Has Fred Thompson's Rose Lost It's Bloom?

[Sleeping in EQ]

The latest Fox polls:

DEMOCRATS

Hillary Rodham Clinton, 40 percent

Barack Obama, 21 percent

Al Gore, 12 percent

John Edwards, 11 percent


REPUBLICANS

Rudy Giuliani, 27 percent

Fred Thompson, 18 percent

John McCain, 16 percent

Mitt Romney, 10 percent


There's lots of time for changes, but:

Of late, Clinton has extended her lead over Obama.

It's possible that Thompson has missed his window of opportunity.

McCain's numbers seem to have stabilized.

[Archaea]

I now reside in a country whose populace I cannot love. Any populace that could favor Hillary, is not a populace with which I can identify. I am but an anachronism.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by Sleeping in EQ

The latest Fox polls:

DEMOCRATS

Hillary Rodham Clinton, 40 percent

Barack Obama, 21 percent

Al Gore, 12 percent

John Edwards, 11 percent


REPUBLICANS

Rudy Giuliani, 27 percent

Fred Thompson, 18 percent

John McCain, 16 percent

Mitt Romney, 10 percent


There's lots of time for changes, but:

Of late, Clinton has extended her lead over Obama.

It's possible that Thompson has missed his window of opportunity.

McCain's numbers seem to have stabilized.

Why doesn't this mean Romney's lost his bloom, last place among contenders and trailing even DOA McCain by a wide marin? Thompson's no. 2 not even having started campaigning.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Why doesn't this mean Romney's lost his bloom, last place among contenders and trailing even DOA McCain by a wide marin? Thompson's no. 2 not even having started campaigning.

Conventional thinking is, if you haven't entered the race and are losing before you're being hit, you won't get money.

[Sleeping in EQ]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Why doesn't this mean Romney's lost his bloom, last place among contenders and trailing even DOA McCain by a wide marin? Thompson's no. 2 not even having started campaigning.

Romney is leading in both Iowa and NH and he's raising the bucks. His numbers are stable and he's done well in the debates.

Thompson is not getting much money, seems indecisive (or so say my conservative friends), and his staying out of the fray looks more and more like cowardly sniping from the sidelines as time passes. Gingrich is great at this sort of thing because he's not a serious contender for the presidency (he could be angling for an appointment, though).

McCain may not be as DOA as Giuliani and Romney supporters want him to be. He's a battler and his numbers have been up the last week or so.

[BlueK]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Why doesn't this mean Romney's lost his bloom, last place among contenders and trailing even DOA McCain by a wide marin? Thompson's no. 2 not even having started campaigning.

because he's still leading in NH and Iowa. You're smart enough to know most of the country has no say in who gets nominated.

[YOhio]

Originally Posted by Sleeping in EQ

.

It's possible that Thompson has missed his window of opportunity.

You might be right. The Thompson craze reminds me of when Lavell used to say that BYU fans always thought the best QB was the one not playing.

Thompson will face several challenges. First, getting cash quick. Many of the big donors have chosen their candidates, so his pool may be limited.

Second, building an effective infrastructure in key states in a short period of time. The best campaign consultants are employed by other candidates to further add difficulty.

Third, he'll finally have to face the full scale assault of other campaigns. He will be the main focus of the other candidates and they'll go after him hard. Their powder has been kept dry up to this point, so who knows how he'll handle himself.

Fourth, the standard strategy of political campaigns is to keep public expectations low and then overachieve. The media has made him out to be the great GOP hope, so he has to deliver big. It's not likely to happen.

I've always liked Senator Thompson, but I've never been blown-away impressed with him. Hopefully he'll do well. A good showing by him will only serve to, as Bronco would say, raise the barfor the other candidates

[Tex]

Originally Posted by Sleeping in EQ

The latest Fox polls:

Originally Posted by Sleeping in EQ

Romney is leading in both Iowa and NH and he's raising the bucks. His numbers are stable and he's done well in the debates.

According to Brit Hume's show last night, Fox polls in IA and NH both have Guiliani in a statistical tie with Romney.

Originally Posted by YOhio

You might be right. The Thompson craze reminds me of when Lavell used to say that BYU fans always thought the best QB was the one not playing.

That's kinda what I've been saying about Thompson too. General dissatisfaction with the current candidates leads to irrational love for the guy not playing.

[Sleeping in EQ]

Originally Posted by Tex

According to Brit Hume's show last night, Fox polls in IA and NH both have Guiliani in a statistical tie with Romney.

Fox News seems to give Giuliani every benefit of the doubt. They downplay negatives that happen in his campaign. Setting aside the coke dealing state chair, never has a major candidate gotten such a pass from FN on abortion, gay rights, and gun control as Giiuliani has.

FN is doing all it can to annoint Giuliani without it seeming too obvious.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by Sleeping in EQ

Fox News seems to give Giuliani every benefit of the doubt. They downplay negatives that happen in his campaign. Setting aside the coke dealing state chair, never has a major candidate gotten such a pass from FN on abortion, gay rights, and gun control as Giiuliani has.

FN is doing all it can to annoint Giuliani without it seeming too obvious.

Interesting. I've not seen anything in the coverage I've watched to indicate to me that one candidate is favored over another.