Where will Fred Thompson's FL support go?

"Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort. Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people." -- Fred Thompson

Mike Huckabee, in an interview moments ago on MSNBC: "Right now what we've got to do is to make sure a lot of those people who thought Fred was, as I once said, the Mighty Mouse candidate ... (know) we would be their most logical choice."

The anchor noted that Huckabee is spending lightly in Florida and asked if Thompson's departure would change that.

"Well, the reason we made some changes is because we had really beefed up a lot of our field staff when we were trying to play in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida. After South Carolina, one of the things we wanted to do was go back to a very lean operation. I've committed that we would not go into debt for the campaign ... I want to operate the campaign, frankly, like I'd like to operate the federal treasury."

Comments

To the most conservative viable option: Mitt Romney.

Yep. Romney and Thompson were actually aligned on most issues. Whether it's taxes or illegal immigration, Romney comes closest to Thompson's positions on key issues.

Mitt Romney is a FRAUD

Way to go Enwright !

Well done Todd Harris.

The people most likely to vote for Fred will probably go to Hick. But Thompson will most likely endorse McCain.

I don't think there's a clear cut answer to that question.

Mitt, Rudy, and McCain clearly have their strong points and will attract those voters that resonate with their strengths.

Since Fred Thompson served with McCain and supported him in 2000, I suspect McCain will get the eventual endorsement, especially if its between McCain and Giuliani.
I am disappointed that Thompson didn't do better, after leaping into second place when he announced. He is a consistent conservative who deserves a place on the national stage.

It is the mark of the amateur to criticize Todd or Randy or any other staff member for this. Fred came out of the gate at a trot and then slowed down, allowing the national media to paint him as lazy, and some of his responses in the early going ruined his chances.
The real problem for them was the very high expectations that were built, and then the candidate refused to deliver when it was showtime.
The candidate bears the blame here, and I would suspect he would likely agree with that.

This will definately be the final nail in Randy's overdue political coffin.

There's a difference between who Thompson will endorse and where his supporters will go. Thompson supporters are strong-minded conservatives who can make their own decisions. Any thinking conservative can look at the legislation passed by McCain-[fill in the name of your favorite liberal Democrat Senator] and know that McCain is not a fellow conservative.

[Gene Smith]

So what is that REALLY astute politician, Adam Putnam going to do now?

FredHeads have a big, difficult decision ahead of them. As one, I have no idea what I will do now. There isn't another candidate who aligns with my values and priorities the way Thompson did. Settling is no way to vote. I just wish he'd been a better candidate because now he'll never be the president he could've been. Sad day.

I have a feeling Randy did all he could. You can't make your candidate, especially one as bullheaded as Thompson, do what you want them to do. Regardless of how good or bad the advice is. Randy is a good man. You might not be impressed with his success with recent candidates, but he's a good, trustworthy man, which is hard to find in this business. He's had great success in a very long career. Give props and move on, folks. No haters needed here.

Here's the answer:

30% to McCain
25% to Huckabee
20% to Romney
15% to Paul
10% to Rudy

HUCK!

100% to you have no idea what you're lying about.

You know, somehow endlessly screaming 'Huck!' doesn't provide a real solid reason to support the guy.

Huck is done.

We want Marco !

Thompson folks going to Huckabee? Give me a break. Here's Thompson on Huckabee:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbWZwQ06ZwY

McCain is the only Republican who can beat BOTH Hillary and Obama. Check the numbers.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/national.html

http://mikehuckabee.meetup.com/14/

3:00 if you are right, since McCain, Giuliani and Romney are so close in Florida, McCain wins.

Fred's going to endorse whoever gives him the VP spot. Only McCain and Rudy would benefit from having Fred as VP, since they are not traditional Republicans. Where his supporters go, if he had any left, is another question.

Newsflash: Thompson attracted fiscal conservatives. McCain is not a fiscal or social conservative. 3:00 is engaged in a hollow wish fulfillment exercise of his own making.

Fred won't be anyone's VP.

McCain is the right man. He has courage and character. You may not always like what he says, but you can believe its is his honest opinion.
He believes America is good and clean and does not torture people. He believes we need to use fiscal retraint otherwise we will leave our children a bankrupt country. That means cutting taxes - and spending too.

McCAIN FOR PRESIDENT - The only real choice!

Fred is a fiscal conservative and so is John McCain.

It takes a fiscal conservative to refuse to cut taxes without cutting spending. That would have been like quitting your job and then going on a shopping spree with your credit card. It was irresponsible of the Bush administration to do it and a sa result we are billions in the hole.

3:10, you obviously dont know much about politics. thompson bashed huck because he was his biggest competitor for the deep souther, good old boy vote. now, his campaign staff may not support huck, but many of his supporters who were deeply rooted southerners with a strong belief in God WILL go to Huck. not because fred thompson doesn't like him, but because he is a southerner with deep south values.

and yes screaming Huck over and over again is all the reasoning you need to vote for him, and he is FAR from done!

As a Fred Supporter I refuse to support McCain or Huckabee

[A Blue Voter]

This crop of GOPer candidates are all so tin foil hat - no matter who chooses whom as a running mate, they will be compounding their weirdness rather than complimenting each others' strengths.

Who Are You Supporting?

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

http://www.ffrw.net/

The Giants!

From Townhall.com on Florida GOP

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

"Brett's Notes" on Florida ...
Posted by: Matt Lewis at

Yesterday, I interviewed Brett Doster, an unaffiliated Florida Republican strategist who is well respected in the state. The last two cycles, he ran state-wide races: In 2004, he served as executive director for George W. Bush's Florida campaign, and in 2006, he served as campaign manger for Florida gubernatorial candidate Tom Gallagher. Doster currently is a media darling in Florida, being one of the few state political experts who is not involved in a presidential campaing...

Regarding the horserace currently taking place in Florida, Doster implied he believes Giuliani and Huckabee may be starting to fade: "I think it's close to coming down to a two-man race," Doster says, meaning the race will likey be a McCain vs. Romney contest in Florida -- and possibly beyond.

Though popular Florida Governor Crist may not officially endorse John McCain, Doster tells me: "The word has kind of gotten out that there is some good will there."

Doster also reminds me that the Republican Primary is a very conservative affair:
"For your really active Republicans, this is still a very conservative state ... I have a sense right now that conservatives in Florida believe there's only one viable conservative in the race -- and that's Romney."

Doster was also kind enough to give me a quick run-down of the state. Here's how he sees things breaking down:

Panhandle - This is the region of the state in that includes the westernmost counties. Essentially, this is still the "Old South," the "Bible Belt," and the "Redneck Riviera." It includes Tallahassee, Pensacola, and Panama City -- and consists of a lot of Veterans and social conservatives. Huckabee, Romney, and McCain (because of the Veterans) could each do well here.

Northeast Florida - This is the Industrial area of Florida, and includes Jacksonville. Look for Romney to do well here.

I-4 Corridor - This northeast-southwest Highway connects Tampa, Lakeland, Orlando, and Daytoa Beach. This is the real battle-ground, where the candidates are on a pretty even-footing. In short, this is an area to watch: If one candidate starts running away with these votes, he will likely win.

Southeast Florida -- This includes Broward, Dade, and Palm Beach Counties. This area is made up of a lot of transplanted North-Easterners. Doster believes this is Rudy's area -- and adds that Rudy's strong stand on Israel will help him here.

Southwest Florida - This is the area on the west coast that is south of the Tampa Bay area. It includes towns like Naples and Fort Meyers. This part of the state is made up of a lot of transplants from the Mid-West. Doster believes this part of the state will be good for Romney.

McCain has character? And now this profile in character from Wikipedia on Cindy McCain:

Hensley met John McCain at a military reception in Hawaii. He was the U.S. Navy liaison officer to the United States Senate, eighteen years her senior, and in a somewhat troubled marriage to his first wife, Carol. McCain and Hensley quickly fell in love; he divorced Carol in April 1980, and he and Cindy were married on May 17, 1980 in Phoenix. Her father's business and political contacts helped gain her husband a foothold into Arizona politics....

Is Doster just waiting in the wings to take over once the R's have their nominee ?

Unbelievable

Thompson attracted the support of Conservatives early on. Unfortunately, it became apparent early on that something was wrong, not with his philosophy, but with his skill as a campaigner. Next, Huckabee arrived and was able to dupe many into thinking that he actually believed the stuff he says about being a conservative. However, upon close examination, thinking Conservatives began to realize the disconnect between what Huckabee says in say, Iowa and what he says in South Carolina (i.e. smoking ban, deportation of illegals, etc...)

Thompson may well endorse his friend John McCain or he may endorse noone. Regardless, the Conservatives who were attracted to Thompson's campaign will certainly NOT be switching to McCain in droves. I think a few may go to Huckabee, but the majority will go to Romney and, oddly enough, Giuliani. However, Romney will get the lion's share. Romney is the candidate of choice for "thinking" Conservatives. I was skeptical of him at first. I believed the tales of those calling him a "moderate" and "Flip-flopper." As I've researched, I've found that Romney is the candidate who most closely aligns with my views as a solid Conservative. The accusations of "flip-flopping" are completely unsubstantiated and there is no one more prepared to lead our Party and our Nation in the present crop of candidates than Mitt Romney.

National operatives want Doster to take over after the nominee is decided, but rivals in Florida are trying to squelch that. Also, whoever is on the Democrat ticket will probably play into the final decision.

4:20,

My contacts in D.C tell me the same but he will be up against the a few key ops in Tallahassee who still haven't moved on from the Crist/Gallagher fight. We shall see, only time will tell.

My contacts in D.C tell me that Fred's support will go to Chuck Norris.

Fred should beg Dick Wolf for his old job at "Law & Order" back.

I like Brett, but the idea that his run-down of the state couldn't have been sputtered by ANYONE with a clue about FL politics is absurd.

True 4:54. It was basic informtion, I don't think Doster's getting the job just because of that article.

Rudy Giuliani supports a National Catastrophe Fund --- because he understands in time of emergency, we, as Americans are in it together. He also understands that the establishment of a National Cat Fund will lower every Floridian's property insurance bill.

"The federal government shouldn’t be the overseer of everything. The federal government should be the backstop. … There’s so much sharing of risk, there has to be a way to do this. Florida has hurricanes, California has earthquakes, New York has hurricanes …” -Rudy Giuliani on a National Catastrophic Fund

Senator McCain does not support a Cat fund.
"I do not support a national catastrophic insurance policy. We have that policy, and it's called FEMA"-John McCain
Senator McCain continues to prove that he is no friend of Florida! He does not care about the issues that are important to Florida, only her delegates.

"Conservative talk radio pundits roar at him [John McCain]. Party insiders quietly grind their teeth. Columnist George Will calls him a closet Democrat." St. Petersburg Times

Rudy Giuliani is the only candidate who has been with Florida from the start and who is in touch with Florida voters on the issues.

Rudy is the clear choice for Florida and America!
Join Rudy in the fight and vote Rudy Giuliani on January 29th!

I've worked for Brett in the past an he knows just about every single activist in the State. Whether it's the little old lady making phone calls in Lakeland or a monster donor in Tampa, Doster can swing them into action with a two minute phone conversation. I wouldn't be surprised if he's the man in the Southeast in the next month or two.

[Jim Johnson]

I'm holding my nose and voting for Romney.

5:09

Holding our noses and voting got us Charlie Crist....

Fred, I hardly knew ye.

hey, idiot people still supporting trudi:

the douchbag is LOSING in NEW YORK!!

boy do you folks have a pile of stink to sort thru, dont u??

thanks!!

Brett Doster, well respected? media darling? hmm

[Ben B]

A majority of the votes will swing towards Romney as Thompson has been highly critical of Huckabee on many stances, and slightly critical on McCain on a number of issues you will see a bunch of the support go towards Romney.

He is lined up closer to Thompson's ideals than anybody else left in the race.

GO ROMNEY!!!!

Fred was big on The Constitution and a fiscal conservative. Ron Paul is the closest thing I can see.

Too bad, I liked watching Thompson in the debates when I couldn't get to sleep.

Now, let's get rid of the other idiot, Giuliani!

5:02 - it makes no sense for others to pay for our mismanagement of growth, government mishandling, and suppressed market for years. Remember, we would pay for overpriced homes in CA. irresponsibly built in fire areas, the same as irresponsible building of condos on the coast with cheap citizen backed insurance. McCain has this issue correct.

Did we quickly forget how Doster lost the governors race when it was a slam dunk. He is just like Enwright and he can not see the state has changed and the old ways of running GOP elections is over. For example, he thinks that social issues will out weigh the fact that Jacksonville is a Navy town which McCain will carry. The church does not run the GOP anymore and it does not take a rocket scientist to see this in Florida. I just hope that the currnet Governor never forgets the email Bret sent out after the 06 primary where he bashed Crist and was very bitter his guy did not win. Not only did his guy not win, he got killed because he only got the 30% which represented the Christian Conservatives. What was said is that campaign had about eight million to spend and could do no better then this. This was Brett's first operation on his own and it failed real bad. He was the chair of Bush/Cheney but he did not call the shots here, Enwright did.

8:37 must be an applying for the same job as Brett. Seriously, green is not your color.

I am still laughing about media darling... thats really funny.

I still like Brett. But 8:37 has it somewhat right. Brett's (or anyone else's) knowledge of the old guard activists is important... as an "implementer." True, forward-thinking message and campaign strategy and the new way foward for political campaigns takes far more than that. I'm not sure we've yet seen the better, more creative, more progressive way of running campaigns in Florida.

[Joe]

Fred Thompson had support?