According to this USA Today article, Sen. Fred Thompson has taken a big step in running for the GOP presidential nomination.

Former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson hasn’t formally announced he’ll run for the Republican presidential nomination, but today he did begin raising money for a prospective bid, USA TODAY Washington bureau chief Susan Page writes. She continues:

In a conference call with about 100 people, many of whom have urged him to jump in the race, Thompson asked for their help in raising funds for a testing-the-waters committee, which is likely to be formed next week. That money could be used for a campaign when and if he’s ready to run.

“I’m not saying anything against any of the candidates, but I think he can fill the vacuum that has not been filled yet on the Republican side,” Mack Mattingly, a former U.S. senator from Georgia who was on the call, says of Thompson. He predicts the actor and former senator “will be just like a magnet” who can attract conservative Democrats and Republicans.

During a conversation I had with a friend last weekend, my friend said that Thompson pulled 40 percent of the vote in a Georgia GOP state convention straw poll. My friend said that McCain drew 2.8 percent in that same straw poll. I think that Sen. Mattingly is exactly right in saying that Sen. Thompson “‘will be just like a magnet’ who can attract conservative Democrats and Republicans.”

As I noted here, Sen. Thompson is already garnering significant grassroots support from Christian conservatives:

“It’s not ‘if’ but ‘when,’ he will announce,” one Protestant evangelical leader says of the behind-the-scenes maneuvering for position in the 2008 race. A prominent Roman Catholic social conservative says the three Republicans who have raised the most money and have led the polls, former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, fall short of social conservatives’ expectations, but Mr. Thompson doesn’t. “He’s right on the issues…He’s better than all of the above.”

As I said then, this isn’t the type of thing that will put a smile on the three supposed frontrunners’ faces. Of the trio of Giuliani, Romney and McCain, the only candidate with frontrunner capabilities is Giuliani. Sen. Thompson is a social conservative. Sen. Thompson believes in Supreme Court justices like John Roberts, whom he shepherded through the Senate prior to his confirmation hearings. Most importantly, Sen. Thompson’s got the most coherent and appealing position on immigration reform.

Sen. Thompson also understands terrorists better than everyone else except Giuliani. Here’s what I’m basing this on:

“Al-Qaida have a 100-year plan,” Thompson said. “We have a plan until the next election.”

Patrick Poole wrote something about the Muslim Brotherhood’s 100 year plan, known as The Project. Though I haven’t heard of al-Qaida’s 100 year plan, I’d be surprised if they didn’t have one. Based on that Thompson quote, I’d say that he understands what President Bush means when he calls the GWOT “the Long War.”

This isn’t just another step for Sen. Thompson. It’s a large step, one that’s leading to his announcement. This Ryan Sager article in the NY Sun offers a more detailed insight into the process:

A “testing the waters” committee is a step before the more familiar presidential exploratory committee. It allows the former Tennessee senator to raise money and hire staff. But it also prevents him from doing a number of other things: advertising his candidacy, referring to himself as a real candidate (presumably just in public, he can say whatever he likes in front of the bathroom mirror), raising money that could be transferred to another candidate, or raising money to get on the ballot.

This provides another advantage to Thompson in that he isn’t obligated to participating in the cattle shows that the Agenda Media refers to as debates. The winner of the last two debates has been Fred Thompson because he hasn’t participated in either of them.

The Thompson adviser I spoke to yesterday wanted to downplay the significance of the forthcoming announcement (”Don’t expect huge fanfare,” were the adviser’s exact words). But for the Republican Party, this is clearly huge.

Mr. Sager is exactly right. Thompson’s candidacy is huge. He’ll be instantly recognized as the true conservative in the race. While Romney’s religion isn’t an obstacle that can’t be overcome, Romney’s past statements will cause people to wonder if he’s an election year convert or if he’s sincere. Sen. McCain has been a stalwart on Iraq. He’s been solid on earmark reform and spending restraint. His hopes at the nomination were dashed several times, most recently by his collaboration with Ted Kennedy on the immigration non-reform reform bill. His selling out President Bush’s judicial nominees is something that conservatives will never forgive him over. His stubbornness on BCRA is another issue that conservatives won’t forgive him over either.

That essentially leaves Giuliani and Thompson. May the best conservative win.

Technorati Tags: Fred Thompson, al-Qaeda, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, John McCain, Immigration Reform, BCRA, Supreme Court, Election 2008, Ted Kennedy, Hillary

Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog

1. […] Cross-posted at California Conservative Categories: The Constitution, SCOTUS, Terrorism, Immigration, Hillary, Conservatism, Reforms, Radical Islam, Election 2008, Giuliani, Fred Thompson | […]

   Pingback by Let Freedom Ring » Blog Archive » Fred Thompson’s Big Step — May 30, 2007 @ 12:27 am

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   Pingback by Volunteer Voters » The Fred Train: It’s Coming — May 30, 2007 @ 7:24 am

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1. While I welcome Thompson’s candidacy, let’s keep at least a little perspective: he ain’t the Second Coming.

   When a candidate waits until there’s little time to explore true character and values, one has to wonder if it’s strategy to keep from real discovery or if it’s strategy to become a consensus candidate without much debate.

   Nearly everything I’ve read of Thompson, and what I’ve read by Thompson, has been spot on. But I still get this gnawing feeling deep inside that tells me everything isn’t as it seems.

   Maybe it’s just the distrust of anything Hollyweird.

   As for most the rest of the “Republicans”, all I can say is “Vipers!”

   Comment by Carlos — May 30, 2007 @ 9:21 am

2. I don’t know if Thompson has a real chance, but check out what Christopher Ruddy had to say on the topic.

   Comment by nothesecret — May 30, 2007 @ 9:37 am

3. When a candidate waits until there’s little time to explore true character and values, one has to wonder if it’s strategy to keep from real discovery or if it’s strategy to become a consensus candidate without much debate.

   There’s almost 8 months until the Feb. 5 primaries that will likely determine the next presidential nominees & you’re worried about a candidate waiting “until there’s little time to explore true character and values”? He’s been a senator before for 8 years. That should give you some information. You’ll be able to read a ton of stuff about him before the summer ends. The Washington Post, the NY Times will write a couple of volumes about him. That’s before he sits down for a few interviews on TV. That’s before the Right Blogosphere dissects him.

   Carlos, I agree that he isn’t the second coming but he’s got alot of impressive qualities. I’ve said for 2-3 years that he’s the personification of gravitas & personality. Those are traits of a top tier candidate.

   Comment by Gary Gross — May 30, 2007 @ 10:04 pm

4. Well, you see, Gary, gravitas and personality are nice, and they do win votes of people too stupid or too lazy to find out how they will get their pockets picked.

   But I’m just dumb enough to believe character counts, that the content of one’s heart is at least as important as whether one comes across with enough “gravity” or not. And things like that take time.

   Remember, Whitewater didn’t show up for a long time, not until Billy Bub’s nomination was already in hand.

   The slicker one is, the longer it takes to find the grease.

   I’m not comparing Fred to the Clintons or Hussein Obama, I’m just being cautious.

   What with “Republicans” dumping on the Republic’s war, and doing all they can to make sure we law-abiding citizens are less than equal to criminal aliens, I’m not too enamored of the party at all, and he’d better give me a real reason to vote for him instead of against all the others.

   I’m just about to the point of walking away and saying “Fine, you want a socialist country, you can have it and I’m outta here!”

   Comment by Carlos — May 31, 2007 @ 4:36 am

5. Viva Fred Thompson, we need you now!!!!!

   Comment by bmaxx — June 8, 2007 @ 12:26 am