According to usaelectionpolls.com, and the polls posted on PresidentElectionPolls.com, Fred Thompson looks to be shut out of winning the first important vote in the Iowa caucus. While anything can happen, the days are growing shorter and the holidays are soon upon us. Thompson, who hasn’t shown what might be considered a great amount of enthusiasm for campaigning thus far, is unlike to pull ahead in the short hours that remain. What this does is shed an even more interesting angle and light on a campaign that many thought had the steam to take it all, and easily, just a few short months ago.
This past summer, before even announcing his candidacy, Thompson was scoring higher than any other candidate, save Giuliani, in national polls. It wasn’t long after officially jumping in to the fray, however, that his campaign seemed to hit a sticking point. Romney and Giuliani quickly emerged as the front runner, which was not entirely surprising. What was surprising, however, was the surge of Mike Huckabee, particularly in Iowa, where so much of the election stakes its claim. All the while, Thompson has run an almost invisible campaign and has fallen off many’s radar.
There are also analysts baffled at Thompson’s poor performances in the debate setting. Being an actor and performer, one might have thought he would have brought an unmistakable stage presence with him to the debates. Contrarily, he seemed lost at times, and far less sharp than many of his rivals. All this has left Thompson with a campaign that seems doomed to fail, but perhaps will set him up for a renewed campaign in four years.
