Thompson’s Race Hasn’t Quite Begun, but Turmoil Has - The NYTIMES

[applegrove]

Thompson’s Race Hasn’t Quite Begun, but Turmoil Has

The NYTIMES
By SUSAN SAULNY
Published: July 28, 2007

"Former Senator Fred D. Thompson has yet to make a formal declaration that he is running for president, but already his noncampaign campaign has gone through its first shake-up.

Candidate Topic PagesMore Politics NewsA week of personnel turnover that extended from his campaign-manager-in-waiting down to volunteers raised questions about whether the Thompson camp is prepared to jump fully into the race for the Republican presidential nomination, a race in which his rivals have had months to establish their campaign organizations, raise money and hone strategy.

It also ignited speculation in Republican circles about who is really in charge, and in particular about the extent of the role being played by Mr. Thompson’s wife, Jeri Kehn Thompson, a former political operative.

.........SNIP"

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/28/us/politics/28thompson.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

[theredpen]

1. Is it possible that these shake ups aren't a sign of chaos?

I've considered the possibility that these shake-ups are just a prelude to F. Thompson entering the race officially. This might be less a sign of instability and more a sign that he's getting his house in order in preparation for a real campaign.

Personally, I hope he gets the Republican nod because I think any one of our candidate would slam dunk that clown.

[applegrove]

2. I personally think it is a bad sign. He isn't even in the race and already

he cannot quite keep any squabbles quiet. What on earth is he going to do when he is officially running a campaign and day in and out he has to come out with a message that is exacting.

I'm hoping he changes his mind. He is too much like Reagan for my liking. I'd rather the GOP people hang in the wind with no "go to" guy for when they don't like any of the others.

I do agree that any of the top tier of Dems can take him on. I don't know why I feel that way. I think I just see the Presidential race as being a bloody one. And only people with debth will come out on top.

[TwilightGardener]

3. Answer to your question, from Faux News:

"CARL CAMERON, FOX NEWS CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it looks like there is a bit of a mutiny starting on Fred Thompson's campaign ship even before it leaves the dock. Another staffer resigned today. That is three in three days, with more expected, over what insiders call the haphazard, unfocused and undisciplined way things are being handled or not handled and over the candidates' wife."

SNIP

"...But word is out about the internal problems and prominent Republican operatives have actually been turning down job offers as a result of it, that and the fact that a few of them hired are actually leaving. Brit?"

SNIP
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,291225,00.html

And they're not meeting fundraising expectations either. So if these are "normal" staff shakeups, I'd hate to see the problematic ones.

[theredpen]

6. I digitally dumpster dived for more info...

And came up with a hand-waving piece at http://www.redstate.com/stories/elections/2008/doom_gloom_and_the_flight_from_freds_campaign">Red State saying, basically, "Nothing to see here, in fact everything is better." Right. Basically the site that claimed that allegations of serial plagiarism against Ben Domenech were a liberal media conspiracy is now assuring us that rumors of problems in the Thompson campaign are also a liberal media conspiracy.

The article begins by comparing Thompson's expected September entry into the race with Kerry's September 2003 entry into the race. It's a little eyebrow raising when a conservative decides to defend a Republican Presidential candidate by comparing that candidate to John Kerry, but there ya go. What the article doesn't bother to mention is that September 2007 is Thompson's third announced date for officially entering the GOP race and that is why his fundraising has ground to a halt.

I guess I should consider myself psychic, because the rest of the article tries to paint this shake-up as a good thing -- a little housecleaning in preparation for the Real Thing™.

[rasputin1952]

4. Like Reagan, ne can't do anything until it's scripted. The writers are

in chaos, and Jeri is the producer, so the whole thing just tumbles into a bad movie.

For all of the screeching about "Hollywood" the RW does, you'd think they would learn that nothing of reality comes from the Dream Factory.

[Imagevision]

5. I hope Thompson keeps the broad in charge of his campaign...