The Phoenix

Fred Thompson to Delay Official Entry Until August

There's word that Fred Thompson will delay his official presidential announcement until at least mid-August. It's a good strategic move. While he's essentially done nothing, John McCain has imploded and the other contenders continue to take flak on the campaign trail and diminish themselves in debates. He gets to skip the Iowa August straw poll cattle show, which would have done him no favors. And, he keeps an itching to get into the race Newt Gingrich off balance.
A cynic would say that Fred Thompson has a career-long record of perfecting the art of doing nothing, so perhaps it's not surprising that he's gotten such mileage by sitting on the sidelines. But all things come to an end and eventually candidate Thompson will have to do some official campaiging. Unless, of course, he plans to revive William McKinley's 1896 "front porch campaign" and run the most unusual race in modern history. It would certainly be another way to do, well, nothing.

Published Jul 13 2007, 10:02 PM by Importer

Winghunter said:

I wouldn't call video, TV & radio commentaries, interviews, speeches, responding to insane droolings of Liberal whining and blogging "nothing".

July 13, 2007 6:22 AM
LorenzoJennifer said:

U R PHUN-KNEE!! Once saw an archival kinescope recording of McKinley campaigning on "the front porch" and am still having fun visualizing Fred Thompson in his place. Actually, Kerry coulda done the same thing as the 2004 Democratic National Convention was held in the then-Fleet Center - his own backyard! Like Cincinnatus in ancient Rome, Just For Kerry could have descended the Hill and received the nomination from the great unwashed before returning to his Beacon Hill mansion for the taking of a toast and tea. He then could have campaigned by receiving voters on his front stoop for one-on-one discussions. Considering the election results, he would have saved a bundle.

About the only plus on the McKinley presidency was that he was succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt - one of my all-time faves and, I guess, our first environmental president.

Neat little post. Thank You!

July 14, 2007 10:26 PM