Thompson in '08

Fair counter, but the fact that I didn't know that helps him. It isn't Thompson-Feingold.

 

Guy, as someone who might be eligible to vote in a Republican primary, who are you pulling for?

I'm interested to see some of the Republican debates from here on out, especially if they continue to allow all the candidates to participate.

 

Even as a republican, Thompson is too conservative for me...

I'd vote for him over Hillary if I had to, but I really hope it doesn't come to that. I'd probably vote for Obama over him.

Hopefully, it will be Giuliani, McCain or Romney for the republicans...

 

I'm still pretty undecided. No one leaps out at me, but I think that's as much from strength as weakness. I think the top 3, and maybe a couple of others are reasonable if flawed candidates. I want to see alot more, especially from those I don't know that well.

 

Didn't he shove his foot deeply into his mouth recently? There was a thread about it, but I'm too lazy to find it. Does that sound familiar to anyone?

 

I think that was Tommy Thompson. Different candidate.

 

The one thing that bothers me the most about this thread: I seriously didn't know we had a running conflict with Iceland.
What's our relationship with Greenland these days?

 

Warming.

 

Scoreboard. Whatever.

 

The biggest problem the Republicans have is all of their most electable candidates have very, very long odds in far too many primaries in those extremely red states in the midwest and south, the bible belt, where the conservative Christian, Christian right, right-wing -- however you want to call it -- still wields the biggest stick.

And right now that base is not really jumping for joy over any of these guys and without that base in full force behind someone, a Republican has zero chance of getting elected. I don't even think anti-Clinton sentiment would be enough to energize that base if the right candidate is not nominated.

But look at it in terms of the frontrunners - Giuliani is seen as too liberal on all of the social issues, plus his marital issues and his well documented affairs are a big problem. Mitt Romney's from ultra-liberal Mass. and his Mormon faith which gives him two strikes in their eyes and John McCain has, I think, become the new Robert Dole - an elder statesman, respected by all, seen as a fairly good guy -- who nobody really wants or thinks can win so they are luke warm about him as well.

At least Fred Thompson is mostly seen as a Southern conservative and yet the moderates don't view him as being from the lunatic fringe, either, so he'd have an excellent chance to win the primaries and get the nomination because he's the one guy with enough name recognition and clout to excite the country club wing of the party, he's at least perceived to be a southern gentleman and a conservative so he'll pacify the right-wing of the party as well.

This next nomination is all about being able to survive the primaries and from what I can see, Fred Thompson would be a formidable foe for the rest of this mostly flawed field.

 

Do you think he'll ultimately run? I think this is Colin Powell revisited to be honest. Powell never really wanted to be president and neither does Thompson but the political capital they gain by being seen as the best alternative is worth the flirtation