Fred '08 is Dead, and What Might Have Been...

I agree with Emperor Misha on this one...all I have to say is Dammit! In case you haven't heard, former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson has decided to drop his bid for the White House in 2008. Here's the official statement from Fred's website:

"Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States.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."

I believe the GOP itself and conservatism as a philosophy definitely did benefit from Fred being in the race. His candidacy certainly got people to stand up and talk seriously about issues that people would otherwise gladly ignore (entitlements, border security, judges, etc.) or remain maddeningly ambiguous about. I'll agree with Republican strategist Mark Corallo, who said the following in this Washington Post piece:

"His legacy is one of missed opportunities, broken promises and an unfortunate disdain for the process. "His legacy is also one of having been the only candidate seeking the Republican nomination who was willing to talk real substance, take a true, consistent conservative approach to every issue, of actually challenging the notion of big government, championing federalism and being honest about the looming entitlement train wreck that is going to bankrupt our kids. He was a lackluster candidate who would have been a great president."

I supported Senator Thompson by volunteering for his campaign, by talking him up and supporting him online in blogs and other electronic forums, and by praying for him. With him out of the race, the only GOP candidate left I could support with any level of enthusiasm is Mitt Romney, although I do have reservations about him (i.e. whether his beliefs the ones he is espousing now or the ones he espoused running for Senate against Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts.) As for any of the others, I will sit home or write in Fred Thompson. I simply can not and will not vote for John "Amnesty and Global Warming, Bob Dole Redux, Not-so-Straight Talk Express" McCain, Mike "Bill Clinton with an R in front of My Name" Huckabee, and Rudy "Gun Grabber" Giuliani. I think I, along with many other conservative voters have had more than our fill of voting for a GOP candidate because the liberal option is worse. I am glad we got George Bush because of the War on Terror, taxes, judges, but his records on immigration, spending, energy are atrocious.

As anyone familiar with his lifetime of public service can see, Fred has been outstanding at everything about which he has been passionate and to which he has set his mind. I don't see that changing just because he isn't running for President any longer. I don't think we have heard the last of Fred...I just pray it's because he decides to run for Governor of Tennessee in a couple of years or because he is appointed Attorney General in a (hopefully) Mitt Romney administration, and not because he has decided to endorse John McCain or, worse yet, be his choice for Vice President on the 2008 GOP ticket.

To Fred, regardless of your future plans, you and your family remain in my thoughts and prayers. Conservatism needs a lot more good men and women such as yourself, and I hope to hear more good things from you in the future. God bless and Godspeed.