I have been a skeptical of the Thompson run at the GOP nomination from the beginning, seeing it as nothing more than a Rorschach blot where seemingly many others saw the Great Hope of the GOP.

As Thompson continues to play the “I’m gonna announce soon (maybe)” game, I have to wonder if his heyday hasn’t already passed. Given his inability to commit (there have been, IIRC, at least two pending announcement dates, including the 4th of July that have come and gone) and reports of interference from his wife in the campaign organization (via the NYT, Thompson’s Race Hasn’t Quite Begun, but Turmoil Has) and now reports of fund -raising disappointments (Via the Politico: Fred’s funds raise fear of flop), I have to wonder if my initial instincts on Fred weren’t correct, which is that he is simply serving a role of the “none of the above” candidate who, once in motion would really get nowhere.

So, what do you all think?

8 Responses to “Question of the Day: Are Fred Thompson’s Best Days on the Campaign Trail Already Passed?”

1. Political Mavens » Question of the Day Says:
   July 30th, 2024 at 1:06 pm

   [...] Discuss. [...]

2. Political Mavens » Question of the Day Says:
   July 30th, 2024 at 1:06 pm

   [...] Discuss. [...]

3. Ratoe Says:
   July 30th, 2024 at 1:15 pm

   Fred Thompson is the savior of American politics. A corporate, pro-choice lobbyist is EXACTLY what the country needs to set the country back on track.

4. Deb Says:
   July 30th, 2024 at 1:44 pm

   I think it has. But then again, I’m skeptical about his overall chances, too.

5. R. Alex Says:
   July 30th, 2024 at 4:44 pm

   Count me among those that are not skeptical of Thompson’s chances. I don’t see a clear alternative. I do not believe that Giuliani is going to get the nomination. McCain and Romney positioned themselves poorly as the establishment guy (and Bush’s man) and the religious conservative respectively. Huckabee, Brownback, and the others have made no traction.

   So I’ll ask you: if you don’t think it’ll be Thompson, who do you think it’ll be? Are you more sold on the possibility of Giuliani winning the nomination than I am? If there were a Bob Dole or John Kerry it’s-my-turn candidate, I’d be more skeptical of Thompson’s chances.

6. Honza P Says:
   July 30th, 2024 at 4:55 pm

   Uncharacteristically, I agree, and not just because all the right people detest Giuliani and so draw me to him. On the other hand, “none of the above” worked well for the Democrats in the last Congressional election, so …

7. markg8 Says:
   July 30th, 2024 at 6:37 pm

   That’s not Aqua Velva or English Leather you smell. It’s the gin coming out of his pores through the flop sweat.

   Don’t expect Chris Matthews to notice. His political jock sniffing has been off base for decades.

8. Steve Plunk Says:
   July 30th, 2024 at 6:56 pm

   It’s nice to see the insults fly.

   The problem with analyzing fundraising at this point is we are a long way away from the election and there may be some fatigue involved. A single month of low receipts should not be judged. I’m not saying Thompson will get support later but a bad month can happen and campaigns can recover momentum.

   It seems silly for the pundits to play madame gypsy. They want to spend all their time predicting rather than analyzing and reporting. A fool’s pursuit.

   The race is a long one so many more ups and downs can be expected.