Thompson Drops Out

Fred Thompson was supposed to be the political savior of his party, but instead he sputtered and fizzled his way through a disappointing few months of campaigning. After poor showings in every primary and caucus to date, Thompson has decided to call it quits. Next up, Rudy Giuliani?

New York Times:

He played to loud applause at the National Rifle Association and picked up endorsement of anti-abortion groups. But rival candidates like Mitt Romney and Rudolph Giuliani rushed to refashion themselves as conservatives, changing a number of long-held positions that were more socially moderate.

That caused Mr. Thompson no end of frustration, but he never found a way to persuade Republicans that his bona-fides entitled him to their vote. And he drew considerable criticism for his flagging, flickering energy — some of his walking tours lasted just 10 or 15 minutes, and he often took few questions.

He drew just 1 percent of the vote in New Hampshire (fewer than the number of write-in votes), and finished fifth in Michigan.

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