Decision ‘08

And Then There Were Four…

McCain, Rudy G., Tommy Thompson, and Duncan Hunter are the four Republicans who now have formed exploratory committees for 2008 bids:

The 2008 race for the White House intensified Thursday as one of the big name Republican players, Sen. John McCain, threw himself into the fray.

The 70-year-old Arizona senator is the fourth Republican to say they will form an exploratory committee in the race for the GOP presidential nomination since the party took what President Bush called “a thumping” in the midterm elections.

Exploratory committees allow would-be candidates to raise campaign money without having to publicly disclose donations or expenditures. (Watch what led up to McCain’s bid — 1:55 )

McCain’s name recognition can only be matched by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who filed papers with the Federal Election Commission to form a committee last week. The moderate conservative’s performance in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks earned him praise and fame across the nation.

Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, outgoing chairman of the powerful House Armed Services Committee, was the first to form a committee.

On Wednesday, Tommy Thompson, a former Wisconsin governor who headed the Department of Health and Human Services in Bush’s Cabinet during his first term, said he is considering a White House bid. An aide said Thompson is expected to create his exploratory committee early next year.

Never say never in politics, but I think we can assume Huckabee will join them, as well as Romney…but I very seriously doubt Allen and Frist will, considering recent events…

5 Responses to “And Then There Were Four…”

1 JB Says:
November 16th, 2006 at 1:04 am
lived in Wisconsin for many years under the Thompson administration. Sorry, don’t have much insight since I was pretty young at the time. He was popular and effective, but if I remember correctly, not very dynamic. Perhaps as a VP pick he could turn WI red for once.
2 5th of November Says:
November 16th, 2006 at 7:36 am
The 2008 election will be all about the Middle East. However, Iraq is a diversion. As the army attacks Iraq, the US gov’t erodes rights at home by suspending habeas corpus, stealing private lands, banning books like “America Deceived” from Amazon, rigging elections, conducting warrantless wiretaps and starting 2 illegal wars based on lies. Soon, another US false-flag operation will occur (sinking of an Aircraft Carrier) and the US will invade Iran, (on behalf of Israel).
Final link (before Google Books bends to gov’t demands and censors the title):
http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-38523-0
3 Mark Says:
November 16th, 2006 at 8:46 am
Very interesting…tell me, how long have you been on your current medication regime? I think the dosage may need adjusting…
4 Dennis Says:
November 16th, 2006 at 10:32 am
No Duncanmomentum?

Seriously, I’m a moderate political junkie, and I’ve never heard of Duncan Hunter. So now I’m left wondering if he’s your standard windmill-tilter who comes out at this time of the cycle, or he’s working some obscure angle.
5 Jack Rich Says:
November 16th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
I’m no political junkie, but I’ve actually heard of Duncan Hunter and T. Thompson. But might as well be Barney the Purple Dinosaur running. Nothing against either gent, but for president? Where’s the gravitas? What are we, Donks who’ll nominate class-warfare-wind-surfing-liberal snob losers like Kedwards?

Of course, the Donks and their mainstream media enablers are, as we speak, going gaga over Barack, so, I suppose, next to the junior senator from Illinois, Gov. Thompson looks like an elder statesman…