Why Fred did what he did

It seems that Fred Thompson was really running for Vice President all along, at least according to Carl Cameron of Fox News:

Back in March of 07 at the CPAC convention in DC several former Fred Thompson Congressional staffers told me Fred Thompson was thinking about a run. Some of his Tennessee cronies had been talking him up too.

I reported first that he was eyeing a White House bid. At the time several insiders told me OFF THE RECORD that it was largely a trial ballon to guage his popularity and float his name as a possible vice presidential nominee. I was sworn to silence.

Those insiders have now lifted the conditions on our conversations. From March to August of 07 through postponed announcement days, staff changes, firings, resignations and general disarray the Thompson camp was stunned by the incredibly positive response and didn’t really know how to manage it. The trial balloon soared mighty high and he found himself being dragged into a race that he was not even sure how to run.

He took third in Iowa and Third in South Carolina, after which his aides openly suggested the #2 slot on the ticket. The circle has been closed, and Fred Dalton Thompson is waiting to see if he gets the call from the eventual nominee.

He has not said who he will endorse. He is friends with John McCain. But if he doesn’t throw his support behind anyone …it makes it easier to be picked by everyone.

This explains a great deal, like why Fred never ran a serious campaign and why he never went on the attack against any of his RINO opponents.

Well he did tear into Elmer Gantry at the South Carolina debate, but Elmer never had a chance to actually get the nomination and even if he did he wouldn't have picked another southerner to be his running mate.

Some former Fredheads are saying that they feel betrayed and I can understand why - this might make Thompson the perfect running mate for McCain - but I don't feel that way. I believe that if Thompson had won in South Carolina or even came in a strong second that he would have started campaigning seriously and would have begun to attack McCain. But we will never know.

I believe that Thompson would make an excellent vice president for either Romney or Giuliani. In fact if Giuliani gets the nomination and picks Fred as his running mate I believe that would be enough to hold Evangelical "values voters" in the Republican Party, at least enough of them to keep the Republican Party viable in future elections.

If Romney wins the nomination and picks Fred that pretty well guarantees his election as president next November.

BTY, if McCain gets the nomination and picks Fred I'll still do everything in my power to keep him from being elected. Even if that means putting Hillary in the White House.