Fred Thompson was supposed to finally make it official on the 4th of July and announce his candidacy for president.
Not going to happen.
Sure, Thompson personally benefits by not formally getting into the race.
But what about the GOP v. the Democrat Party?
In terms of fund-raising, the Republicans are way behind the Dems.
I consider this to be a serious problem.
The Republicans are idling while the Dems are putting the pedal to the metal.
I was hoping that by the 4th an announcement from Fred Thompson would jump-start the Republicans.
I was hoping that momentum and attention would shift away from the Dems.
According to strategists from both parties, the "gap in enthusiasm and confidence between the [Republicans and the Dems was being] driven in part by President Bush’s low approval ratings, the war in Iraq and the failure of any of the Republican candidates to emerge as a clear front-runner."
It seems to me that the Republicans are missing an opportunity. The Dem Congress has the lowest approval ratings EVER.
The war in Iraq would remain an issue, but if Thompson would make a definitive move now, the Republicans could make hay from the low approval ratings of the Dem Congress and a Republican front-runner might emerge.
That would bolster confidence and build enthusiasm.
Thompson could bring some excitement and interest to the race.
Instead, his failure to announce his candidacy is acting as a drag on the party's hopes for 2008.
At present, Thompson's approach has to be seen as a detriment.
That's not the role he was supposed to play.
Not going to happen.
WASHINGTON -- Fred Thompson, who was once expected to announce his presidential candidacy on the Fourth of July, has decided not to rush into the contest, since he is already passing rivals as a noncandidate.
The former Tennessee senator is outpolling Republican rival John McCain, whose cash-strapped presidential campaign fired some staffers Monday and asked others to work for free. As a noncandidate, Thompson doesn't have to worry about the mechanics of running a campaign.
But Thompson's success has not gone unnoticed by rival campaigns or the media, both of which have turned up the heat on the TV and film actor in recent weeks.
During the weekend, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said Thompson "doesn't have a lot of experience." And The New York Times ran a front-page story scrutinizing Thompson's grown sons, who are lobbyists.
"I think a lot of it is just fear," Thompson spokesman Mark Corallo said. "Our Republican rivals don't know what to make of this movement.
"It is very hard for somebody who has been running for, in some cases, well over two years to turn around and look in their rearview mirror and see a guy blowing by you who wasn't even thinking about it six months ago, who hadn't raised a nickel up until June 4th, and yet who's having all of this unbelievable success without too much effort."
...As for the earlier reports of a Fourth of July announcement, campaign aides said that was an unfounded rumor that didn't come from them.
Sure, Thompson personally benefits by not formally getting into the race.
But what about the GOP v. the Democrat Party?
In terms of fund-raising, the Republicans are way behind the Dems.
Two more Republican presidential candidates disclosed new fund-raising totals today that underscored the tough political environment for their party and the big money advantage that the Democrats have built so far.
Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, who led the Republican field in money raised in the first three months of the year, said donations to his primary campaign had dropped by a third in the second quarter, to $14 million from $20.5 million.
...Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former New York mayor, raised slightly more in the second quarter than he did in the first: $17 million including $2 million that he can use only if he wins the Republican nomination, versus $16 million. But unlike the first quarter, when his fund-raising operation was just getting up and running, his campaign was fully operational in the second quarter.
...Mr. Romney and Mr. Giuliani released the figures a day after Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, reported that he raised less money in the second quarter than in the first, would slash the size of his staff and would focus his campaign on just a few early voting states.
...Charles Black, a senior adviser to Mr. McCain, suggested that part of what was happening was that some donors were holding back to see if another Republican — in particular, former Senator Fred D. Thompson of Tennessee — enters the race, as he is expected to do formally in the next few weeks.
“The general mood is bad throughout the party,” Mr. Black said. “There are some donors that are used to giving money all the time, and there are a whole bunch of people who are more casual donors who need to be fired up. The Democrats on the other hand are totally fired up, intensely fired up against the president.”
I consider this to be a serious problem.
The Republicans are idling while the Dems are putting the pedal to the metal.
I was hoping that by the 4th an announcement from Fred Thompson would jump-start the Republicans.
I was hoping that momentum and attention would shift away from the Dems.
According to strategists from both parties, the "gap in enthusiasm and confidence between the [Republicans and the Dems was being] driven in part by President Bush’s low approval ratings, the war in Iraq and the failure of any of the Republican candidates to emerge as a clear front-runner."
It seems to me that the Republicans are missing an opportunity. The Dem Congress has the lowest approval ratings EVER.
The war in Iraq would remain an issue, but if Thompson would make a definitive move now, the Republicans could make hay from the low approval ratings of the Dem Congress and a Republican front-runner might emerge.
That would bolster confidence and build enthusiasm.
Thompson could bring some excitement and interest to the race.
Instead, his failure to announce his candidacy is acting as a drag on the party's hopes for 2008.
At present, Thompson's approach has to be seen as a detriment.
That's not the role he was supposed to play.
2 comments:
Rudy Giuliani has the greatest potential to be that leader, that person who fires up the party. He is an American hero. Although security, the "war on terror" and 9/11 are clearly his battle cries, he needs an additional issue charge up the party. Otherwise, his campaign will be waiting around for the next terror threat to shine. Such events are (hopefully) out of his control. He cannot run a campaign for President of these United States being dependent upon future threats or tragedies.
This party and this nation need a serious leader in these times. A true and real accomplished statesman with proven abilities, a passion to lead and an impressive set of credentials - not an actor who sits on the sidelines appearing to be toying with the sacred privilege of leading this great nation which might just be the last hope for freedom and liberty in this world.
Giuliani has the populist appeal, and can beat Hilary Clinton because on social issues he leaves her very little from which to distinguish herself, and he has a successful record to which he can cite on cue. He does not need to bolster his national security credentials. He is already perceived as being the candidate with the best, with the sole possible exception of John McCain. In a general election of Giuliani vs. Clinton, the social issues become a wash, and Clinton can be painted as the clear tax-raiser, and as being soft on terror through association with President Bill Clinton.
Still, where is the other battle cry? Where is the other issue which will fire up the base of the party other than the "war on terror?" The Democratic Party has Bush, Cheney and Iraq to fire them up. With these weapons in the Democratic arsenal, and given the fact that every current Republican candidate (inevitably) supported President Bush and the war in Iraq, the Democrats are going to be difficult to beat. Well, this blogger believes that the Republican Party needs to recognize now that it must fire itself up and rally around the only front runner who is actually in the race, and quickly. This means compromise. This means putting some issues on the back burner for 2008 and choosing a candidate with populist appeal who is a centrist. ...an candidate who can diffuse the Democratic finger pointing ...someone who moderate Democrats and independents will not fear. That person is undoubtedly Rudy Giuliani. Get on board now Republicans, or you are simply giving away this election to Hillary Clinton.
The additional spark can be acquired through a consolidation of power. This party needs two, not one, super-star candidate to beach the Democrats in 2008. My sincere hope is that John McCain, who is an undeniable American hero in his own right and Rudy Giuliani will find common ground, accept the unfortunate ’08 odds and begin positioning themselves to eventually run together as a form of double ticket, or “super-ticket.” This country gets fired up by “dream teams.” I hope that all egos can be put aside, and these two can start opening the door open to join forces to defeat the Anti-Bush powerhouse. The patriots vs. the politicians.
I agree that the Republicans need to show some urgency and get their act together if they want to prevail in 2008.
I don't think McCain can reverse his complete loss of momentum at this point.
But who knows?
Anything can happen.
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