What If Fred Stays In?
Posted on January 21, 2008
Fred had a disappointing third place in South Carolina after putting a lot of effort, time, energy, and money into it. The MSM and most pundits have written him off. Most think he will quit and endorse McCain. Others hope for Romney, and are hoping he will accept a deal for VP. Meanwhile, Fred hasn’t said anything about giving up. He fought as the “consistent conservative” in the race, and if he quits who will the true conservatives rally behind? They will split, and whoever they get behind it will be with much less passion. The irony is….the candidate who got such a hard time for having no “fire in the belly” would leave the hardcore conservatives with a belly empty of fire if he were to leave the race.
I think there is a reason that Fred gave a fiery speech about conservatism before leaving to check on his ill mother in South Carolina. I think there is a reason that speech was not a concession speech. I think he is thinking about this deeply, and if he really believes that the Republican party needs to go back to its conservative roots, his decision may be a lot different than what the pundits think after searching his soul.
Imagine for a second, that tomorrow Fred calls for a press release to make a major announcment about his campaign. All the major media tunes in with their speculations that this will be his announcment of quitting. Instead, Fred gives a Reaganesque speech, full of fire, about how important it is for the future of America to have a true conservative leader, then announces that he is carrying on so that if nothing else, true conservatives have someone they can vote for without a guilty conscience.
With a firm statement like that with the all the nation’s eyes on him, the donations would roll in, and a new life would be breathed into his campaign. With polls in Florida like the latest Rasmussen showing Huckabee only one point ahead of Fred, he could crush Huckabee out of the race, taking the southern states on super Tuesday. The odds would still be stacked against him, but they would not be insurmountable. Huckabee’s momentum is gone, and if Rudy loses his gamble in Florida, it could come down to three on Super Tuesday if Fred doesn’t bow out. So, I want to encourage Fred to keep on truckin if he really believes this is a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican party. Otherwise, go on and quit, endorse McCain and seal its death. If Fred isn’t in the race, there will be a lot of people who sit out.
Maybe I’m just dreaming. We will find out tomorrow it looks like.
There will be no decisions today as Thompson mulls whether to carry on his bid for the presidency but he is expected to say something definitive tomorrow, probably first thing in the morning.
While no one in the campaign will be surprised if he withdraws they have no idea which way he will go and they do have some money if he should decide to continue.
Aides acknowledge the obvious: SC was very disappointing and 3rd place was not a momentum builder in their view.
On 8 Jan the campaign staff a took pay cut and Thompson knows he owes his staffers some certainty so they can plan for their future, especially younger staffers who need a paycheck.
Fredheads nationwide are waiting too…..
» Filed Under 1st Amendment, Elections, News, Politics As Usual
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10 Responses to “What If Fred Stays In?”
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McCain will split the GOP party vote in the final election, whereby the democrats will win? GOP voters had better get off McCain’s snake oil show and come back to true GOP conservatives candidates or hello President “Billeryâ€!
And what would you define a true GOP conservative candidate still in the race for sure? I agree that McCain isn’t one, but who is?
I hope with all my heart that Fred stays in. He is truly the only conservative in the race. I will hold my nose to vote for any other Republican who gets the nomination.
Fred is not going to drop out. If McCain or Huckabee get the nomination I will vote for the democrat. I don’t want the republican party blamed for the chaos that would happen in this country.
Huckabee needs to leave the race.
He knows he can’t win. In fact, he plans to not win by continuing to make inflamatory statements pandering to religious conservatives that alienate everybody else.
Huckabee is deliberately doing this to split the conservative vote so that McCain will win.
Then, when all the conservatives have dropped out, Huckabee will make some really over the top religious statements that will cause the voters to abandon him wholesale and hand the election to McCain. Then religious conservatives will complain they are being unfairly stereotyped.
Save Mike the effort, abandon him now!
Huckabee is a traitor to all conservatives, do not vote for him.
If Fred stays in, McAmnesty wins the nomination and it will be 100% his fault.
If Fred drops out I may not vote….if certain other people get the nomination I may very well vote D, quit my job and spend my days demanding the government take care of me….this country seems to want a socialist government and the left says they will take care of us from cradle to grave….maybe we should sit on our [edited] and call them on that huh?
If Fred stays in, Huckabee loses. If he knocks Huckabee out soon enough, he could gain on McAmnesty and Romney.
If Fred stays in, he’ll win. Any other questions? Go Fred08.com
jay – thanks. you captured just what i am feeling and thinking tonite. i will dream with you and hope fred read what you wrote…