Another dim star has winked out in the lackluster constellation of Republican Presidential candidates. Fred Thompson, whose half hearted curmudgeonly campaign never really had much fire to begin with, had finally sputtered and gone out like a damp match.
From the very start Thompson's somnambulant campaign showed signs of being in trouble, as when he was forced to ask a room full of what can only be described as "supporters" for a round of applause.
Through last summer, as Thompson listlessly flirted with the idea of running for the roll of President many conservative voters, despondent over the crop of low-grade candidates that they had to choose from, prayed that some hero would ride to their rescue.
Although never a leading man Thompson seemed to be the best actor available for the part. He was, first and foremost, a has-been actor, which Republicans prefer as candidates since they are generally good at cloaking their lack of substance behind a veil of image.
Added to that he had the virtue of not pissing off any large block of GOP voters, most of whom liked his anti-choice, anti-consumer, anti-immigrant, anti-terror, anti-government and anti-social security stances. But, as it turned out, the most important anti in Thompson's candidacy was anti-climatic.
In one of the worst performances in the roll of presidential candidate in years Thompson stumbled and snoozed his way from one low point to another never seeming to really care if he got the part or not. When NPR asked the candidates to name their all time favorite presidents Thompson chose George Washington.
When asked what he admired about the country's first president Thompson's reply seemed to sum up his whole attitude towards the office of president. He told the interviewer that he admired Washington because after serving two terms as president he never returned to Washington D.C. again. Thompson was more interested in how a president left office than in how someone governs while in office.
As he moseyed about the country, turning in one indifferent performance after another Thompson developed a reputation for being lazy and ill prepared and looked more like someone searching for a good place to take a nap than someone running for the highest office in the land.
Thompson's retreat leaves the Republicans with a very soggy and uninspiring lineup of candidates. Former governor Mike Huckabee's campaign is in financial difficulties, while former drag queen Rudy Giuliani's campaign seems poised to crash and burn in Florida.
This leaves former Governor Mitt Romney, best known for flip flopping his fairly liberal stances on most Republican red meat issues and Senator John McCain, or as some right wingers call him "McLame."
Who ever emerges from the primary process it is certain that they will fail to satisfy most of the GOP base. That might not be very important in the long run however since an inside the beltway saying tells us that "Democrats fall in love while Republicans fall in line." So Republicans will probably swallow hard and support whoever their party nominates.
However this will likely not be enough. With the widespread opposition to the war and with the economy in the toilet it is highly unlikely that any of the Republican candidates have much chance of attracting the independent voters that they have relied so heavily on in past elections.
Op-Ed: Fred Thompson Exits Presidential Race, Stage Right
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