I predict Fred Thompson will NOT run for President.

[Hamlette]

The talk around the blogs today is pretty glum for a Fred run. He only raised $3 million in June (end of quarter but he was only "in" for one month) and the campaign is trying to spin it as not so bad. Seems to me you spin it by saying "but fund raising REALLY picked up in July" but they are NOT saying that. So, I think July fund raising was dismal too.

He's had horrid staffing problems. Whether its his wife (bossy bimbo it seems) or some other reason, he can't seem to keep good staff members.

People are worried about having missed the crest of the wave when he said he was going to declare over July 4 then kept moving the date. The date most talked about today (GOP blogs) is mid September. So, why is that? You'd only delay if you couldn't get your act together or you thought it would be advantageous to wait but no one is saying there is an advantage to waiting so, it must be he can't get his act together.

What "they" seem to be saying more and more is "Maybe Fred really IS lazy." If he can't raise the money, maybe its because he's not working hard enough and if his wife is running people off it might be because he has abdicated control to her...because he's lazy.

The only question now is what reason will he give for not running?

[UnyieldingHierophant]

1. I agree, predicted it last week*

[IndianaJones]

2. What blogs are you reading...

I'd love to read of his early demise.

[Hamlette]

16. here's the one from today....

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0707/5156.html

if I come accross other stuff I'll post.

The far right wing blogosphere is probably still talking about his manly aqua velva smell (like Tweety) but I don't read them. I read John Cole, Andrew Sullivan and Politico which are conservatives albeit sane ones (usually)

and a sort of leftie site

http://www.tnr.com/blog/the_plank?pid=130027 just saying he's sitting out Iowa, which might not be so smart.

[Hubert Flottz]

3. I think the man is sick...

[SoonerPride]

12. I think, no check that, I KNOW for a fact he is LAZY

Sickness may facilitate even more laziness, but he is indeed a lazy man.

[murbley40]

26. Sick?

I also think he is sick. Lymphoma is very serious and the treatment can be very debilitating.
What I have seen of him on Tv,he does not look well. Cancer patients (I am a 10 year survivor),
when getting treatment often have that hollowed look in the face and about the eyes,like he does.

[cynatnite]

4. If he doesn't, do you think Newt will jump in?

He's been teasing his base whether or not he's going to run.

edited because imagery offended too many. :)

[Lucinda]

5. I'm sorry but the visual I got with your post

gives me the creeps! ;)

[SoCalDem]

9. Amen! 2 words never to be used together.."Newt" & "seductive".

:puke:

[Poiuyt]

17. Did you know that Newt seduced his high school math teacher?

Yep. He married her right after his freshman year in college.

[SoCalDem]

19. yup.. and dropped her like a hot potato when he decided to be political

and then dropped the one he dropped her for, while she was recuperating from breast cancer surgery..

he's a rotten georgia peach, all right :puke:

[Bucky]

8. Ahhhhh !! My eyes!!! They burrrrn!

Do not EVER put the image of Newt Gingrich doing a slow seductive dance in my head again.

(My apologies to all DUers who are turned on by Gingrich, by the way.)

[cynatnite]

11. Edited...Too many DUer's were injured in viewing this post :) n/t

[immoderate]

23. I think Newt is posturing....

He will get whomped if he sticks his neck into this race, IMHO. And he probably knows it.

--IMM

[Captain Hilts]

6. I don't think he will either. nt

[melody]

7. I've been saying that ever since the election rumors arose and I was laughed at

Now maybe someone will see why I said those things.

[TwilightGardener]

10. People won't give more $$ until he makes it formal, so I can't really see an

advantage to waiting at this point. Unless it's to keep him out of the real rough-and-tumble as long as possible, probably because he doesn't have an actual reason to run for President--his staff is trying to come up with one, I guess. The whole "Washington Outsider" angle they were planning to run on has been debunked by his lobbying career and his Scooter Libby and AEI connections. He's milked the free-publicity, not-really-a-candidate angle as much as he could, now it's starting to backfire on him.

[MidwestTransplant]

13. I agree wtih you. I don't think he has the fire in da belly

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

14. I also predict it because he hired Tim Griffin, of caging fame, and I think Griffin's

ass is in serious trouble. That will not reflect well on Thompson's judgement.

[NanceGreggs]

15. Agreed.

Thompson has too many things going against him - not the least of which is his wife. To too many GOP voters, appearance is everything, and a lot of them just can't picture Fred's wife as the 'type' they want representing the country in the position of First Lady.

In addition, a lot of the 'family values' types see his much-younger wife as someone who replaced a previous wife - the loyal, by-your-side for better-or-for-worse wife - who was unceremoniously dumped in favour of a younger version. It doesn't matter if that is the fact of the matter; the perception of that being the case, even on a sumbiminal level, does not sit well with the base, especially the women voters.

Reason for not running? Perhaps announcing that he wants to spend more time with his three children (the two kids and his wife)!

[yardwork]

18. Does this mean that the fundies will revert to Mitt?

Mitt worries me.

[Hamlette]

21. they all worry me BUT, one thing about Mitt is he'll follow the polls

I've lived with mormons all my life and here in Utah they can be pushy but they want acceptance from the rest of the nation/world so much they will do anything to get it.

Mitt is not a Hatch mormon, he's more a Bennett mormon. Not good but not scary.

I think its going to be funny watching them try to figure out who to support: Mitt or Rudy.

[Forkboy]

20. I agree.Bring on the Newtmeister!

[judaspriestess]

22. what??? no ronnie reagan reborn?

I was imagining the puke base masturbating to fred thompsons campaign photos.

[Hamlette]

25. judaspriestess! Watch your mouth

I've got diet coke all over my computer cause of you!

[spanone]

24. He has ABSOLUTELY nothing to offer anyone.