Fred Makes His Move?

“Just wait, it’s early.” That’s what a lot of Fredheads keep saying about the Thompson campaign. The Daily Standard says it looks like Fred has picked his moment and is putting it all on the line in Iowa… and aims to finish ‘a strong third’.

FORMER TENNESSEE SENATOR Fred Thompson has decided to take his campaign and virtually all of its resources to Iowa in an all-or-nothing attempt to register a strong showing in the caucuses here on January 3. "We're getting ready to make this not only our second home, but our first home," he told a small gathering of supporters at the Polk County Convention Center on Friday night. Thompson and his wife Jeri chatted with the crowd before making their way through the exhibits at the Iowa Farm Bureau's annual meeting in downtown Des Moines.

Beginning Monday, December 17, Thompson will launch a bus tour that will take him throughout the state. From the beginning of that trip through caucus night, Thompson will essentially live in Iowa, taking only a one-day trip out of the state to celebrate Christmas at his home in Virginia.

"Iowa is critical to our campaign, and it may in fact be everything to our campaign," says one Thompson official. "If we don't do what we need to do in Iowa, it will be tough to compete effectively down the road."

If Iowa is that important, why only give it two and a half weeks of full effort? Is that really enough time? I am not an expert on Iowa politics but it seems the candidates that have been working hard there have built up not only a base of support but an organization that will turn out voters on what is likely to be a cold winter night right after a long holiday season.

As for the ‘strong third place showing’. Huh? Right now only Mitt and Huck are really competing for Iowa. Is coming in ahead of the guys who aren’t really trying, good enough for the guy who was supposed to be the savior of conservatives?

The story coming out of Iowa is either going to be Huck’s miracle charge to the front or Mitt’s big comeback against forces from beyond this world. Short of beating one of the top two, there’s no real story line for Fred is there?

I want to believe but the whole Thompson strategy has really been a puzzle to me from the start.

posted by DrewM. at 06:18 PM

| Access Comments