newsflash: fred thompson takes a nap
by David Clark
Published: February 4, 2008
As we all know, Fred Thompson’s bid for the White House is done. Whether due to exhausted funds or exhausted ambition, Fred put an end to the quest for his “Dream Home.” Regardless of the reason, on January 22, 2008, Fred Thompson’s campaign for the presidency ended and his push for the vice presidency began - at least that’s what we thought. Before dropping out, he had suggested he’d enjoy lying in wait behind a potential President McCain - while also lying in bed everyday until noon, then again on the couch from three until supper and once more sometime during the evening, likely in his favorite La-Z-Boy chair, reclining to the therapeutic gossip of Entertainment Tonight, before calling it a day.
With such a plumb job on the line, we have to wonder why Fred has let twelve precious days go by without endorsing another candidate?
It should be noted, though, that Thompson’s campaign, while the shortest lived of all the remaining candidates, still carries with it a weight of importance - even more so now in death than in life. After all, Fred had originally been chosen by the influential National Right to Life Committee as the candidate who best represented their agenda. With other candidates still vying for the top spot as the socially conservative choice, particularly Governor Mitt Romney, the reality of an endorsee-less NRLC is impossible for anyone to ignore. The two-fold question has now become, who will benefit the most from Thompson’s withdrawal, and does Fred realize that the Republican nomination could hinge on his endorsement? Earth to Fred: wake up!
Many have suggested that Senator John McCain will benefit the most, Fred having siphoned votes away from him in some early primary states. However, the overlooked candidate in all of this has been the libertarian-leaning Republican Ron Paul. He holds similar fiscally-conservative ideals as Fred Thompson and has an even more consistent conservative voting record, while also being fully pro-life, even on the death penalty. As the Paul candidacy struggles for relevance in the shadow of the McCain-Romney face off, a Thompson endorsement is Paul’s last shot at White House.
It’s very likely that a decent percentage of Thompson’s supporters could soon find themselves participating in Ron-Paul-esque “money bombs,” and continually casting their eyes skyward in hopes of catching a passing glimpse of a certain rEVOLutionary blimp. Though Thompson will likely endorse McCain, his former supporters may not all follow suit. As a recent Newsweek article points out, according to exit polls in Iowa and South Carolina, Thompson’s biggest appeal was among voters who described themselves as “very conservative.”
Fortunately for these voters, the most conservative member of Congress is still running. Unfortunately, the only man capable of reviving his campaign is taking a nap.
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