Fred's (real) Announcement Video! (Permanently Bumped to Top)

From the Fred.08 website



Now, conservatives... tell me he's not everything you look for in a candidate!

Fred and Phil Martin

It's all over the place right now that one of Fred's key advisors has a criminal record--from over 20 years ago:

Fred Thompson said Sunday that he wishes he had known earlier that one of his key presidential campaign advisers pleaded guilty to drug charges but he still thinks Phil Martin is "a good man."

Martin, a businessman who has lent Thompson his Cessna to fly around the country, is one of four campaign co-chairman for the '08 Republican candidate. The Washington Post reports Sunday that Martin also posted a guilty plea in 1979 for selling 11 pounds of marijuana and a no contest plea in 1983 for cocaine trafficking and conspiracy.

Judgment was withheld on the first plea while Martin served out probation. The 1983 charges, along with a felony bookmaking charge, came while he was still serving that probation. Martin's probation was extended and he served no jail time.

If this is the worst dirt that one can dig up on Fred, I'd say, have at it.

Martin has turned his life around and has obviously made something of himself. He has given ample time to prove himself in society and has done so.

When Fred himself, or his associates, start engaging in real criminal behavior, let me know.

Until then, yaaaaaaaaaaawwwwnnn....

At the very least, Fred isn't taking money from terrorists.

****UPDATE*****

Martin has voluntarily resigned.

Did I say 8 million?

Make that twelve:

McLean, VA - The Thompson for President campaign will show total donations of more than $12.7 million in its first report to be filed this month with the Federal Election Commission. Sen. Thompson has received donations from more than 80,000 supporters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and has $7 million cash on hand.

"The financial support Sen. Thompson has received from more than 80,000 donors demonstrates his huge grassroots appeal for Republicans who've been waiting for an authentic conservative to enter the race for president," said campaign manager Bill Lacy. "We feel great about future fundraising, knowing there's a big well of support to go back to, since people who've given once are likely to give again."

The average dollar donation to the campaign is $176, with 22,000 donors contributing online and 200,000 Friends of Fred signing up online to support the campaign.

The total raised for the third quarter filing (July 1^st - September 30^th) is $9.3 million. Since Sen. Thompson officially declared his candidacy on September 5^th, the campaign has raised an average of $200,000 per day.

Despite the naysayers, Fred remains strong:

"Some of the other campaigns have spent tens of millions of dollars so far, only to lose support among voters; yet, Fred is running strong in most of the early primary states without having spent a dime on advertising," noted Lacy. "We are on plan and will have the funding we need to get Fred's message to voters."

FULL SPEED AHEAD, FRED!!!(c)

Fred Still Ahead!

So says Rasmussen:

For the seven days ending September 30, 2007 show that Fred Thompson earns 25% of the vote while Rudy Giuliani attracts 23%. Mitt Romney has moved back into third place, supported by 13%. John McCain is now the favorite for just 10% and Mike Huckabee is at 6%. Four other candidates split 4% of the vote while 19% are undecided (review history of weekly results).

The seven day results typically include interviews with more than 1,000 Likely Republican Primary Voters. This includes both Republicans and those independents likely to vote in a Republicans Primary. In some state primaries, independent voters are allowed to participate in party primaries while in others they are excluded. The margin of sampling error for the weekly update is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

During the short period since his announcement, Thompson has garnered 8 million dollars in donations. Check the link on the sidebar of this blog to put your money where your mouth is and support Fred!

FULL SPEED AHEAD, FRED!! (c)

Fred Thompson--out and about

There have been a lot of doomsayers out and about saying that Fred Thompson's campaign for President was "dead in the water" before it started, that Fred is a political lightweight, and that Fred was doomed to be a flash in the pan, among others.

But there is one important fact that all the nattering naybobs continue to ignore:

The voters aren't listening to them:

Over the past four months, Rasmussen Reports polling has consistently shown Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani holding the top two slots in the race for the Republican Presidential Nomination. During that time, the weekly poll results have shown Thompson’s support ranging from a low of 20% to a high of 28%. Giuliani’s range has been similar, from 19% to 27%. Although Thompson and Giuliani are the frontrunners, both men still have plenty of detractors who say they can’t possibly win the nomination.

For the week ending September 23, it’s Thompson 26% and Giuliani 22%.

Occupying a precarious niche somewhere between the frontrunners and the also-rans are John McCain and Mitt Romney. Both men were early favorites of Washington pundits but haven’t done as well among Republican primary voters. During the past four months, McCain’s support has ranged from 11% to 14%. Romney’s range has been from 11% to 15%.

Also, despite claims that Thompson won't be well-received by core conservative voters, the NRA gave Thompson no less than three standing ovations during his stump speech at their convention (more on Thompson's success over at National Review).

Despite continued attacks by the conservative establishment on Fred's character and ability to win, Fred and the voters continue to prove them wrong.

So, if the nattering naybobs of the conservative establishment continue to downplay Fred Thompson's effectiveness as a candidate, they continue to do so at the peril of their own credibility.

Get used to it, folks.

Fred has hit the trail running, and he's not looking back.

Full Speed Ahead, Fred! ©

Fred Thompson's Teaser...

As you know, Fred Thompson, who is to announce for his bid for the Presidency tomorrow, opted to do a television ad, instead of being a participant in the New Hampshire debates tonight.

Here is the ad that Fred will run:



Looking forward to tomorrow!!!

Full Speed Ahead, Fred!

The Latest on Fred's Announcement

Dear Friends,

On September 6, 2007, Fred Thompson will be announcing his intention to run for President of the United States with a webcast available to millions at www.imwithfred.com. The launch of the video will be followed by a five-day campaign tour through Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. On the evening of the 6th, there will also be a National House Party, during which there will be a conference call with Fred.

We enter this campaign in a strong position. Fred is consistently near the top in the polls, and conservatives across the country have put together the closest thing to a draft in recent presidential campaign history in an effort to bring about this day. The next few weeks will only serve to build upon those efforts, with house parties, visits to the early primary states, and a homecoming in Lawrenceburg, TN on the 15th. To view the dates and locations of Fred's bus tour, please click here, and check back soon for more information on attending one of these events.

By announcing via webcast, Fred is able to take his consistently mainstream conservative message directly to the voters, who are already responding to that message with a strong upwelling of grassroots support. The webcast and the following campaign tour will play to Fred’s strengths, a consistent record of conservatism, his ability to clearly spread his message, and his ability to work with and connect with Americans from all walks of life. Be apart of this historic occasion by signing up to host or attend a house party today.

Sincerely,

Bill Lacy
Manager, Friends of Fred Thompson, Inc.

FULL SPEED AHEAD, FRED!

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!! (*UPDATED)

And now, what we've all been waiting for:


Fred Dalton Thompson will tell his supporters that he is running for president today in a 4 p.m. conference call with 800 to 1,000 elected and party officials from around the country, a source close to the campaign said today.

On the call, Thompson will detail his plans for the future, which are expected to include an appearance on Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" on Wednesday night -- even as his rivals debate on Fox -- and could be followed by a formal announcement the next day.

The confirmation of Thompson's plans end a months-long flirtation with the public about whether the former senator and Hollywood actor would seek the Republican nomination for the presidency.


UPDATE: Campaign officials now say there will not be a 4:30 conference call for the media. Rather, the campaign will put out information for the press in a statement. Stay tuned for details later this afternoon.

Leo Adds: It would appear that Thompson will be formally announcing one week from today (Thursday, Sept 6th)

The former Republican senator and “Law & Order” actor will release an announcement video on Thompson’s Web site, in the morning and then follow up the big news with a five-day tour of early primary states. The Associated Press is reporting that the tour will conclude with a big homecoming event in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., on Sept. 15.

The Sept. 6, announcement comes the day after the rest of the Republican field is participating in a debate in New Hampshire. Mr. Thompson is to appear on NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” that night instead.

Full speed ahead, Fred!

Fred, it's time to shit or get off the pot.

Dear Mr. Thompson,

As you can see by the fact that I am the originator of this blog, I am a huge supporter of yours. Your ideas on Federalism, on Pro-Life Issues, on Second Amendment Rights, and the War on Terror, including Iraq, suggests that your ideas are a near--hell no--a perfect fit with what I value.

The problem sir, with all due respect, is that your coyness in declaring your candidacy is leading many who support you (including myself) to be a bit skiddish. While your hesitancy to declare may have paid dividends in the drone that was this past summer's Presidential scene, I fear that the law of diminishing returns on your strategy may have a way of catching up to you with a vengeance if you do not declare your candidacy soon.

Make no mistake, Mr. Thompson. You're still my guy. But I want my guy to make a difference. I want my guy to win.

With all due respect, don't blow it.

Fred and the question of money...

Many in the leftosphere and in the "Ron-Paul" osphere have been proclaiming the Fred Thompson campaign dead in the water, due to Thompson's raising "only" 3.5 million during the month of June.

But given that Fred is not yet an official candidate, was that amount really that deficient?

Not so, says the Arkansas Republican:

(1) In his first exploratory month, Thompson raised well over $3.5 million - more than 10 times what Giuliani did in his first month and about 3 times what McCain raised. Here’s the comparison to the other top three Republican candidates during the initial exploratory month (from the time they started taking money):
· Giuliani - total raised in first month (Nov. 15-Dec. 15): $258,660
· McCain - total raised in first month (Nov. 14-Dec. 14): $1,130,351
· Romney - raised more money in his first month, but largely because he organized his big-dollar donors ahead of time to give himself a bit splash and he loaned his committee at least $850,000 weeks before filing his statement of candidacy on Jan. 3.

(2) Under FEC rules, a candidate is not allowed to raise funds “in excess of what could reasonably be expected to be used for exploratory activities”. Thompson has raised an appropriate amount for an exploratory phase. Considering these rules, it is interesting that . . .
· One month ago, the DNC attacked Thompson (in the Politico) for potentially raising more money than he’d need for the exploratory period and said they’d “argue aggressively” against him. The DNC rolled out the hit piece at Daily Kos claiming that Thompson was “Raising Funds Beyond What You Need To "Explore"” and the liberal activist outlet CREW said Thompson “appears to have raised far more money than necessary…”
· After being attacked for raising “too much” money, Thompson is now being attacked for not spending his entire Exploratory focus on raising money.

(3) An inquiry to the Fred Thompson campaign revealed that they have not even used any direct mail or telephone fundraising and their expenditures have been very low meaning that an estimated 80% of funds will be available for the primary.

So, Ron-Paul-ites and DNC-- don't be so quick to turn out the lights, cause the Fred Thompson party is far from over.

As a matter of fact, it's only just begun.

Fred Still Leads the Pack!

By Rasmussen, via Blogs for Fred Thompson:

Rasmussen is reporting that Fred Thompson is still leading the pack in their Daily Polls.

Date:

Thomp.

Giul

Romn

McCain

7/23

26%

22%

12%

10%

And the juggernaut continues!

NOTA?*

*None of the Above?

WASHINGTON - A new poll reveals a clear leader in the Republican presidential race: nobody.

The AP-Ipsos survey shows nearly a quarter of Republicans are unwilling to back any of the top candidates -- Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain or Mitt Romney. And no one has emerged as the front-runner among evangelicals.

Zogby, long reputed to be one of the more accurate and reliable pollsters, has a much different story:

On the Republican side, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, as yet a non-candidate, has climbed to the top of the GOP leaderboard, winning 22 percent support, compared to 21 percent for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney remains in third place with 11 percent. Arizona Sen. John McCain continues his dramatic slide, from second place in late May to fourth place now, supported by 9 percent of likely Republican voters nationwide.

As far as evangelicals go,

Thompson’s strongest appeal comes from those who consider themselves to be "very conservative,” as 35 percent in that group said they favored the former Tennessee Senator-turned-actor. Giuliani finished a distant third in that group, followed by Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. McCain finishes fifth among very conservative voters.

And even among "mainline" conservative voters, the yet-to-be-declared Fred Thompson is still making a fantastic showing:

Among mainline conservatives - the largest subgroup of GOP voters - Giuliani wins 21 percent, compared to 20 percent for Thompson, 13 percent for Romney, and 12 percent for McCain.

All this, without needing to spend a dime of campaign funds.

Despite what MSNBC and others would assert, the voters do have a choice! Fred Thompson isn't just a candidate we can "settle for," Fred is a candidate we can support!

Fred Bounces Back...

In reaction to the charges that he lobbied for pro-abortion groups, Fred Thompson himself had this to say:

"The easiest and most generally used tactic when running against a lawyer is to trade off a general perception that most people dislike lawyers. Goodness knows that a lot of lawyers have earned disfavor but, as it turns out, folks understand our system better than a lot of politicians think they do. In my first run for the Senate, my opponent tried the old demagoguery route – “He has even represented criminals!” – to no avail.

A first cousin of this ploy is to associate the lawyer with the views of his client. Now-United States Chief Justice John Roberts addressed this notion during his confirmation hearings. “… [I]t’s a tradition of the American Bar that goes back before the founding of the country that lawyers are not identified with the positions of their clients. The most famous example probably was John Adams, who represented the British soldiers charged in the Boston Massacre.”

Roberts pointed out that Adams was actually vindicating the rule of law. Every person, unpopular or not, is entitled to representation. He further said, “That principle that you don’t identify the lawyer with the particular views of the client or the views that the lawyer advances on behalf of the client, is critical to the fair administration of justice.”

Like Adams, the views of attorney Abe Lincoln would have been a little hard to discern from looking at the positions he took as a lawyer. He represented the big railroad companies and on other occasions represented farmers and small land owners against the railroads.

Likewise during the Roberts confirmation, the New York Times reported on August 5, 2005 that as an appellate lawyer in the mid-1990s, Roberts gave advice to a gay-rights group that helped them win a 1996 anti-discrimination suit. Chief Justice Roberts had no direct hand in the suit. Rather, colleagues at his firm were handling the case and sought advice from a number of partners, him included. The group said that Chief Justice Roberts provided “invaluable strategic guidance” formulating legal theories.

I’ve experienced another gambit of those schooled in the creative uses of law and politics: dredging up clients – or another lawyer’s clients – that I may have represented or consulted with, and then using the media to get me into a public debate as to what I may have done for them or said to them 15 or 20 years ago. Even if my memory serves me correctly, it would not be appropriate for a lawyer to make such comments.

This situation does however bring to mind my many years in the law, and the nature of law practice in a country such as ours that prizes independence and individual rights. Of course, these values could not be protected without lawyer-client confidentiality or if lawyers were identified with the positions of their clients.

As an idealistic teen-ager I could think of nothing more inspiring than the notion of representing a just cause against the most powerful forces in the country, including the government. I’ve had a chance to do some of that. It’s fair to say that not all of my clients have been so praiseworthy. Some were, in deed, accused of crimes. Some were convicted against my best efforts.

The practice of law is a business as well as a profession. It’s the way you support your family. And if a client has a legal and ethical right to take a position, then you may appropriately represent him as long as he does not lie or otherwise conduct himself improperly while you are representing him. In almost 30 years of practicing law I must have had hundreds of clients and thousands of conversations about legal matters. Like any good lawyer, I would always try to give my best, objective, and professional opinion on any legal question presented to me.

I’ve had great personal and professional satisfaction because of my decision to become a lawyer. I made a decent living, served the rule of law, and I believe I did some good. I’ve had the opportunity to help small farmers in Tennessee, the Chief Justice of the United States, previously mentioned, and several folks in between, as well as a half dozen or so lobbying clients.

I was a federal prosecutor at the age of 27, Watergate Counsel at the age of 30, and served as special counsel to both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee. In Tennessee, I served on the Appellate Court Nominating Committee and, of course, I was elected twice to the United States Senate.

I went on to do other things, too. Before election to the Senate, I appeared in several movies. The movie work was always an avocation for me and I continued to practice law throughout my “movie days” while continuing to live in the Nashville, Tennessee area.

Actually, my legal career led to my movie career. I took the case of a woman who was Chairman of the Tennessee Pardons and Parole Board. She stood up to the then Governor of Tennessee, we sued him and ultimately it was determined that he was corrupt. He, his legal counsel, and others went to jail. A book was written, and a movie was made about my client and our case and I was offered the opportunity to play myself in the movie, which led to other roles.

I’m certainly not surprised that such a diverse career is being mined by others. As we get further into this political season we will undoubtedly see the further intersection of law, politics and the mainstream media. However I intend to keep in mind the appropriate distinction and separation between law and politics, and I do not intend to get sucked in to doing a disservice to either of them or to myself."

A Good Day!

Especially with regard to the hopefully-never-to-be- resuscitated immigration bill:

This has been a good day for America.

For a while, it didn’t look like Washington was going to listen to us regarding real immigration reform. Thankfully, we’ve been spared a serious mistake, but I wonder if things would have turned out the way they did without the work done by the bloggers, talk radio and the American people. Rush, Hannity, Laura Ingraham, RedState, Powerline, Pajamas Media and a lot of others have done a great job. Take that, Fairness Doctrine.

Make sure to read the rest of Fred's post. And note what Fred says... "For a while it didn't look like Washington was going to listen to us..." and, "Take that, Fairness Doctrine."

Fred knows that grassroots America has found its voice on the internet and on talk radio, and Fred understands its value!

In the post, also note Fred's stance on Cuba:

While the communist dictatorship has been a tragedy for Cuba, America has been in some ways, at least, the beneficiary.

One of those benefits is the presence of the great Cuban-American artist, Gloria Estefan. She co-wrote a song called “No hay mal que por bien no venga” which I understand translates something like — there’s no bad that doesn’t bring some good. The bad that is Castro’s tyranny has given America one of the greatest communities in the Western Hemisphere.

And no one knows better than that community that the Castro regime remains dedicated to infiltrating American institutions to spread his ideology of tyranny. Castro admitted it himself in an interview with CNN in 1998.

This is why the Cuban government rightfully remains on the State Department’s terrorist list for its continued support of terrorism. It’s also why we must oppose the illegal immigration of Castro’s agents into the United States while welcoming the vast majority who immigrate legally and with legal intentions.

It seems to me that few Americans understand the threat that the illegal entry by Cuban spies represents to our country, though Cuban-Americans have never forgotten or stopped pointing it out. Ambassador Otto Reich, the former Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere has called Castro’s efforts to penetrate U.S. intelligence networks “relentless.”

The best-known incident involving Cuban espionage, which many believe may have provided U.S. secrets to hostile Middle Eastern regimes, is probably that of former Defense Intelligence Agency analyst Ana Belen Montes — convicted of espionage in 2002.

and...

Our national security is too important an issue to let folks twist words around for a one-day headline. Cuban-Americans are among the staunchest opponents of illegal immigration, and especially so when it’s sponsored by the Castro regime. We know we have a porous southern border in which they can currently slip through easily. Our enemies know it too.

All of us should be rightfully concerned about Castro and his ideological pal Chavez sending agents and provocateurs into the United States through Mexico. I’m sure that Cuban-Americans share this concern as well.

Why the Fred Thompson appeal? Is it because he's an actor? I doubt it. Sean Penn is an actor, and I sure as hell wouldn't want him for President.

It's much larger than that. Fred understands and speaks with the heart of America, pure and simple. No putting on airs, no gobbledygook. What you see and hear is what you get. As Christopher Adamo at Chron Watch put it:

Meanwhile, the greatest challenge Thompson faces (and it may not be a difficult one for him) is simply to remain true to the conservative principles which he has consistently presented as sincere and heartfelt. He is not prone to backtracking or apologizing, and need not do so now.

As the other candidates bob and weave, attempting to capture the allegiance of one constituency group without alienating another, Fred Thompson only needs to keep being Fred Thompson.

It is my sincere belief that Fred will be just that.

You can take that to the bank.

Fred Thompson--Media savvy? You bet!

An interesting, and spot-on-take:

Potential Republican Presidential candidate Fred Thompson has a website that should be a model for anyone aspiring to political office.

Well over a year remains before the 2008 Presidential election takes place. Candidates like Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, and John McCain have been staking out spots online, with the aid of their campaign machines, in the hopes of engaging voters.

At this early date, money remains the first, second, third, and probably twenty-fourth most significant concern for White House aspirants. The Thompson website, I'm With Fred, features links to donate and raise funds should the actor/Senator pursue a bid for the Presidency, just as the other candidates do.

His organization has opted for a slightly different approach to the Web. Thompson's website doesn't have the dizzying array of content blocks the other candidates we mentioned have posted. His main content section is a blog, kept up to date by an administrator at times when the candidate himself isn't posting.

The important concept Thompson's people seem to get is the need to have their supporters engage traditional media. His site features specific links to encourage people to write to newspaper editors or call talk radio.

Those two sections allow the visitor to pick a state followed by a media market. A results page shows the options available for contacting the media outlet of choice.

Make no mistake, folks. Fred Thompson does know how to win.

h/t: Gary Gross.

No skeletons in this closet....

When looking for mud to sling, democrats can often count on ex-lovers and wives to dredge up dirt on their opponents.

When it comes to Fred Thompson, however, the democrats will have to look in another closet:

Republican Thompson endorsed by ex-girlfriends

By Steve Holland

Reuters
Monday, June 25, 2007; 6:46 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Things must be going well for prospective presidential candidate Fred Thompson because even his ex-wife and former girlfriends are endorsing him.

One-by-one they've said the Tennessee Republican is their man -- at least for president, according to London's Sunday Times newspaper.

Will he or won't he...

I guess tomorrow we'll find out for sure (whether he announces or not).

We'll definitely be there when he does!

The Big Announcement set for next week!

The long awaited announcement of Fred's candidacy may finally take place:


A source close to the campaign planning tells WSMV that that Thompson planned to announce his candidacy on the steps of the historic Fall School Building Tuesday, but Thompson campaign officials deny that Tuesday's announcement is an official run for the White House.

The source tells WSMV report says that the Thompson campaign has obtained the lease for that building to turn it into a national campaign office.

"Everything's in place for Tuesday," the source told WSMV. "There are three major events built around his announcement." But Bob Davis, the Tennessee Republican Party Chairman, and Thompson's former Chief of Staff says "There will not be an annoucement Tuesday."

CAIR: Fred Gets it!

From the Fred Thompson Report:

I've talked before about the Council on American-Islamic Relations -- most recently because it filed that lawsuit against Americans who reported suspicious behavior by Muslims on a U.S. Airways flight. Better known just as CAIR, the lobbying group has come under a lot of scrutiny lately for its connections to terror-supporting groups.

This time, though, The Washington Times has uncovered some very good news about the group.

For years, CAIR has claimed to represent millions of American Muslims. In fact, they claim to represent more Muslim in American than ... there are in America. This has alarmed Americans in general as the group often seems to be more aligned with our enemies than us -- which isn't surprising as it spun off from a group funded by Hamas. As you know, Hamas has been waging a terrorist war against Israel and calls for its total destruction. It also promises to see America destroyed. Nowadays, Hamas is busy murdering its Palestinian political rivals.

Even with this history, and CAIR's conspicuous failure to condemn Hamas by name, it has been treated as if represents Muslim Americans by our own government. The good news is that the financial support CAIR claims to have among American Muslims is a myth. We know this because The Washington Times got hold of the group's IRS tax records.CAIR's dues-paying membership has shrunk 90 percent since 9/11 -- from 29,000 in 2000 to only 1,700 last year. CAIR's annual income from dues plunged from $733,000 to $59,000. Clearly, America's Muslims are not supporting this group -- and I'm happy to hear about it.

Of course, every silver lining seems to have a cloud; and this cloud is that CAIR's spending is running about $3 million a year. They’ve opened 25 new chapters in major cities across the country even as their dues shrank to a pittance. The question is; who’s funding CAIR?CAIR's not saying. The New York Times earlier this year reported that the backing is from "wealthy Persian Gulf governments" including the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Obviously, we have a bigger problem here than the one with CAIR.

(h/t Not Ready for My Burqqa)

Thompson on top!

The heretofore undeclared candidate has now topped the field.

There’s change at the top in the race for the Republican Presidential nomination.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson earning support from 28% of Likely Republican Primary Voters. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani attracts support from 27%. While Thompson’s one-point edge is statistically insignificant, it is the first time all year that anybody but Giuliani has been on top in Rasmussen Reports polling. A week ago, Thompson and Giuliani were tied at 24%.

It remains an open question as to how Thompson will hold up once he actually enters the campaign and has to compete directly with other candidates. To date, he retains the allure of the new kid in town while GOP voters already know the things they don’t like about the others. Still, Thompson’s rise to the top provides a telling measure of how the other GOP hopefuls have failed to capture the imagination of the party they hope to lead.

Thompson's genius is inherent in the fact that he has chosen to sit out the formal process enough to get his message out in a clear manner, that stood out from the din of the current field of 10 candidates. Thompson's solo appearance on Hannity & Colmes on a night when 10 other Republican hopefuls were duking it out for their literal 15 seconds of fame, when you come to think of it, was a sheer stroke of genius.

Of course, Fred will sooner or later need to declare. But you can bet that he'll remain head and shoulders above the rest, literally and figuratively, when he does.