Got a Feeling '07 Is Gonna Be Bad Year

David Weigel | August 9, 2007

Curious: Tommy Thompson is telling everyone that he's about to ditch the presidential race.

Without your help and support this week, Tommy Thompson’s campaign cannot go on.

Tommy Thompson has made it clear that if he doesn’t finish first or second this week in Ames, Iowa at the straw poll, he will not go on in this race.

To date he has outworked every other candidate running for president in Iowa. His ideas on ending the war in Iraq, fixing America’s ailing health care system and finding a cure for cancer are being heard, but not by enough people.

There is no way Thompson will finish first in Ames. His e-mail doesn't even promise to pay the $35 fee voters need to fork over. It doesn't even mention it. Republicans win Ames by buying up thousands of tickets, not half-heartedly asking supporters to drive over and letting them discover they need to pay a few hours' wages to back their man.

I'm not really surprised Thompson will go down complaining about his lack of media attention, as he was raging about that in the spin room after the last New Hampshire debate. If he'd run in 1996 or 2000 he might have grabbed more attention in a weaker field.

Join Michael Cannon and cast the Wayback Machine back to the first Bush term when Thompson was a similarly-electrifying HHS secretary.

(Hat tip: Mickey.)

Comments

|8.9.07 @ 2:30PM|#

There is no way Thompson will finish first in Ames. His e-mail doesn't even promise to pay the $35 fee voters need to fork over. It doesn't even mention it. Republicans win Ames by buying up thousands of tickets, not half-heartedly asking supporters to drive over and letting them discover they need to pay a few hours' wages to back their man.

I guess that's bad news for Ron Paul, since he's expecting people to pay their own way as well...

|8.9.07 @ 2:36PM|#

Tommy Thompson is best known nationally for his fumbling, bumbling response to the anthrax attacks.

|8.9.07 @ 2:40PM|#

He's also known for NOT being Fred.

There's only room for one Thompson in this race, bud.

|8.9.07 @ 2:45PM|#

I guess that's bad news for Ron Paul, since he's expecting people to pay their own way as well...

It won't be as bad for Paul, as his supporters wouldn't expect the government to pay for anything, right?

Sorry, I felt like Edward there for a second.

GinSlinger|8.9.07 @ 2:53PM|#

I guess that's bad news for Ron Paul, since he's expecting people to pay their own way as well...

Not according to this:

Thanks to the generous donations of our supporters, we have purchased 500 tickets for eligible Iowa residents. We will make them available at no charge to eligible Iowan residents on a first-come first-serve basis.

|8.9.07 @ 2:58PM|#

GinSlinger,

That's great news, thank you!

|8.9.07 @ 3:01PM|#

*************
RON PAUL
*************

What the hell is wrong with you Weigel? There's only one more day until the Iowa straw poll. This is Hit and Run. We should be in All RON PAUL All The Time mode. You post about the GOP straw poll and don't even mention RON PAUL!? What are you thinking man?

I'm driving six hours to be in Ames. I want to see all you mid west H&Rers there too!

RON PAUL in 2008

TLB|8.9.07 @ 3:02PM|#

I'll bet if he finally GotHisVeriChipImplanted (he serves on their board) he'd get plenty of publicity and support.

While he apparently supports "reform", he did light in to RatFace (aka Alan Colmes) after one of the GOP debates. Hannity stepped in and stopped it, which was too bad.

|8.9.07 @ 3:06PM|#

Warren,

I believe the reason they don't promote particular candidates goes something like "Reason wants to remain a tax-exempt foundation".

|8.9.07 @ 3:09PM|#

Wait, how is a $35 fee to vote not a poll tax?

|8.9.07 @ 3:10PM|#

wait, is it tomorrow or Saturday?

|8.9.07 @ 3:11PM|#

and bergamot, because it's not a real electoral poll. It's a private club poll.

|8.9.07 @ 3:22PM|#

If you're a SOTT (Supporter of Tommy Thompson), then this is probably the most important email you have ever received from his campaign.

He calls his supporters SOTTs? And then he expects them to blow $35 on him?

Also, Dave, it appears that the note said he'd continue if he finished second, not just first. That may be a possibility (though not if RP has anything to say about it!).

Liar|8.9.07 @ 3:23PM|#

wait, is it tomorrow or Saturday?

Romney supporters vote on Sunday. Dr. No supporters vote on Saturday.

seer|8.9.07 @ 3:27PM|#

Tommy reference for the win!

|8.9.07 @ 3:37PM|#

His e-mail doesn't even promise to pay the $35 fee voters need to fork over. It doesn't even mention it.

Well, except that the email does promise them a complimentary ticket if they reserve them.

Urkobold™|8.9.07 @ 3:40PM|#

EDWARD HAS BEEN UNAVAILABLE FOR THIS THREAD, BECAUSE HE IS BUSY GETTING PSYCHED UP AS HE PERUSES THIS MOTIVATIONAL POSTER.

|8.9.07 @ 3:45PM|#

"Reason wants to remain a tax-exempt foundation"

I don't see why that should interfere with the All RON PAUL All of the Time program.

|8.9.07 @ 3:53PM|#

"I believe the reason they don't promote particular candidates goes something like "Reason wants to remain a tax-exempt foundation"."

So you're saying Weigel DOSN'T work for Reason? I'm confused.

|8.9.07 @ 3:54PM|#

"Wait, how is a $35 fee to vote not a poll tax?"

Because Iowans are white.

thoreau|8.9.07 @ 4:03PM|#

Because, IIRC, the Iowa straw poll is not a binding election, just a testing the waters event organized by the parties.

Urkobold™|8.9.07 @ 4:04PM|#

BECAUSE IOWA HAS NO OTHER APPARENT MEANS OF SUPPORT.

|8.9.07 @ 4:07PM|#

BECAUSE IOWA HAS NO OTHER APPARENT MEANS OF SUPPORT.

You forgot that massive transfer of wealth from the coasts to the midwest farm subsidies.

|8.9.07 @ 4:23PM|#

Ron Paul will finish fifth with a single-digit percentage, and he'll be dead in the water by February.

Hopefully the LP will nominate a *real* libertarian and not some Ron Paulish right-wing anti-federalist masquerading as a libertarian.

|8.9.07 @ 5:07PM|#

Thompson really needs to drop the race, he's starting to smeel of 10 week old cheese left in the sun.

|8.9.07 @ 5:08PM|#

Oh and Duncan Hunter needs to go back to the factory that manufactured him. I think he's suffering a major defect and should be recalled.

PJ Doland|8.9.07 @ 5:14PM|#

You really stretched the title for the "Tommy" reference, didn't you?

Doctor Duck|8.9.07 @ 5:23PM|#

THIS MOTIVATIONAL POSTER.

I've been meaning to ask... were there any trolls under that bridge that, you know, like, fell down?

And would that be bad news or good?

Doctor Duck|8.9.07 @ 5:28PM|#

There's only room for one Thompson in this race

I hope Tommy had the good sense to leave his first name off all the campaign signs etc.

Thompson '08! Whoever!

Gotta love resale value.

Urkobold™|8.9.07 @ 5:33PM|#

THANK YOU, DOCTOR DUCK, FOR CARING ENOUGH TO ASK THAT QUESTION. LAST REPORT, OVER 2,100 TROLLS WERE KILLED BY THAT ILL-CONSTRUCTED BRIDGE. NOT THAT YOU'D KNOW THAT FROM THE SO-CALLED PRESS COVERAGE.

DAMN MINNESOTA! DAMN IT TO HELL!

|8.9.07 @ 5:38PM|#

Ron Paul will finish fifth with a single-digit percentage, and he'll be dead in the water by February.

To bad they haven't put the Ames Poll online...

seer|8.9.07 @ 6:48PM|#

The real reason Tommy is dropping out is so his brother Ed can enter the race and steal the election from Fred Thompson for the Libertarians.

|8.9.07 @ 6:56PM|#

Triple Thompson Thursday!!!

Whoo hooo!

|8.9.07 @ 7:49PM|#

Actually, someone needs to call Animal Control to remove that dead carcass living on top of Thompson's head...

Doctor Duck|8.9.07 @ 10:20PM|#

OVER 2,100 TROLLS

The lamentations must be... excessive. I imagine weeping and the gnashing of taint.

Still, 2,100 is not so large, as a percentage?

seer|8.9.07 @ 10:36PM|#

Still, 2,100 is not so large, as a percentage?


Statistically zero.

|8.10.07 @ 3:18AM|#

So what are his ideas on finding a cure for cancer? Are any candidates running on a pro-cancer platform this year?