Thompson Expected to Drop Out After Iowa, Endorse McCain

Posted by Adam Howard, AlterNet at 9:02 PM on January 2, 2008.

This just in from The Politico. The Crypt Keeper (a.k.a. Fred Thompson) might just drop out of the GOP race after the Iowa caucuses:

DES MOINES, Iowa - Several Republican officials close to Fred Thompson's presidential campaign said they expect the candidate will drop out of the race within days if he finishes poorly in Thursday's Iowa caucus.

Thompson's campaign, which last spring and summer was generating fevered anticipation in the media and with some Republican activists, has never ignited nationally, and there are no signs of a late spark happening here in Iowa, where even a third-place finish is far from assured.

This reality--combined with a fundraising drought--left well-connected friends and advisers of Thompson Wednesday evening predicting that he will pull the plug on hype and hope before the Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary.

Thompson's departure could shake up the race more than his continued presence. Friends and advisers said they have long considered it likely that if the lobbyist-actor is forced from the race he would endorse John McCain his former Senate colleague who lately has been staging a political revival in New Hampshire.

"Without a solid third-place finish, there's no point in going on," a Thompson adviser said Wednesday. "It was an honorable race, and he turned out to be a good candidate. The moment had just passed."

Awww poor Fred. Your moment has passed. And what a moment is was! One of my favorite moments of the entire election season so far was your pathetic plea for a round of applause after one of your stump speeches bombed. Oh yeah, and the time you said you didn't really want to be running anyway. McCain's gonna love the slow as molasses momentum that you're gonna provide! The phrase "flash in the pan" has a new poster boy...

Tagged as: republicans, mccain, thompson

Adam Howard is the editor of PEEK.