If candidates could receive an Oscar for debate performances, there is a good chance that Fred Thompson would earn the nod following the recent show the Republicans put on in Iowa. The former Tennessee Congressman and movie and television actor kept is comments on target, light hearted and on cue, producing a good performance on the political stage. When Mitt Romney commented about his personal wealth, he countered with talk of Romney's own reported millions in net worth.
With the Iowa caucus scheduled for January 3, Thompson needed all the points he could muster during the debate. In Iowa, according to usaelectionpolls.com he is in third place with support from 13 percent of probably voters. His late entry into the presidential arena had him behind from the beginning, but many believed that his name recognition, his past as a Senator and his staunch conservatism would help him attract the conservative party's faithful.
At the Fred Thompson stat sheet, his national polling numbers are between 7% in the CBS News poll and 15% in the USA Today news poll.
Some political analysts believe that if Thompson had offered his latest debate materials from the beginning he could have made up more ground more quickly. As it is, polls show him solidly in third and fourth places. Pitting him against potential Democrat candidates, numbers shown at PresidentElectionPolls.com, show he does not fare well against Hillary Clinton of Barack Obama in a one-on-one race.
Even with nine percent of probably Iowa voters still undecided and a margin of error of five percent, there are some heavy odds for Thompson to overcome with a timeline that is beginning to run short before the election director yells cut.
The states that Fred Thompson currently performs the best in is Wisconsin (21%), Georgia (20%), and South Carolina (16.3%).
