

I wonder though, cause I have a few people at work for Thompson, yet despise Ron due to his FP. FP still seems to be #1 Neo-con issue-- very disturbing. :(

[Carole]

But he seems so young in spirit that he seems like a twenty-something. :D:D

[Carole]

Exactly!! Unfortunately Fred Thompson is a CFR member, too and is a neocon. I will have to write in Ron Paul if he is not the nominee for Republican Party. I will not settle for anything less than a vote for Liberty.

[Scott Wilson]

Why would a candidate drop out after doing bad in Iowa?

Iowa is one state out of fifty. How stupid.

The magnification of Iowa by the media is insane in my opinion.

[Josh]

Why would a candidate drop out after doing bad in Iowa?

Iowa is one state out of fifty. How stupid.

The magnification of Iowa by the media is insane in my opinion.

lack of $$

[born2drv]

Thompson talks a lot about the constitution, states rights, pro-2nd ammendment, etc.... we can win over his supports I believe.

[richk]

Thompson talks a lot about the constitution, states rights, pro-2nd ammendment, etc.... we can win over his supports I believe.

If they can forget their WOT silliness, yes. I just do not know anymore, such brainwashing. :(

[deedles]

(What were Thompson's positions anyways?!)

mostly horizontal

:)

[RonPaulFTFW]

mccain is nothing.

how can a guy tied to the iraq war be the come back kid?

I tell you though, my parents like Ron Paul a lot and they liked Thompson. I bet money a lot of thompsons people will go to Paul. There is overlap there for some reason.

[cindy25]

Biden, Richardson, Dodd will all drop out and endorse Hillary within the next week also.

Hunter may also drop out before NH, and Rudy not long after.

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

We want Fred to stay in the race as long as possible...this will split up the neocon votes

It also splits up the talking time. Time that's already heavily biased against Paul. The sooner some of these clowns drop out, the better. We know Paul has staying power.

[AggieforPaul]

I want him to stay in the race. McCain will be even tougher to beat with a Thompson endorsement.

[AggieforPaul]

mccain is nothing.

how can a guy tied to the iraq war be the come back kid?

I tell you though, my parents like Ron Paul a lot and they liked Thompson. I bet money a lot of thompsons people will go to Paul. There is overlap there for some reason.

They both have Southern ties, and both camps think Rudy is a fake. I think a few Fredheads will join us, but the majority will go to McCain.

[RedLightning]

Its funny how before he even got into the race he was considered a front runner, but now he can't even seem to stay awake.

[Bradley in DC]

CBS Evening News reported tonight that Thompson would immediately drop out if he finished lower than the top three in Iowa, and would back McCain.

2. If Thompson does drop out, would Fox News have Ron Paul take his place on the Forum bus? Would Ron Paul even accept an invitation at that point?


Wouldn't that just mean McCain gets two seats? :p

[wildflower]

I haven't read the whole thread, so I don't know if someone already said this... but according to FT, it's not true, just a rumor that someone "made up out of whole cloth."

http://blogs.iowapolitics.com/caucus/2008/01/thompson-poor-finish-in-iowa-wont-end.html


Is anyone else a bit worried that Hunter will drop out and endorse Fred or one of the others which could give them a boost? (I agree with those who said it's better they all stay in the race and split up the pro-war vote)

[MayTheRonBeWithYou]

Politico is reporting Thompson likely to drop out after Iowa, and the Wall Street Journal just published an article that can only be described as a eulogy for Fred's campaign.

Now we just let Mitt, Huck & McAmnesty tear one another down, while Ron continues his steady rise.

[joshdvm]

politico.com:Fred Thompson may drop out (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0108/7682.html)

You know, I really disliked him at first, but he actually just might be the least bad of all the other guys-- laziness is an extremely desirable quality in an executive, imo.

But of course, you can't take for granted his remaining lazy once he's attained office and is tempted by the intoxication of power. And untrustworthy he certainly is, even as he is apparently lazy.