Kowabunga

Fred Thompson announced today that he is withdrawing his candidacy for the presidency of these United States. Egads! What's a conservative to do? Couldn't he have hung in there another two weeks to at least see how he performs in some of the other upcoming primaries and caucuses? Okay, I am a bit selfish on that last point as the Minnesota caucus is two weeks out. It also directly impacts my short list of candidates to one.

Previously, my short list consisted of Thompson along with Mitt Romney and Duncan Hunter. Hunter's campaign didn't even get out of the gate, which narrowed it down to Thomson and Romney. Now, with Thompson out of the race, that leaves Romney.

Not like Romney is a bad choice. He is a good choice and a major player. I just wanted to continue to see how things shaped up during the coming weeks between the various major candidates.

Thompson was a late comer to the campaign trail. It is possible, even probable, that this played against his being able to make it for the long haul.

From an announcement on Thompson's campaign website:

Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort.

The GOP nomination for president has been wide open for the first time my lifetime. With Thompson out of the race, the dynamics of the campaign over the next few weeks will change. My money is that it will change in Romney's favor.

Thompson is one of the few candidates of any party that I consider has the "right stuff" (and I don't mean right in the political sense) to be President and Commander in Chief. He is someone that I believe could be trusted with this nation's most awesome power: our nuclear arsenal. That is something I would never entrust to Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.

Maybe, just maybe, Thompson will resurface in the V.P. slot. If so, he wold certainly give a good jolt to whoever the GOP candidate ends up being.

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Fred Thompson GOP Republican