Thompson's supporters split among rivals

Top Fred Thompson supporters have been inundated with phone calls from rival campaigns since the news he'll withdrawal from the race. But so far, few have decided on their next horse.

Read below to see some early converts and others who are on the fence.

John Stemberger is a former "Fred Head" who recently switched to Mike Huckabee.

Former Pinellas County lawmaker Johnnie Byrd and Zephyrhills Councilman Danny Burgess are now lining up behind John McCain, joining state representatives Sandy Murman who also recently swapped.

Escambia County GOP Chairman Clay Ingram is leaning toward Mitt Romney.

State Rep. Clay Ford, a surrogate for Thompson, is considering Romney or McCain.

Pasco GOP Chairman Bill Bunting, who organized heavily for Thompson at gun shows across the state, is also considering those two candidates. While he's undecided, he knows one thing for sure: "I'll tell you who I'm not leaning toward, Rudy Giuliani."

Other Thompson supporters now undecided (that Buzz could reach by phone today): former state lawmakers Curt Kiser and Sandy Safley and Gary Cass, chairman of the Christian Anti-Defamation League.

Comments

Who Are You Supporting?

Rudy Giuliani
Mike Huckabee
John McCain
Ron Paul
Mitt Romney
Fred Thompson

http://www.ffrw.net/

all twelve of the maroons who supported sleepyphred are all atwitter about who they will support!!

seems to me, you piglicans have got a whole bunch of deep doo-doo to sift thru in order to find a candidate worthy of following in the footsteps of thelyingdrydrunk.

dont you agree?

god help the republic!!

Senator John McCain is the second choice for a lot of folks. My money is on him to win the nomination. Every nominee since 1980 has won the South Carolina primary like McCain did. Even Hillary knows he'll be her opposition.

Clearly none of these people will go to liberal candidate Rudy Giuliani.

- Rudy endorsed Democrat Mario Cuomo
- Rudy is pro-choice
- Rudy is anti-gun
- Rudy is pro-civil unions
- Rudy marched in Gay pride parades
- Rudy married his 2nd cousin
- Rudy cheated on his wife (moved in with a gay couple when kicked out of the Mayor's mansion)
- Rudy ran on the Liberal Party ticket in NY
- Rudy fought tax cuts in NY (some he now claims as his own)
- Rudy called tax cuts a "political gimmick" when he explained why he couldn't support Pataki

[Chuck]

I am supporting anybody but Rudy Giuliani. Rudy supports gun control, and gay marriage. He supports partial birth abortion rights. The other red state primaries gave him around 2% of the vote. I hope Florida Republicans do the same.

You better get your facts straight. Rudy has a more conservative record then any of these men. He does not support partial birth abortion. He is the only candidate who has increased adoptions and decreased abortions as Mayor. He also cut taxes in NYC, not raised them, and completely turned the city around. George Will stated, “His eight years as mayor of New York were the most successful episode of conservative governance in this country in the last 50 years.”

McCain has consistently voted against the Bush tax cuts, implemented McCain-Feingold, and let's not forget McCain-Kennedy and the Gang of 14...He is NO CONSERVATIVE!! He has sided with Dems in the Senate and have the aforementioned actions credited to his name. How do these actions make one conservative?

True conservatives support Rudy such as AG Bill McCollum, the most conservative elected official in this state! Let's stick to the facts instead of skewing them for our own liking.

[harper]

I could bite the bullet and vote for Mitt, but I am holding out hope for a Giuliani/Thompson ticket. While he had arguably the best platform and ideas, Thompson just didn't have the outward drive and dynamism that Rudy can bring to the top of the ticket...

But can't you see Thompson embarrassing the hell out VP candidate John Edwards in the summer debates?

Giuliani is hardly out of it (assuming he wins in Florida) and I believe a Giuliani/Thompson ticket has the best shot at winning in November.

This country needs serious tax and spending cuts -- and it needs them now.

And is there anyone who doubts Rudy would be a great diplomatic leader and a excellent Commander of Chief of the US Military?

8:24-
must be nice to not have to worry who you will vote for. I guess when your own people tell you that you don't count it frees up plenty of time to make up witty words like "sleepyphred". How does it feel to know that your party's only real accomplishment so far is that you somehow managed to get a lower approval rating than the president. Impressive.

[Celestina]

Hello Fredheads!

I empathize with you over the loss of Fred's candidacy. He was growing on me during his last days. He simply but finally woke up during the SC debate, little too late. I question his motivation, I really believe he was in it for VP position and he surely will make a great one working with Mitt. Mitt can depend on Fred for inside information, as to how people tend to think and behave. I would go for Mitt/Fred ticket!

Remember, a vote for Rudy, Huckabee... is a vote for McCain... please do not let him edge out Mitt... vote Mitt and you will be glad you did! McCain is in it for power, while Mitt is in it so that he could contribute his lifelong skills to America as a true public servant taking in no salary, what does it tell you? Plenty!

Please open your minds and heart and hear Mitt out... you will surely sense his passion and love for America and even us Americans!

GO MITT! Come and get behind him and tell others to do the same... the more the merrier... He is highly electable he can easily beat those childish bickering democrats... why? Mitt will not play their game. Period!

GO MITT!

a new Insider Advantage FL poll has McCain in 3rd behind Romney and Rudy...Thompson was not included in the poll

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/fl/florida_republican_primary-260.html

[davenp35]

There is only one man left who can stop the liberals Huckabee and McAmnesty. All REAL Fredheads are going to that candidate. Go Romney!

[diannepearce]

Isn't it interesting that Mitt Romney says he is TOTALLY AGAINST POLYGAMY - yet he lives his life looking forward to an afterlife where he'll be a SUPER POLYGAMIST with his own planet and his own Goddess Wives.

Mormon men are taught that after death (and if they are righteous) they will live forever as GODS over THEIR OWN PLANET - having unlimited sexual relations with MULTIPLE GODDESS WIVES so as to populate their own planet.

How can Mitt Romney say he is against something he believes is one of the greatest rewards in the afterlife. DO YOU really want a PRESIDENT who disavows something in his earthly life that he covets and aspires to in the afterlife?

Are you aware that Mitt Romney has performed death oath rituals hundreds of times in which he has drawn his thumb across his throat from side to side as if he were slitting his own throat and another where he has drawn his thumb across his abdomen as if he were disemboweling himself?

I am a former Mormon. I graduated from BYU. I was married in the Wash, DC temple.

I vehemently believe in freedom of religion. However, I am concerned that someone who professes questionable beliefs and who has participated in cult-like rituals involving grisly death-oath might become our President.

This information is not widely available to the general public. Mormons profess - what goes on in the temple is "sacred, not secret." Well if they are so sacred and "not secret" then why was I asked to make death oaths swearing I would not divulge what I had seen and experienced in the temple?

Visit my blog at http://justicefreedom4all.blogspot.com/ to see video re-enactments of the actual temple rituals and interviews with other individuals who also experienced the Mormon Temple rituals.

After participating in these rituals myself, I could no longer hold the Mormon faith in my heart and in my mind. As I exited the Wash, DC Mormon temple after going through the rituals for the first time I was asked by other Mormon's who accompanied me what I thought about what I had seen and experienced.

My response was that if those ceremonies/teaching were indeed of God, then I would rather go to hell with non-Mormons.

I feel that this information needs to be disseminated immediately. Voters must have this "sacred, not secret" information so they can make their own decisions about whether a practicing Mormon would be their choice under all circumstances of national security.

How meaningful will an oath of office be for someone who makes death oaths to their God in the name of their religion?

And what I find even more frightening - why is mainstream media treating these Mormon issues like the naked Emperor is marching by?

I can longer live in fear of the millions of Mormons who have taken the death oaths. Citizens of America have a right to the facts.

Dianne Pearce
Phone: 636-675-5232
Email: dpearce@erols.com

[nz junky]

Plastic-Mitt not in it for power? Please! He ran the Olympics, he ran multi-jillion dollar businesses, now he wants to run the country. Think he's just doing this because he cares...or because his giant ego is looking for the next logical place to land? Where was Plastic-Mitt's altruism when he was downsizing companies and laying people off?

And I'm sure John McCain was plotting his takeover of America when he was sitting in solitary confinement in a Vietnamese prison. He has already given years of his life and even some of the function of his body to his country. Who are you to accuse his motives? McCain is a hero, a patriot, and a great American. He has demonstrated his love for this country in ways most of the rest of us could never do.

As for McCain's record, he voted against the tax cuts because there were no accompanying spending cuts. Since when is big government the Republican way?

The immigration bill would have sealed the borders, implemented stiff fines and sent the current illegals to the back of the line. Ronald Reagan himself signed a much more lenient immigration law.

The Gang of 14 business actually got John Roberts and Samuel Alito onto the Supreme Court. The lefties were more than ready to continue their filibuster on judges had McCain not found a way to achieve compromise.

And why is reaching across the aisle to get things done a bad thing? Personally, I am looking for a president who is more statesman than politician; someone whose convictions matter more than being in lockstep with the party, and who understands the principle that compromising on issues doesn't mean compromising on character. The very foundation of our country, the Constitution, exists because of a series of compromises, because a handful of men with differing agendas found their way to common ground and did what was best for their country at the time. And we celebrate them for that.

I am a Christian, pro-life, pro-marriage, socially conservative Republican. And John McCain is my passionate choice for president.

[Judy]

I was a co-chair for Fred08. I early voted today for Mitt Romney.