October 18, 2007

WH '08: Brownback To Bow Out

The Republican field has suffered another casualty, as Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback is expected to end his nine-month bid for the presidency after failing to register in fundraising and polls.

Although he had previously said he would drop out of the race if he finished worse than fourth in the Iowa caucuses this January, the final blow to his struggling campaign appears to have come much earlier. According to finance reports his campaign submitted this week, Brownback raised only $817,286 in the third quarter and $3.5 million since he announced.

In the latest Strategic Vision (R) poll of Iowa Republicans, Brownback polled at just 4 percent. A recent Gallup/USA Today poll placed him at 2 percent nationally.

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Posted at 12:06 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tommy Thompson, WH 2008
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August 13, 2007

Rebuffed By Iowans, Tommy Thompson Heads Home

After spending months (and millions) touring the state of Iowa in his bid to woo caucus voters the old-fashioned way, GOP presidential hopeful Tommy Thompson is packing up and heading home.

True to his word, the former Wisconsin governor took a good, hard look at his prospects for winning the GOP nomination after finishing a disappointing sixth in this weekend's Iowa straw poll and decided it was time to move on.

"I have no regrets about running," Thompson said Sunday in a statement. "I felt my record as governor of Wisconsin and secretary of Health and Human Services gave me the experience I needed to serve as president, but I respect the decision of the voters."

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Posted at 1:12 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Fred Thompson, Jim Gilmore, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, Tommy Thompson, WH 2008
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August 10, 2007

Amesin' For A Win

This weekend, political junkies and the GOP faithful will have their eyes glued on a small, quaint city smack in the middle of Iowa. Ames, population 52,000, is home to Iowa State University, soybean fields and Skunk River. In politics, however, it's known primarily for its influential* GOP presidential straw poll.

The relevance of Ames gets an asterisk this year, in part because two of the Republican Party's top contenders -- former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain -- have opted not to participate in the contest. Another cloud overshadowing Iowa's prominence in the 2008 election is the rush of other states to move their primary dates up to January and early February.

Despite Giuliani's and McCain's decisions to skip the Ames contest, the rest of the field is soldiering on with Iowa-focused campaigns, and most of the momentum is resting with Mitt Romney.

Continue reading "Amesin' For A Win"

Posted at 1:06 PM
Posted to: Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tommy Thompson
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July 27, 2007

We Want A GOP YouTube Debate!

The Gate tries very hard to not cross the "advocacy" line, but some recent (un)developments have forced us to take a stand.

We want a Republican YouTube debate.

No, the format of Monday's Democratic forum wasn't "revolutionary," as CNN would have you believe, but it was both informative and entertaining. The kids need a little cheese sauce with their broccoli sometimes, and we bet that the YouTube format had them more engaged than in any of the previous face-offs.

So listen, Sam Brownback, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter, Mitt Romney and Tom Tancredo: Sign on to the Sept. 17 CNN/YouTube debate, already.

We get that campaign time is an increasingly precious commodity. Republicans, not to mention the rest of the country, aren't really hot on any of you right now. But how could taking occasionally quirky questions from real-live Americans hurt? If anything, you get a platform on which to let your good humor and personality shine. We urge you to seize this opportunity.

Note that it's a group of Republicans who are circulating a petition asking you to reconsider. Conservatives ridiculed Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards for skipping the planned FOX News Democratic debate. Gentleman, do not cut and run from this chance to show Americans a) that you are running for president (a lot of them don't know this yet) and b) that you are not afraid of the occasional curveball. Please follow Tommy Thompson's lead and show us you're not scared of a talking snowman.

The Gate isn't signing any petitions for obvious reasons, but we encourage our readers to send this along: http://www.savethedebate.com/.

-JANE ROH

Graphic: Reuben Dalke

Posted at 4:55 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Democrats, Duncan Hunter, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, Tommy Thompson, WH 2008
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June 13, 2007

Tommy Thompson's Still In It To Win It...

... the Ames straw poll, that is.

The GOP White House hopeful who launched his first broadcast ad of the cycle in the Hawkeye State yesterday said in a conference call this afternoon that he was sticking by his Iowa strategy. That means participating in the Aug. 11 straw poll that has traditionally been a gauge of candidates' standing in the crucial early caucus state but has been called into question now that two of the top Republican presidential candidates -- Rudy Giuliani and John McCain -- have opted out.

In the conference call, billed as a "major announcement" about the future of his campaign, Thompson acknowledged that most reporters were listening in to find out if he had decided to skip the poll as well or drop out of the race altogether. But he repeatedly stressed the importance of the Ames contest, calling it an example of the "best of American politics" and a "good thing for our country, Iowa and certainly the Republican Party." He said he hoped Giuliani and McCain would rethink their decisions not to participate, but suggested that regardless of who is tested in the poll, it will be an "event." He declined to say exactly how high he would have to place in order to remain in it for the long haul.

Responding to one reporter's question, Thompson also commented on his fundraising prospects, predicting an "adequate, but not great" second quarter.

-Irene Tsikitas

Posted at 3:32 PM
Posted to: Tommy Thompson
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GOP 2008: Room Enough For Two Thompsons?

Tommy Thompson can't catch a break.

The former Wisconsin governor, who just debuted his first broadcast ad of the cycle, entered the GOP race for the White House with one of the most diverse resumes: respected Midwestern governor for four terms, former Bush Cabinet member, private sector policy wonk.

But despite months of traipsing through the Hawkeye State (his goal has been to visit every county), Thompson's Iowa strategy was dealt a blow last week when Republican front-runners Rudy Giuliani and John McCain announced they were skipping the closely watched Ames straw poll this August. Their departure means current Iowa leader Mitt Romney is expected to take that contest easily.

Continue reading "GOP 2008: Room Enough For Two Thompsons?"

Posted at 1:01 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Fred Thompson, Republicans, Tommy Thompson, WH 2008
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June 06, 2007

GOP Debate: Who's Afraid Of Fred Thompson?

Most everyone tuning in to last night's CNN-sponsored Republican forum in New Hampshire already had him on their minds, so former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson did us all a favor by calling out the ghost at the very beginning: "My name is Thompson, Tommy. I’m the candidate, not the actor."

The actor Thompson being, of course, Fred Thompson -- star of "In The Line Of Fire," "Law and Order," and lately, the fevered dreams of many a GOP primary voter. Unfortunately for Tommy Thompson, that joke may have backfired, as National Review's Katherine Jean Lopez points out. By the time the next Republican debate arrives in August, it's a safe bet more than one of the third tier -- Tommy Thompson, Sam Brownback, Jim Gilmore, Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul -- will have dropped out.

Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo, by contrast, have a better chance of hanging in as the two candidates who represent the hard right on immigration reform. Both have passionate followings, and the latest skirmish in the Senate over a compromise overhaul is only angering their supporters.

Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney may be the only sure bets to last through the summer. But purity is still an issue for this party, more so, arguably, than for the Democrats, and none of these men should count on an easy ride to the primaries.

Continue reading "GOP Debate: Who's Afraid Of Fred Thompson?"

Posted at 12:53 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, Jim Gilmore, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, Tommy Thompson, WH 2008
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May 15, 2007

Liveblogging The 2nd GOP Debate

UPDATED.

End note. Tonight's debate felt more substantive than the last meeting of the Republican 10. Candidates got the same 30 seconds or so to answer questions, but there were fewer questions this time, which made the pacing seem more orderly. The questions themselves were also all serious, more or less -- no one got lobbed with an out-of-left-field query (unlike last time around).

Quite a few of the candidates seem to have learned something from McCain. There were more follow-them-to-the-gates-of-hell type responses on terrorism tonight. But no one capped it with a weird, triumphant smile. In fact, we didn't detect any gaffes at all. (If you think Ron Paul's performance qualifies as a gaffe -- you just don't know Ron Paul.)

Overall, the field feels more set in stone than it did before. Of the lower-tier contenders, Gilmore, Huckabee and Tancredo asserted themselves the most, but probably not in a way that will set their campaigns on fire. Thompson was oddly quiet tonight, as was Brownback.

Mercifully, the next debate, this time among the Democrats, is nearly three weeks away. And, most everyone in Washington hopes, a wartime appropriations bill will make it out of Congress and past the president's desk by then. In the time since the debate began tonight, the Pentagon announced the deaths of two more soldiers, one in Iraq and one in Pakistan. Clocks are ticking all around. And no one on that stage knows this more than the guys not named Giuliani or McCain.

FOXNews.com is streaming its debate analysis. See Captain's Quarters, The Caucus, The Corner and The Fix for their takes on the debate.

10:34. And it's over. Hunter had just gotten a chance to sound the alarm on China, his other pet issue after immigration. The center of gravity in the 2008 election will likely remain the Iraq war, and there's little he and other candidates can do about that. But how much longer can the front-runners campaign on Iraq and fiscal policy alone? Shouldn't they have to give serious thought to, say, China's growing economic influence and military growth as well?

Continue reading "Liveblogging The 2nd GOP Debate"

Posted at 8:37 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Chuck Hagel, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, Tommy Thompson, WH 2008
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GOP Debate Preview: Take Two

Tonight's FOX News-sponsored debate of the Republican presidential candidates in South Carolina comes less than two weeks after their first nationally televised debate in California. And not one of the hopefuls has reason to complain that their second meeting has come so quickly. (The Gate will be liveblogging the action at 8:45 p.m. EDT.)

The rapid-fire pace of questions at the previous forum, sponsored by MSNBC and the Politico, did not allow time for thoughtful responses, much less clarification of the occasional fumbled answer. Just ask former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, who seemed to support businesses that fire employees for being gay, and has been explaining the gaffe (a busted hearing aid, a bulging bladder) ever since.

Also see: Rudy Giuliani. The pro-choice former mayor of New York told moderator Chris Matthews that he would be just fine with Roe v. Wade being overturned, just so long as it was done based on "strict constructionist" principles. Constitutional lawyers everywhere scratched their heads, and Giuliani's rivals smelled the blood of a flip-flopper in the water. The Gate spoke with Giuliani spokeswoman Maria Comella the Monday following the May 3 meet-up. After some prodding, she said that Giuliani shares a fairly widespread belief (in legal academia, anyway) that Roe was poorly decided, and that a Federalist approach may have been preferable.

Continue reading "GOP Debate Preview: Take Two"

Posted at 7:31 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Duncan Hunter, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, Tommy Thompson, WH 2008
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May 03, 2007

Liveblogging The First GOP Debate

And... scene. Ronald Reagan wasn't the only ghost in the room tonight. Somewhere, perhaps on a sound stage in New York City, senator-turned-actor Fred Thompson senses a clamoring for his entree into this race. That nearly all participants went out of their way to liken themselves to Reagan mostly served to highlight the fact that, for GOP base voters, there wasn't a Gipper on the stage.

This yearning may have less to do with what Reagan actually accomplished than with Republicans needing a shot of Prozac in the form of a presidential candidate who makes them feel good about being Republicans again. As McCain's precarious position in the top tier shows, proximity to Bush may be toxic in that regard. Everyone else might be too big a question mark to fill that void.

More reason to cue the actor? That the media aren't tiring of speculating on this point may mean that none of the current candidates has convinced Republicans that he could be their champion in '08.

The Caucus, The Fix, On Politics and The Ticker also have wrap-ups of the debate.

9:46. Tancredo's back. He's a prime example of why debates like this can be unfair to some candidates. The immigration issue is one quite a few Republicans would rather paper over until after the 2008 election. Tancredo may be a long-shot candidate, but he has a loyal, energized group of supporters in Americans who want to stanch the tide of illegal immigrants making their way across the border. It's a security issue, an economic issue, and, to some Americans, a cultural issue.

In one of a handful of mentions of George W. Bush by the candidates, McCain praised the president's position on immigration. McCain and Democrat Edward Kennedy have co-sponsored a bill that enacts tighter controls at the border while providing illegal immigrants a path to citizenship -- a provision Tancredo decries as amnesty.

Polls show few Americans actually want all illegal immigrants rounded up and deported. But the problem for McCain and Bush is that, to a degree, the dictionary definition of amnesty applies. Pressing the candidates on that point could have given Tancredo and his comrade in arms on that issue, Duncan Hunter, a powerful moment in the debate. But it never happened.

9:45. Tancredo's turn on MSNBC, and -- oops. They lose him. The congressman just can't get a break tonight.

9:41. Spin room time; Brownback is first up on MSNBC. No, the candidates didn't all get a fair shot at getting their message across, and yes, the debate went a little too fast, the Kansas senator says. That's a good point, actually -- if fewer Politico.com reader questions had been asked, candidates could have been allotted more time for responses. Perhaps we'll see some Friday morning quarterbacking on the debate format tomorrow.

9:33. It's over, and the frustration on stage is palpable. Blame the number of candidates, blame the format -- there were no runaway performances here, which wasn't expected anyway, but the sheer lack of high points is a little surprising.

Romney, by the way, wins the race to rush over and greet Mrs. Reagan.

Continue reading "Liveblogging The First GOP Debate"

Posted at 7:45 PM
Posted to: John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tommy Thompson
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