(2008-01-22) — One of the most highly-anticipated withdrawals from the Republican presidential field seems all but certain today, with the release of a terse written statement by former Sen. Fred Thompson.
However, disappointed conservatives may have to wait several months for a personal announcement that he’s abandoning his White House bid.
At least one close associate said, “Fred didn’t rush into this campaign, and he’s not rushing out. He just doesn’t rush anything.”
Campaign insiders said Mr. Thompson has “formed a pull-out announcement exploratory committee to determine the right timing and venue.”
However, current speculation indicates a June withdrawal, probably on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
45 responses so far ↓
1 prettyold // Jan 22, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Freddie,we hardly knew ye.
terior smallest tiniest side
2 conserve-a-tips // Jan 22, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Well, there goes that donation. Sigh. Who am I left with? If McCain gets the nomination, I might as well stay home. If a Democrat is gonna get the White House, he might as well be one who owns up to being in the party. If somebody is going to ruin this nation, I'd rather blame it on somebody who has Democrat tied to his name rather than somebody who pretends he's a conservative Republican.
and Smear: Hillary's motto
3 camojack // Jan 22, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Color me bummed.
4 Maggie // Jan 22, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Fred,get the lead out!
5 prettyold // Jan 22, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Maggie ,if Fred would get the lead out ,he would soon have the lead.
Anatoli On Antitoli Off
6 da Bunny // Jan 22, 2008 at 7:24 pm
I like Fred Thompson, but I think he waited too long to announce his candidacy in the first place, and his ensuing campaigning was little more than “phoning it in.”
reCAPTCHA: “noteworthy hints”…[heh]
7 mindknumbed kid // Jan 22, 2008 at 7:56 pm
‘Bout time we all pay Fred a little visit and put him back in the race!
I do believe he was too long announcing, but that is all behind us now. I also think the old red pickup was not quite big enough for the national radar screen. Maybe if it were an El Camino and he were bedding every wiling woman and a few who weren’t exactly, it would have gotten him some recognition, but again, that’s all behind us.
Would a bonafide candidate please stand up, I’m not fond of any of the rest of ‘em.
8 conserve-a-tips // Jan 22, 2008 at 7:57 pm
pushing through
Har pounds : equivilent to two half Har pounds.
9 mindknumbed kid // Jan 22, 2008 at 7:59 pm
McPain don’t pretend to be a conservative anything, he proudly lurks in the shadows to stab every conservative anything that pops up.
10 conserve-a-tips // Jan 22, 2008 at 8:00 pm
That would be ‘equivalent’ ..sorry
poster SHOT: ahhhh, they got me…what a world, what a world.
11 gafisher // Jan 22, 2008 at 8:06 pm
I wish he’d gotten better results, but certainly his decision to leave the field before Florida was honorable.
12 mindknumbed kid // Jan 22, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Way off topic, and wanting to rant more (see last thread) can we class action sue idiots such as the Sierra Club that is suing to block development of any more coal fired power plants. I for one like to have plenty of cheap/affordable electricity and the benefit of many well paid coal miners helping my community to thrive!
If they don’t like what we have going, turn off their electricity and let ‘em return to the *#@!$%! stone age!Same for the tree huggers, if they don’t like logging let them live in a cave, and they better not heat it with wood or furnish it with any wooden products.I really believe that if they want to protest these things they should be denied the right to access them or things made with them.
Heartless conservatism - I sorta like that, anyone want to run on that platform ?
13 mindknumbed kid // Jan 22, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Heartless conservatism - stop whining before we give ya somethin’ to really whine about!
CAPTCHA (honestly) - Democrats Guaranty: certain destruction!
14 camojack // Jan 22, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Possumtrot:
I guess I'll be removing Fred's campaign stuff from my blog, too. 'Tis a pity he didn't do better.
As for the "cryptic little comments", they're a takeoff on the random (?) words you have to type to submit a comment, which in this case is and Wellesley…a place with the dubious distinction of having Hillary as an a[lum]nus.
15 mindknumbed kid // Jan 22, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Heartless conservatives campaign theme song:
Mac Davis’ “O Lord it’s Hard to be Humble”
Celebrity Spokesman: Bubba
Bubba’s Rally Cry : I’m Bubba and I’m asking you to help me whup the Democrats’ donkeys….
16 conserve-a-tips // Jan 22, 2008 at 9:30 pm
MKK: Donkeys? We dun need no stinkin’ donkeys.
Overseers good: The Democrats’ platform
17 conserve-a-tips // Jan 22, 2008 at 10:27 pm
I couldn’t pass up this Captcha:
confidently boomed: the latest suicide bomber
18 debass // Jan 23, 2008 at 12:38 am
A premature withdrawl I’d say.
I was hopin’ for Fred since Duncan was dead.
Now what?
Freddie’s dead. That’s what I said.
19 Possumtrot // Jan 23, 2008 at 12:52 am
I suppose I’ll be pulling my link to Fred’s website off of United Possums International in the next day or so. I’ll have a few terse words of my own to accompany the action.
It’s beginning to look inevitable that I’ll be voting for Libertarians this year, even though that party has strayed so far from Ayn Rand’s philosophy that it’s almost unrecognizable.
In the coming months, we should remember that we’re electing a president in November, not coronating a king (or queen). In local campaigning, we should forget our dissatisfaction with the RINO candidates, and concentrate on winning back the Congress from Pelosi and Reid’s gang of do-nothings. Congress is, after all, the legislative entity that actually writes and passes laws. The President just signs off on them, and an obstinate liberal at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue can be gang-tackled if we regain a conservative majority in the House and Senate.
There will be further elaboration on this subject at United Possums by the end of the week. Keep the faith, folks, and work hard to the local level to elect the best congressmen and senators that money can buy.
Off topic: can someone explain these cryptic little comments that are suddenly appearing at the end of many of the posts here? I’m not too smart, and easily confused on my best days.
20 Fred Sinclair // Jan 23, 2008 at 1:33 am
A good Bible verse for this election year:
“The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.†Ecclesiastes 10:2 (NIV)
Heirborn Ranger
21 Darthmeister // Jan 23, 2008 at 7:30 am
Given what we know about political realities, a non-vote for a Republican candidate is an outright vote for a Donk. You can’t leave the battlefield to your enemy. No amount obfuscating and self-righteous posturing can change that dynamic. Not even Reagan was the kind of conservative I would have like to have seen in office but I voted for him anyway. The same for Bush 41 and certainly Bush 43.
Joke follows:
A man arrived at a restaurant to only be told the wait for a table was usually thirty minutes, however there was a new-fangled robot that the restaurant recently purchased that would hold conversations with waiting patrons to help pass the time.
The man didn’t mind waiting and he was seriously curious about the new technology which created such a robot. In a few minutes the robot, more appropriately known as an android, approached the man and took a seat next to him in the waiting lobby.
“My I ask your IQ?” inquired the robot.
“Why do you ask?”
“So that I may choose appropriate topics to discuss with waiting patrons,” replied the android.
“Actually my IQ is 160,” the man informed the android.
Immediately the android launched into subjects like astro-physics, the discovery of new atomic particles, and the latest theory about instantaneous space travel using black holes, quasars and wormholes.
The man thoroughly enjoyed the conversation and found that the thirty minutes flew by in what seemed like seconds. However, his curiousity got the better of him as to what topics the android would talk about with someone who had a lower IQ. So the next time he went to the restaurant and was asked by the android (which didn’t have identity recognition circuits) what his IQ was the man replied it was 100.
The android displayed its thorough knowledge of NASCAR, the latest sporting box scores, the newest tools on the market, and what past sports stars were doing now for a living. The man marveled at the how adroitly the synthetic human was handling the information and the seamless give-and-take that was taking place.
The third time the man came to the restaurant he told the android he had an IQ of 50 when asked. The android blinked its artificial eyes, hesitated and then in a low voice asked, “Who … will … you … nominate … for … president, … Hillary … or … Obama?”
22 JamesonLewis3rd // Jan 23, 2008 at 8:07 am
Hilarious!
I was discussing String Theory (in a loud voice, however) with the guy sitting next to me at the Daytona 500 last year.
Whoever programmed that android put some Interesting Stereotypes in there.
23 Maggie // Jan 23, 2008 at 9:57 am
OT
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to ONLINEANALYST!!!!
24 Maggie // Jan 23, 2008 at 10:09 am
Darth…..re# 21….funny
(Personally, I’ll try not to take offence….:>)
CAPTCHA: Pena New (my first attempt at this )
New Mexican drink
25 JQ // Jan 23, 2008 at 10:38 am
What’s everyone so upset about? We still have Romney and McCain…
Oh. Crap.
WV: Kennedy large. Seriously? I mean, come on…
26 woodnwheel // Jan 23, 2008 at 10:49 am
Darth re. #21 (the joke): Priceless!
Heirborn Ranger: That verse applies to any election, not just this one
ASHKENAZI year — Reminds me of Psalm 122:6…
27 woodnwheel // Jan 23, 2008 at 11:14 am
JQ re. #25: I’d laugh if the wound wasn’t so fresh.
And while I’m posting again, Kathryn Jean Lopez has an excellent piece on National Review Online that I heartily recommend, especially to all of my conservative/Republican friends.
nastiness archaeo — what I’m sure most voters wish could be said about political campaigning
28 upnorthlurkin // Jan 23, 2008 at 11:45 am
I will continue reminding anyone contemplating not voting… you are not just handing the White House to the dhimmies for 4 years…..you are altering the make up of the Supreme Court for God only knows how long!! Please remember that!! Think of the damage that will be done if her Thighness is appointing judges! And I agree with Possumtrot….a seriously conservative congress could help greatly!!
And of course….Happy Birthday, OnlineAnalyst!!!
29 DrivebyMeteor // Jan 23, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Could be worse.
Fred could have urged his supporters to back McCain.
Still could.
(cringe)
30 da Bunny // Jan 23, 2008 at 12:37 pm
unl, you are correct about the potential nominees to the “Supreme” Court if Her Thighness is elected to the WH. We could end up with another Ruth Buzzi Ginsburg…horrifying!
Happy Birthday, onlineanalyst!!
31 Hawkeye // Jan 23, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Ouch Scott! That hurts. Oh well, I guess I have to remove the Fred 08 buttons at View From Above… sigh…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLA! I sent you an e-card yesterday. Hope you got it. My greetings come most sincerely…
and proudly… that too.
32 mig // Jan 23, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I am very sad, I really liked Fred! ALOT. Now what McSham vs. Shillary and BillyBoy? Argh! I do not like this whole we had to have Carter to get Regan… blah blah blah. Dismal.
Happy Happy Birthday to you!!missy!!
33 everthink // Jan 23, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Just in case you didn’t see his show, David Letterman said yesterday: “Matt Laurer interviewed Osama bin Laden’s idiot son Osama “W†bin Laden.
ROFLOL,
ET
34 Beerme // Jan 23, 2008 at 6:09 pm
I didn’t think Thompson made a very credible bid for the nomination but am sad to see the only conservative-sounding nominee defeated.
Perhaps, now Thompson’s former supporters will rally to Romney (I know, I know)to keep McCain from getting anymore traction…
Happy Birthday, OLA!
35 JamesonLewis3rd // Jan 23, 2008 at 6:44 pm
O/T~~
Just something interesting.
36 Darthmeister // Jan 23, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Happy Birfday OLA … and Beerme!
Shouldn’t Lauer have interviewed “Obama bin Laden”? Makes more sense and is actually funnier. ROFLMAO!!!
neverthink, I have to admit, I really must admire you because I have never had the courage it takes to be a world-class twit like you. The same goes for David Letterman. Boy, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see his writers are still on strike.
It’s interesting that on the same show Letterman actually calls himself “a dumb guy” and “can’t quite see the difference between the candidates on the issues” though he really enjoys the bickering. He probably also enjoys the gossip he picks up at the salon when he’s having his nails done.
Well, Letterman won’t get any argument from me regarding his rather frank self-criticism though I think he’s always been nothing more than a sock puppet for his writers. At least Jay Leno is actually funny.
37 Fred Sinclair // Jan 23, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Letter from Rush to 24/7 subscribers (me):
“It is their intention, my friend, to keep you fearful, despondent and depressed - so much so, that a low turn-out at the polls by conservatives will be OVERWHELMED by a massive vote by fired-up MoveOn.org and Code Pink nut jobs…bolstered by gullible voter duped into believing militant left-wingers like Pelosi, Reid and Mrs. Clinton are harmless “middle-of-the roaders.”
The Clinton. Inc. Foundation will have from now until November to push their doom and gloom message through the MSM that we’ve already lost, so there’s no point in bothering to vote.
That means that having to wheel my wheelchair down the blocks to vote is NO EXCUSE to not cast my vote. With the millions of men and women who have died to purchase my right to vote, how could I “not vote”? You better betcha I’ll be there (God willing) to vote for whoever ain’t a Democrat.
All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing. (I read that somewhere)
Heirborn Ranger
38 gafisher // Jan 23, 2008 at 8:46 pm
mig Re#32: “I do not like this whole we had to have Carter to get Regan… blah blah blah. ”
Kinda like “If I’d known I could get this great parking spot I’d have crushed my leg years ago.”
reCaptcha: credit go. Subprime next.
39 prettyold // Jan 23, 2008 at 8:55 pm
In March ,1952 ,in the New Hampshire Primary ,Ike had not announced ,but the NH folks wrote in his name ,and he won.
Stevenson was drafted at the Convention,in July.
Here we are in 2008 ,with our election already over.
Did you ever feel as if you’d been suckered?
Special BourgeoisAn insult to the Clintons.
40 prettyold // Jan 23, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Happy Birthday OLA !!
Happy Birthday BeerMe !!
May you both still be posting on Scrappleface in 2058.
Feb Jennie Jan Jennie’s sister?
41 everthink // Jan 23, 2008 at 11:29 pm
“neverthink, I have to admit, I really must admire you because I have never had the courage it takes to be a world-class twit like you.”
I truly wish there was something to admire about you. I guess you’ll just learn to accept your second rate self for what you are, a Tin Horn!
ET
42 everthink // Jan 23, 2008 at 11:36 pm
“neverthink, I have to admit, I really must admire you because I have never had the courage it takes to be a world-class twit like you.”
I truly wish there was something to admire about you, but I guess you’ll just have to learn to accept your second rate self for what you are, a Tin Horn!
ET
43 Libby Gone // Jan 24, 2008 at 7:59 am
Happy Birthday (week) OLA and BEERME!
a lil birdie told me….
Many happy returns!
-Libby
wv: Decem tourist - Santa Claus?
44 Libby Gone // Jan 24, 2008 at 8:04 am
If Thompson pulls out will it prevent an unwanted Presidency?
wv:JUICE Yes = OJ guilty
45 Connecting News, Commentaries and Blogs at NineReports.com - // Jan 29, 2008 at 9:08 pm
[...] is coming, … joshspear.com - Last Updated - 2 minutes ago Request a Trackback Fred Drops Out, Will Announce in June on Leno (2008-01-22) — One of the most highly-anticipated withdrawals from the Republican [...]
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