Fred is Finished

The writing has been on the wall for a while, but Fred Thompson made it official on Tuesday. He ended his campaign to be the Republican nominee for president.

Thompson's statement:

Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort. Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people.

I think that conservatives did benefit from Thompson's candidacy.

His presence in the race helped initiate some needed reflection by conservatives. What is the status of the conservative movement in 2008? What are the shared principles that unite conservatives? What really matters?

I don't think Thompson's unsuccessful bid is indicative of the end of Reagan conservatism by any means.

Writers and pundits promoting liberalism desperately want to proclaim the Reagan era of conservatism dead and buried. Even some self-proclaimed conservatives are content with that assessment.

They're wrong. What Thompson stood for wasn't rejected. There was nothing wrong with his principles. His problem was his campaign. He was playing catch-up from the beginning. There's no question that his late start put him at a tremendous disadvantage.

I also think the mainstream media played a significant role in Thompson's failed run.

For example, from the New York Times:

Mr. Thompson, 65, entered the campaign powered by the high hopes of conservative Republicans who were disappointed with the field of candidates and hoped that Mr. Thompson — a television actor and former counsel to the Watergate committee — could rally conservatives behind him. But Mr. Thompson instead brought a phlegmatic style to the campaign trail, and his candidacy never took off.

Mr. Thompson ruminated for many weeks about whether to run. By the time he entered the race, much of the excitement had dissipated. His speaking style swung between folksy and laconic to the point of sleepy.

He played to loud applause at the National Rifle Association and picked up the endorsement of anti-abortion groups. But rival candidates like Mr. Romney and Rudolph W. Giuliani rushed to refashion themselves as conservatives, changing some long-held positions that were more socially moderate.

That caused Mr. Thompson no end of frustration, but he never found a way to convince Republicans that his bona fides entitled him to their vote. And he drew considerable criticism for his flagging, flickering energy — some of his walking tours lasted just 10 or 15 minutes, and he often took few questions.

This overview of Thompson's effort is filled with the stuff that the lib media have been putting out from the onset of his campaign.

Thompson barely got any positive, substantive media coverage. When he did get attention, it was negative. I think the negative press stuck because it was simple and repeated so often, a relentless drumming.

Thompson's not trying.

He doesn't care.

He doesn't have the necessary fire in the belly.

He's sleepy.

He's asleep.

Thompson's critics and opponents on both the Left and the Right succeeded in creating this caricature. It was more than Thompson could overcome.

According to Thompson's advisers, he won't be making an endorsement.

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Patrick Cox offers an insightful analysis of the Thompson campaign, how it played out, and what Thompson accomplished in his run for the presidency.