John McCain is all but done, Guiliani's numbers are tanking and Mitt Romney is anemic in the Republican primary. The big conservative hope lately has been for former Senator and actor Fred Thompson to jump in. Fred talks a lot of game, but the reality doesn't quite match up to the hype. He isn't expected to announce his candidacy until September now (remember the big July 4th announcement that never came?). So whats the problem? Apparently there isn't much going on besides talk.
From The New York Times:
A week of personnel turnover that extended from his campaign-manager-in-waiting down to volunteers raised questions about whether the Thompson camp is prepared to jump fully into the race for the Republican presidential nomination, a race in which his rivals have had months to establish their campaign organizations, raise money and hone strategy.
It also ignited speculation in Republican circles about who is really in charge, and in particular about the extent of the role being played by Mr. Thompson’s wife, Jeri Kehn Thompson, a former political operative.
On Tuesday, Tom Collamore, a top adviser to Mr. Thompson, stepped aside. At the same time, Mr. Thompson’s political operation announced that it was bringing in Randy Enwright, a veteran Republican strategist with ties to the Bush family, and former Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, to take over the prospective campaign. The next day, the organization’s research director quit, and other staff members walked out.
This isn't the type of news you expect to hear from a frontrunner's campaign, or a frontrunner-in-waiting, or whatever the hell he is. It sounds more like the disorganization of the sinking U.S.S. McCain. Unless Fred gets his act together, he will be nothing but a conservative 'hope,' and nothing more.
|