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October 7, 2008 8:09:26 PM CDT


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Round 2: Economic Turmoil Sets Stage for High-Stakes McCain, Obama Face-Off

In town-hall setting, will candidates rise above sniping to address financial woes facing Americans? »


Thompson 2008 track this thread

Started by C Miller; Last updated Apr 18, 08 8:57 PM CDT by BrittanyM | View history

Thompson 2008

"I decided that it was time for me to step up. So I did."

The actor-turned-senator-turned-actor was a GOP favorite in the White House horse race. But entering the race after Labor Day proved fatal to the candidate. Thompson failed to translate his star power to the election campaign, and he dropped out of the race in January 2008.

Stories

Stories 1 - 20 of 63

  • October 2008
    • 'Bradley Effect' Is Overblown, But Obama Can't Ignore It

      'Bradley Effect' Is Overblown, But Obama Can't Ignore It

      (Newser) - Much has been made of the so-called Bradley effect in this year's election—the propensity of white voters to tell pollsters they've got no problem voting for a black candidate but to change their tune in the privacy of the voting booth. Patt Morrison cautions in the Los Angeles Times that the phenomenon is probably exaggerated. After all, Tom Bradley’s 1982 California gubernatorial run was complicated by a gun-control proposition, which turned out many rural voters who hadn’t been polled as heavily. More »

  • September 2008
    • Strong-to-Mixed Reviews for Thompson's Keynote

      Strong-to-Mixed Reviews for Thompson's Keynote

      (Newser) - Pundits from across the political spectrum were moved by Fred Thompson’s tribute to John McCain’s heroic military service. They differ, though, on how well Thompson sold McCain as the next president: Thompson couldn’t have done better, Peter Wehner at the National Review writes: “Fred Thompson did his close friend and former colleague proud. He made the case for John McCain as well as it can be made.” More »

  • March 2008
    • Fred Stumps for Acting Roles

      Fred Stumps for Acting Roles

      (Newser) - He won't be president next year, but maybe he'll play one on TV. Fred Thompson, the former US senator whose folksy run for the White House failed to galvanize support, is returning to acting. He has signed with Hollywood's William Morris Agency to seek new movie and television roles, reports E! Online. More »

  • January 2008
    • Wonks Ponder Thompson Fallout

      Wonks Ponder Thompson Fallout

      (Newser) - Pollsters are placing bets on who disbanded Thompsonites will turn to in Florida. With most calling themselves "very conservative" evangelicals, they will likely support Huckabee or Romney, one pollster says. But Thompson could throw a curve and endorse John McCain, his old Senate buddy, the Washington Post reports. More »

    • Thompson Exits GOP Race

      Thompson Exits GOP Race

      (Newser) - Honey-voiced presidential candidate Fred Thompson has ended his campaign after a disappointing third-place finish in Saturday’s South Carolina primary, Fox News reports. The exiting hopeful, famed for his role as District Attorney Arthur Branch on “Law and Order,” has been calling friends and supporters today to announce the end of his campaign. The ex-Senator from Tennessee will speak publicly as early as tonight. More »

    • GOP Hopefuls Face Post-Bush Quandary

      GOP Hopefuls Face Post-Bush Quandary

      (Newser) - Amid debate jabs and funding worries, GOP presidential hopefuls have a bigger problem: what kind of Republican to be in the impending post-Bush era. Newsweek’s Evan Thomas explores their recent mis-steps, and urges them to be humble and open to diverging views—the opposite of Bush's "yes man" approach to picking advisers. More »

    • Thompson Isn't Out of It—Yet

      Thompson Isn't Out of It—Yet

      (Newser) - GOP presidential hopeful Fred Thompson said yesterday he needed a win in South Carolina to keep his campaign alive, but he hasn't officially pulled out—yet—despite a distant third-place 16% of the vote to frontrunner John McCain's 33%. But the writing seems to be on the wall, reports the Chicago Tribune . "It's been about our country," he told supporters, sounding like someone packing it in. More »

    • McCain Wins Tight Race in SC

      McCain Wins Tight Race in SC

      (Newser) - John McCain reclaimed the ever-elusive momentum in the GOP race tonight with a narrow victory over Mike Huckabee in South Carolina, the State reports. McCain got 33% of the vote to Huckabee's 30%. Fred Thompson, for whom South Carolina was a make-or-break state, finished a distant third (16%), just ahead of Mitt Romney (15%). The former Massachusetts governor won the Nevada caucuses earlier in the day. More »

    • Rain Turns Out for GOP SC Primary, Too

      Rain Turns Out for GOP SC Primary, Too

      (Newser) - Today's forecast for parts of South Carolina calls for up to 3 inches of snow, but analysts say if turnout is low in today’s GOP primary, it’ll be because of the candidates, not the weather. Times have changed: “People would have walked through broken glass in their bare feet to vote (for Ronald Reagan),” one GOP strategist tells The State . More »

    • Thompson Keeps It Slow and Steady

      Thompson Keeps It Slow and Steady

      (Newser) - Recent poll numbers have shown a glimmer of viability for Fred Thompson's campaign, but Thompson treats the chance of a comeback as no cause to speed up the "gentlemanly canter" of his campaign. The folsky candidate is dishing out strong opinions couched in country wit in the same slow and easy manner his supporters have grown accustomed to, according to a profile in the New York Times . More »

    • McCain Leads in 2 SC Polls

      McCain Leads in 2 SC Polls

      (Newser) - John McCain leads the pack in the GOP race for South Carolina, two new polls show, with Mike Huckabee in second place, the State reports. A Reuters/C-Span/Zogby poll updated today gives McCain 29% of voters to Huckabee's 22%; Fred Thompson follows with 14% and Mitt Romney 12%. Clemson University also finds 29% preferring McCain, while Huckabee pulls 22%. Fred Thompson ties Romney for third place at 13%. More »

    • Romney Rolls Into SC

      Romney Rolls Into SC

      (Newser) - Mitt Romney rolled into South Carolina today, hoping to cash in on the momentum from his win in Michigan but positioning himself as the underdog in Saturday's primary. "It would be an enormous surprise if he was unable to win here," he said of John McCain. Romney vowed to "fight for every job we have in this country," continuing the theme of economic recovery that served him well in his native state. More »

    • GOP Field Lacks Frontrunner

      GOP Field Lacks Frontrunner

      (Newser) - Mitt Romney's Michigan win leaves the outlook for the GOP as muddied as before, writes the New York Times . So far in the race, three different Republican candidates have won three different states appealing to three different sets of voters. With South Carolina and Nevada voting this weekend, the GOP race could soon have five frontrunners. More »

    • Romney Wins Michigan Primary

      Romney Wins Michigan Primary

      (Newser) - Native son Mitt Romney won the Michigan primary tonight, salvaging his campaign and scrambling the Republican race anew, MSNBC reports. With 99% of returns in, Romney had 39% of the vote, John McCain 30%, and Mike Huckabee 16%. Ron Paul finished a distant fourth, but he had nearly as many votes as Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani combined. More »

    • Republicans Square Off in SC

      Republicans Square Off in SC

      (Newser) - GOP presidential hopefuls jostled for position during a South Carolina debate last night, with Mitt Romney taking aim at new front-runner John McCain and an aggressive Fred Thompson going after Mike Huckabee. Romney criticized McCain for giving up on manufacturing jobs in Michigan, a crucial primary state, but McCain defended his "straight talk" and urged retraining and tech investment, the Wall Street Journal reports. More »

    • Thompson Aims for Gun Owners' Support in SC