I Know You're Leaving, It's Too Long Overdue
David Weigel | August 13, 2007, 8:10am
Ladies and gentlemen, you don't have
Tommy Thompson to kick around anymore."I want to thank the people of Iowa who were welcoming and supportive as well as my volunteers and contributors from around the country," said Thompson. "I have no regrets about running."
Really? None?Making money is part of the Jewish tradition, a U.S. presidential candidate said in a speech to the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.
"I'm in the private sector and for the first time in my life I'm earning money," Republican hopeful and former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson said Monday. "You know that's sort of part of the Jewish tradition."
Given that he apologized at the time, it's sort of odd to hear him say he has "no regrets." He does. He clearly wishes he never did this and morphed from "Tommy Thompson, policy whiz whose reputation was tarred by the Bush administration" to "Tommy Thompon, loser with a weird haircuit." When I saw him speak to a Fair Tax rally on Saturday he sounded almost deranged by his situation, taking on all of these fist-pumping Huey Long-isms that didn't fit him at all. ("You send that Fair Tax to my desk and I! WILL! SIGN IT! I WILL!")
Tommy's brother Ed, who is now slightly more likely to make a Libertarian presidential bid, gave some
unrevealing quotes to Bart Winkler. The Republican Thompson is going to concentrate on improving "health care and welfare in America." He does so with a slightly diminished stature.
(Headline explained
here.)
Eric Dondero | August 13, 2007, 9:29am | #
This now makes for an extremely interesting political dynamic, that few outside of the libertarian movement can appreciate.
It was no mere accident that two weeks ago, brother Ed made some favorable comments about his own possible run on an obscure radio show.
I met with Ed last October at his bar in downtown Tomah. I found him to be quite jovial and upbeat.
And he's got a schtick. He's a former pro-Boxer. That, added to his current tenure as a City Councilman, and former tenure as Mayor, add to his celebrity.
I asked him point blank, if he'd consider running. He said, "Sure, that's something I need to look into."
My guess is within weeks we'll be seeing an Ed Thompson, Libertarian for President Campaign.
The thing about a Thompson run, versus another semi-celebrity candidacy like say Wayne Root, is that Thompson can garner support from the entire libertarian spectrum. The looney tune contingent will be comfortable with him, as well as the pragmatic practical real worlders who want to see success for the LP.
And I'm not so sure that's a good thing. Simply put, Ed Thompson will has a shot of being the most successful Libertarian candidate for President ever, even surpassing Ed Clark in 1980.
1 to 2 million votes, 90% of which would come directly out of the GOP column, could give us 4 years of Hillary.
So, the price of Ed Thompson gaining a couple million votes, is socialized health care, increased taxes, a high unemployment rate with the resulting economic slow down, and all of us suffering in our stock market portfolios.
Heavy price to pay indeed.
