Thompson drops out

But not before costing Huckabee South Carolina.

Fred Thompson quits presidential race 45 minutes ago

NAPLES, Fla. - Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson quit the Republican presidential race on Tuesday, after a string of poor finishes in early primary and caucus states.

"Today, I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of the United States.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," Thompson said in a statement.

Thompson's fate was sealed last Saturday in the South Carolina primary, when he finished third in a state that he had said he needed to win.

In the statement, Thompson did not say whether he would endorse any of his former rivals. He was one of a handful of members of Congress who supported Arizona Sen. John McCain in 2000 in his unsuccessful race against George W. Bush for the party nomination.

Good news for Huckabee TRIBUNE-REVIEW Salena Zito Posted January 22, 2008 3 :00 PM

Democratic strategist John Lapp said, "On first blush, it would seem that (Mike) Huckabee is the main beneficiary of Fred Thompson's withdrawal. Huckabee, Thompson and, to a lesser degree, Mitt Romney were splintering the hard core, evangelical, social conservative vote. With Thompson's withdrawal, Huckabee has the chance to consolidate the far right. However, if Thompson endorses John McCain, that would be a nice conservative credential to have, considering McCain has been struggling with the mainline conservative Republican base."

(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...

Another one bites the dust.

So Thompson supporters on this board, to where do you intend to go?

SheikBen wrote:So Thompson supporters on this board, to where do you intend to go?

Mitt Mormony?

Now Keli, do you have an answer? Is it to Mitt? I like Ron Paul but I don't mind Mitt as the "booby prize."

SheikBen wrote:Now Keli, do you have an answer? Is it to Mitt? I like Ron Paul but I don't mind Mitt as the "booby prize."

I'll say Mitt would be a booby prize.

Michael, Mitt Romney won't even answer simple, direct questions. For example, remember how he tap danced around the water boarding torture issue a few weeks back?

Plus, he can't make up his mind. He supports choice, he opposes abortion. He doesn't believe in personal liberty that is for damn sure. In Massachussetts he required citizens to purchase health insurance. Now I k now in a debate he claimed only "if they could afford it" but that simply is not true. My son had to move out of MA because he couldn't afford to purchase health insurance. Pay rent or purchase health insurance, eat or pay for health insurance, or eat and pay rent in across the border in RI.

Romney may boast he reduced the number of uninsured in MA, and that may be accurate. But how many of them fled to boardering states. If he mandates that sort of expense on Americans to where will those who cannot afford to comply flee? Belize is a tiny nation.

Now Steph, no one can afford to live in Massachusettes. That's been the case for the past 25 years.

I do agree that Romney is a booby prize, but I have to say he says some things worth saying. As for flip flopping on abortion, so too did Ronald Reagan. I am very, very impressed that Romney stood for life in Massachusettes, where it has to be quite difficult to stand for life. He has accepted that trade deficits with China are a bad thing, which I don't suppose Bush has taken seriously.

I agree that mandating health insurance is a bad idea, and the costs of health insurance are staring me right at the face right now as I have just told my full time employer exactly where they can shove it. Romney is not ideal (and I would take issue with Ron Paul on a couple of things) but I think that comparably he's a decent fellow, as people go. I also think he's not the fatalist that others can be; I appreciated that he sees a universe in which Detroit could become profitable again.

Michael,

Very few can afford to live in MA and Mitt Romney did nothing to improve that situation. He made a bad situation worse.

Aren't you troubled by his refusal to answer direct questions? I know I am. Mostly I am opposed to Romney because I see him as another big government faux conservative. In other words, he's just another neocon.

I think you know I don't agree with Ron Paul on everything, I just don't discuss those issues on which we part ways because it doesn't serve my purpose to highlight those difference. I want him elected and our differences are in areas I can live with.

If Ron Paul doesn't win the nomination, I will be looking for a candidate outside of the GOP because none of the other contenders will get my vote. I just can't bring myself to vote for someone with one hand while holding my nose with the other ever again.

I guess with Duncan Hunter and Fred both out that ends all hope for the gonzo ticket: Hunter-Thompson.

Careful, Ohio.

This is bat country.

ohio county wrote:I guess with Duncan Hunter and Fred both out that ends all hope for the gonzo ticket: Hunter-Thompson.

Do you think either is a candidate for the VP nomination Jimmy?

Do you think either is a candidate for the VP nomination Jimmy?

I think to submit one's name for the presidency requires an ego roughly the size of the Louisiana Purchase. This soon after dropping out, I'd think neither one honestly wants to even think about the number 2 spot. After a few months of healing and sleeping on it - quite possibly. I'm sure it will look much better than does today.

ohio county wrote:

Do you think either is a candidate for the VP nomination Jimmy?

I think to submit one's name for the presidency requires an ego roughly the size of the Louisiana Purchase. This soon after dropping out, I'd think neither one honestly wants to even think about the number 2 spot. After a few months of healing and sleeping on it - quite possibly. I'm sure it will look much better than does today.

Thompson could do a world of good for McCain with conservative voters and he did endorse McCain in 2000 and I really don't think it's a coincidence that he stayed through South Carolina. Were it not for him, Huckabee would likely be the national front runner right now.

And it’s not like Thompson came jumping into this thing with the rest of the field from the get go. He waited until late fall to announce and there are those in the media that have questioned his commitments due to his campaigning style. It makes sense to me.

Yes, he could help McCain immensely. What you posit makes a lot of sense and is plausible.