Captain's Quarters -

MSNBC is reporting this morning that only 200 people showed up to see Thompson yesterday in Des Moines. Joe Scarborough says that these are terrible numbers and indicate a poor advance team. Wonder what this portends for Fred?

Time to get back into the red pickup.

/Mr Lynn

Teresa,
You will have to allow for a few days to get notice out as to where Fred will appear. i am confident there was just not time for this one to get noticed.

Of more interest to me will be the national polls after about a week...and to see what kind of jolt Fred gets from the announcement.

Duke

"MSNBC is reporting this morning..." - anything they can possibly come up with that could be construed negatively - of course.

Their blither is meaningless, their zeal to smear is not. The Iowa Caucus is in JANUARY - idiots. Thompson has quite a while (almost four full months) to work Iowa. The County Conventions aren't until March 1 - and the State Convention District Caucuses are tentatively set for the middle of June (I think.)

Newbie nabobs might be swayed by MSNBC hatched-jobs like this, but they aren't likely to be part of the Iowa equation - and neither will the smoke-n-fury generated by MSNBC make that über-leftist network relevant either.

Fred will pull off a bit of an upset in Iowa - likely finishing second. But the question for many will be, second by what margin? How close to winning will he get...

Iowa isn't needed to win a year from now at the nominating convention - but what follows afterward will be colored to some extent by how well he does in this first match-up.

There is something about Fred I find very appealing, a likeability factor I just can't feel in any of the other GOP candidates. He is the only one I feel any kind of excitement over, the rest of the pack just leave me cold. As everyone is saying, we shall soon see if this sentiment enjoys broad support, the race remains wide open.

That's what makes Presidential politics so much fun.

Besides South Carolina I can't think of a state Fred has a shot at. Call me crazy but I think he will score 4th in Iowa behind Rudy and Huck.

A Tale of Two Campaign Openers:

INDIANOLA-- “What a wonderful reception; I’m going to have to come to Iowa again,” Mr. Obama said as he took the podium under a sunny sky here on Sunday afternoon in front of an estimated 3,500 people. In response, someone in the audience shouted, “Obama ’08,” a sentiment reflected in T-shirts and buttons featuring his name throughout the crowd in defiance of his repeated claim that he is focused on his duties as a first-term senator. His 40-minute speech was punctuated by applause and standing ovations but also, at its most serious moments, brought the audience to a silence hushed enough for rustling trees to be heard. The crowd rushed Mr. Obama when he concluded, then mobbed him for hours as other politicians wandered the fairgrounds introducing themselves and shaking hands.

DES MOINES -- Fred Thompson’s official campaign kick-off was high-tech, low-key and well-produced. Thompson’s advance team managed to fill the room, claiming to have signed in 450 supporters. (The consensus among the press corps was that about 200 people showed up – still impressive for the middle of a workday.) Make-work campaign posters dotted the walls. The highlight was the staging. Three mammoth projection screens were set in a vaguely Hellenistic, egg-shell colored-frame. There were no hitches. One woman fainted. The event started on time. Thompson worked the rope-line. The buses loaded up. And off he went.

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2008... not destined to be a fun year for Republicans, I fear.
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(PS... note that I have now mastered the block quote after some patient instruction. Thanks, guys!)

Fred Thompson called me this morning (in a taped segment) asking me for contributions. I'm in VA and surprised he's moving this fast on day 2.

Fred Thompson will be the next President of the United States. I've seen his Senate record while he was in office. He is definitely the conservative, along with the strength, that we are looking for in our President. Unlike Mrs. Clinton, who is seeking the "power" that comes with the White House, Fred Thompson is looking to protects us, our children, and our grandchildren from those who would like to destroy us, and from the outrageous spending by our Congress.

Now, let's put him in office.

"MSNBC is reporting this morning that only 200 people showed up to see Thompson yesterday in Des Moines. Joe Scarborough says that these are terrible numbers and indicate a poor advance team. Wonder what this portends for Fred?"

It means that while he was screwing around for 6 months, people may have lost interest.

I was absolutely THRILLED to see Duncan Hunter take the lead in the TEXAS straw poll, powerfully - and garner TWICE what Fred got - DESERVEDLY SO!

I'll be doing all I can to spread the world about Fred and "Trivial Matters" like Clinton perjury, and his best bud, McCain.

If Fred takes the GOP Primary, I'll be voting for someone else, in the General Election.

Unlike Mrs. Clinton, who is seeking the "power" that comes with the White House, Fred Thompson is looking to protects us, our children, and our grandchildren from those who would like to destroy us, and from the outrageous spending by our Congress.

Now, let's put him in office.

Domestic violence has increased exponentially since Bill Clinton perjured himself on INTERNATIONAL television before WORLD LEADERS who were watching to see what AMerican Justice means as home, since they KNOW what it means INTERNATIONALLY.

Fred Thompson told the world that Bill's perjury is a "TRIVIAL MATTER".

The War on Terror Violence in America has not increased in America, domestically, since George Bush was Elected.

But look what FRED THOMPSON did for Domestic violence BY CONDONING AND ENABLING BILL CLINTON - and you are worried about HILLARY enabling Bill - but NOT about FRED doing it!

I will not vote for Fred.