Fred Thompson's Death Throes

The New Republic: On The Trail In Iowa, The Republican Is A Dead Candidate Walking

(The New Republic)  This column was written by Michael Crowley.

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This is what a disaster looks like: Fred Thompson, the former future "savior" of the Republican Party, looking droopy-eyed and jowly in a black leather jacket and tan ten-gallon hat, wandering like some lonesome lost cowboy through the snows of southeastern Iowa in search of voters - and not finding many.

A few minutes earlier, the former U.S. Senator, "Law and Order" star, and would-be conservative hero had emerged from the Smokey Row coffeehouse, where, in his endless search for the only kind of media he can afford - free - he'd sat down with the local newspaper. Otherwise, Smokey Row held at most two dozen largely disinterested patrons. Thompson famously loathes the grip-and-grin side of politics and smiled wanly through his chit-chats. As he staged a handshake with one woman, the photographer had called out, "Look at each other!" Thompson couldn't resist mocking the artificiality of the forced smiling eye contact. "That's the hardest thing in the world to do," he chuckled.

At least someone cared enough to get her picture taken with him. Many of the folks in the quiet coffeehouse ignored Thompson, more interested in their laptops or newspapers than a presidential candidate. A pair of enthusiastic teenagers did approach him on his way out, however. "It's good to be a young man," the often depleted-looking actor-lobbyist told them wistfully. Yet the moment deflated when one of the teens confessed that he's not an Iowa resident.

Perhaps defensive about the wan crowd at the Smokey Row, Thompson's press secretary took care to note that this visit was an unannounced drop-by; nothing should be read into the head count. And in fairness, Thompson's visits like this one to small-town main streets are as much about local media buzz as they are about converting individual voters. Still, it seemed a poor use of the precious little time Thompson has left to salvage his campaign. Currently embarked on a 50-stop statewide bus tour - with the unwieldy moniker of "The Clear Conservative Choice: Hands Down!" emblazoned across the vehicle - Thompson has staked everything on finishing a strong third here in Iowa. (He's given up on New Hampshire entirely, and won't return there until after Iowa's January 3rd caucuses.) This past week, Thompson had to mount a tragic online fundraising appeal in which he begged supporters to help him scrape up the cash - $248,846, to be precise - that will allow him to buy one measly ad on the Iowa airwaves. A week earlier, by contrast, the flaky libertarian Ron Paul had raised $4 million in one day.

Thompson's (quite defensible) argument that he's the only Republican candidate who has been a consistent social and economic conservative hasn't budged him above 12 percent or so in the Iowa polls. That's good enough for fourth place at the moment. But John McCain is now making a late run here, and Paul is mounting a serious television advertising campaign. Finishing fourth - or possibly even fifth - might push Thompson out of the race (that some people think he's wanted to exit for many weeks now) long before he can reach his relative stronghold of South Carolina.

After leaving the coffeehouse, Thompson trudged his way through a snow-covered city park, as aides pointed out patches of snow and ice to prevent a symbolically catastrophic wipeout. He arrived at his next stop, at the town's county courthouse, on his feet, but couldn't summon much enthusiasm. Escorted by the county supervisor, Willie Van Weelden, Thompson popped into a series of dreary administrative offices staffed by a homogenous and somewhat befuddled-looking crew of middle-aged ladies. In the county tax office Thompson greeted precisely one worker. "This lady takes all the property tax money!" Van Wheelen exclaimed with the enthusiasm only a county worker could muster. "Is that right?" Thompson replied, sounding as impassive as he surely was. In the neighboring registrar's office, Thompson delivered a quick round of hellos and then cast a puzzled glance at a shaggy-haired boy scribbling at a table under a sign: "Drivers' Test In Progress." As if that were the final straw, Fred finally made a break for it back through the winter cold and into the warm comfort of his massive bus.

Jeri Thompson isn't with her husband in Iowa this week, but perhaps she should be; his much-discussed young wife has proven herself to be a more adept campaigner throughout the campaign. In a memorable moment at a fire station last week, Jeri charmingly donned a fire captain's helmet after Fred - perhaps fearing an embarrassing photo, but looking like a stick in the mud - refused to put one on. She also recently toured South Carolina on her own, and has blitzed conservative talk-radio shows, sometimes appearing on several in a day. It's enough to make some people wonder whether Fred Thompson's candidacy won't seem, in hindsight, like a platform for Jeri Thompson's future ambitions. (Although her instincts still aren't perfect: One Iowan recounted the way Jeri appeared wildly overdressed, in a beret and expensive dress, at a recent downscale political gathering.) Indeed, the more Thompson campaigns at low octane, the more plausible the theory that Jeri pushed him into running becomes. But why did he flop so badly once he did run? Where to start? He got in too late, didn't sound prepared, lacked the movie-star presence people expected, and suffered from staff turmoil (widely attributed to Jeri). Above all, Thompson never offered a clear rationale for his candidacy - a curious defect for a star contender, unless you consider what's become increasingly clear of late: On some level, the guy never really seemed to want it.

That much was obvious at a town hall forum later that day in nearby Ottumwa. At a time when other candidates are pulling in several hundred voters per stop, at most 75 voters turned out (albeit on a very snowy day) to hear him. Thompson put in a soporific performance made worse by an over-warm room and a noisy child in the audience. And echoing a moment famously recounted on the front page of the New York Times several weeks ago, Thompson had to coax enthusiasm out of his audience. Speaking of the distinction between legal and illegal immigration Thompson said, "We need to be a nation of high fences and wide gates." A man in the audience called out in agreement. "You like that?" Thompson asked hopefully. "Alright," he continued, looking for some momentum. "Can I get a round of applause?" A few long seconds later, the crowd obliged.

After Thompson spoke, his state chairman, the Iowa Congressman Steve King, bounded to the back of the room to greet voters. "How ya doin?" he eagerly asked one woman in her forties. "We're having a ball out here! Where is your head and where is your heart?"

The woman paused. "Probably Huckabee," she said apologetically. Meanwhile, Thompson shook only a quick batch of hands and disappeared from the room within about three minutes.

Out in the hallway stood three campaign workers holding clipboards. "Would you like to sign up to caucus for Fred?" they called to the departing voters. Few stopped.

"That's it. The room's empty," one worker reported back to the others. I could see the signup sheets from over their shoulders. One had two names recorded on it, another just a single name. The third was entirely empty. And so this is the way the savior's campaign ends - not with a bang, but with an empty signup sheet.

[tbird354]

I love the way my wife set the stage on this issue. If you were going to have brain surgery and you had every one of these candidates as an option for which doctor you would select - who would you chose (and were talking about the front runners)? Docter A: Even though Doctor A would have the knowledge and expertise in running a hospital and maybe a few good surgeries under his belt, but was always second guessing himself and "Flip-Flopping" on what choices he was making while you are under sedation and couldn''t be firm on what he believed - is this the one you would pick? Or Doctor B: Maybe you would select the higher ground with Doctor B that has had little experience in this type of surgery and his controversial procedures are becoming a big concern for his Liability Insurance provider, but Hey, he is a local leader in the most popular church in town - would you pray a long prayer and select this doctor? Or Doctor C: This surgeon has been there in the most intense surgeries and has the experience and understanding of what new procedures are a viable option for your particular needs and also has a plan for your recovery through rehab and weekly exams. I don''t think there is any doubt that you would select Doctor C - and that doctor''s name is FRED THOMPSON!!! I don''t know about the rest of the country but my wife has a very good point about all this. Experience, Integrity and Honesty - to me that is why Fred Thompson is hands down the best man for the job. God Bless America!!!

[tbird354]

I love the way my wife set the stage on this issue. If you were going to have brain surgery and you had every one of these candidates as an option for which doctor you would select - who would you chose (and were talking about the front runners)? Docter A: Even though Doctor A would have the knowledge and expertise in running a hospital and maybe a few good surgeries under his belt, but was always second guessing himself and "Flip-Flopping" on what choices he was making while you are under sedation and couldn''t be firm on what he believed - is this the one you would pick? Or Doctor B: Maybe you would select the higher ground with Doctor B that has had little experience in this type of surgery and his controversial procedures are becoming a big concern for his Liability Insurance provider, but Hey, he is a local leader in the most popular church in town - would you pray a long prayer and select this doctor? Or Doctor C: This surgeon has been there in the most intense surgeries and has the experience and understanding of what new procedures are a viable option for your particular needs and also has a plan for your recovery through rehab and weekly exams. I don''t think there is any doubt that you would select Doctor C - and that doctor''s name is FRED THOMPSON!!! I don''t know about the rest of the country but my wife has a very good point about all this. Experience, Integrity and Honesty - to me that is why Fred Thompson is hands down the best man for the job. God Bless America!!!

[tbird354]

I love the way my wife set the stage on this issue. If you were going to have brain surgery and you had every one of these candidates as an option for which doctor you would select - who would you chose (and were talking about the front runners)? Docter A: Even though Doctor A would have the knowledge and expertise in running a hospital and maybe a few good surgeries under his belt, but was always second guessing himself and "Flip-Flopping" on what choices he was making while you are under sedation and couldn''t be firm on what he believed - is this the one you would pick? Or Doctor B: Maybe you would select the higher ground with Doctor B that has had little experience in this type of surgery and his controversial procedures are becoming a big concern for his Liability Insurance provider, but Hey, he is a local leader in the most popular church in town - would you pray a long prayer and select this doctor? Or Doctor C: This surgeon has been there in the most intense surgeries and has the experience and understanding of what new procedures are a viable option for your particular needs and also has a plan for your recovery through rehab and weekly exams. I don''t think there is any doubt that you would select Doctor C - and that doctor''s name is FRED THOMPSON!!! I don''t know about the rest of the country but my wife has a very good point about all this. Experience, Integrity and Honesty - to me that is why Fred Thompson is hands down the best man for the job. God Bless America!!!

[ianlou]

Fred Thompson%u2019s first mistake was to announce his candidacy on the Leno show, I mean, who watches Leno!

[sleepdecay]

Go Thompson Go!!

[actornaught]

Posted by Steve3030 at 12:59 PM : Jan 01, 2008

um... This is the Opinion section. Since opinions disturb you to the point of making fanciful conspiracy accusations, you probably should avoid this section. And re-re-reposting doesn''t help your IQ either...

[patrick327]

Amusing and downright pathetic how the liberal media has the power to shape elections by writing tripe and fabricating polls.

By this writer''s interpretation he paints Fred bad because he''s not a lap dog telling us everything we want to hear and doing it with vigor. Amazing how yellow journalism is now not just reserved for the Inquirer and the NY Post.

The liberals are scared of Fred and want to discredit him to the voters at every turn. Exploiting the fact that Fred doesn''t like the pretentiousness of campaigning doesn''t make him a bad candidate. It just means he doesn''t want to bow down and give lip service just to placate. As if all the energetic flip floppers and their promises are going to remember a thing they said to get elected when they get elected.

[patrick327]

Amusing and downright pathetic how the liberal media has the power to shape elections by writing tripe and fabricating polls.

By this writer''s interpretation he paints Fred bad because he''s not a lap dog telling us everything we want to hear and doing it with vigor. Amazing how yellow journalism is now not just reserved for the Inquirer and the NY Post.

The liberals are scared of Fred and want to discredit him to the voters at every turn. Exploiting the fact that Fred doesn''t like the pretentiousness of campaigning doesn''t make him a bad candidate. It just means he doesn''t want to bow down and give lip service just to placate. As if all the energetic flip floppers and their promises are going to remember a thing they said to get elected when they get elected.

[patrick327]

Amusing and downright pathetic how the liberal media has the power to shape elections by writing tripe and fabricating polls.

By this writer''s interpretation he paints Fred bad because he''s not a lap dog telling us everything we want to hear and doing it with vigor. Amazing how yellow journalism is now not just reserved for the Inquirer and the NY Post.

The liberals are scared of Fred and want to discredit him to the voters at every turn. Exploiting the fact that Fred doesn''t like the pretentiousness of campaigning doesn''t make him a bad candidate. It just means he doesn''t want to bow down and give lip service just to placate. As if all the energetic flip floppers and their promises are going to remember a thing they said to get elected when they get elected.

[af9115]

I wouldn''t expect anything better from any reporters at CBS Clinton Broadcast Service. I also wouldn''t expect anything other than the hateful, vitriolic spewing from the Ron Paul morons. They invade the media wherever they are allowed, they take over all of the online voting where you can vote as often as you like. As far as your above preferred Dems., you can''t have my hard earned tax dollars for your medical care or any other entitlement. Get off your butts and go to work like the rest of us that a responsible citizens.

[krisd999-2009]

Let''s see, Fred Thompson at least knows something about federalism and that Congress has no business getting involved in things it has no powers to be involved in such as the Schiavo case. We are also not supposed to be paying any attention to the "flaky" Ron Paul that stands for such flaky things as our Constitution, America itself, and by the way, just had an almost $20 million 4th quarter that might even beat the fundraising of Obama and Hillary and not to mention most media anointed republican "frontrunners" COMBINED! Ron Paul breaks all one day records with $6 million on top of the previous $4 million and have you heard about it? Media blackout. If it was Hillary, they would be talking about it non-stop.

[mcvet]

Gee, post an article written by a liberal magazine that has been trying to belittle Fred ever since he entered the campaign...and people call Fred lazy...maybe if you returned to the day of when reporters tried to tell the objective story, you might find a different - and correct -- picture of what Fred is all about.


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Posted by shockemdores at 07:20 PM : Dec 31, 2007
+ report abuse

LOL Well some things NEVER change... here''s a bootlicker blaming the Media for the failure of this MORON to connect to the voters. I''d suppose the MEDIA is stopping them from coming out to hear him? ROFLMAO Could it be that Neocon''s have failed and failed BADLY? I have a lot of faith in the American People and I think they''ve seen and heard about all they can take from the right and THAT is the reason for the problems you face. Sieg Heil Bush!!

[mcvet]

I have followed national elections since the early ''''50s. This is the worst mob of candidates, Republican and Democratic, in history. Most sound like a Christian version of The Taliban. If these are the best America has to offer, we are in serious trouble.


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Posted by jmcgilvray at 12:42 AM : Jan 01, 2008
+ report abuse

Which Democrats sound or act like the Taliban? I''ve followed them closely from the start and I do not see on the Democrat side this pandering to religion I see CONSTANTLY on the fascist side.

[cs4466]

Fred who?

[mediapreachr]

This guy is just mad that he''s retired and has no golden parachute handed to him-see the latest batch of ceo''s who got hundred of millions in severance packages.
I think there''s a guy in his staff that has only one thing to do-constantly remind Fred that he is not on the set of Law and order anymore.This is for real,man...

[cdfoxtrot]

This is just more of See BS doing their best to tank Thompson, who can beat Hillary, while promoting Ron Paul and Huckabee who can''''t." Posted by vbnvbnvbn at 02:12 PM : Dec 31, 2007

Not sure on what basis you think Thompson could win against ANYONE, let alone Hillary (who isn''t anyone''s choice, yet, BTW, since no votes have been cast). No, Thompson is just another arrogant a$shole who thinks he''s entitled to something. Instead, he''s just a dried up, tired old man. A second-rate actor who started to believe his own bul1_sh1t. Great article, BTW. Laughed my a$s off as I read it.

[fairandbal]

Fred is still the true conservative in this race. He can''t stand being with ordinary people which is typical GOP, can''t stand ordinary folks, so don''t care to do anything to help them once elected.

[sussababy]

That is the most ridiculous article! Is the author simply hoping his dreams will come true if he writes them down?

Puh-leeze!

[ramos937]

My guys the Cowboys wanted a win over the Redskins Sunday but they did not want to work for it so they lost. Fred wants to be President but does not want to campaign for it and it shows. Therefore, he will quite the race sometime in the next 90 days.

Let''s try to be charitable. The guy is battling cancer (I know he says he is not cancer free). That takes a lot out of you.

Good luck to you Fred and God Bless.

[shockemdores]

Gee, post an article written by a liberal magazine that has been trying to belittle Fred ever since he entered the campaign...and people call Fred lazy...maybe if you returned to the day of when reporters tried to tell the objective story, you might find a different - and correct -- picture of what Fred is all about.