Thompson to make it official on Sept. 6
WASHINGTON -- Fred Thompson, an actor and former Tennessee senator, ended the suspense Thursday and said he'll declare his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination on Sept. 6.
Thompson said he'll make it official in a webcast and then tour Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. He'll also travel to Florida and home to Lawrenceburg, Tenn.
"The response that we've received makes me confident that we have an opportunity to change politics in Washington and across the country," Thompson said in a statement.
Thompson faces high expectations because of his poll numbers, recognition (he played Manhattan District Attorney Arthur Branch on NBC's Law & Order) and niche as a Southern conservative. He's second in most national polls and doing well in Nevada, South Carolina and Florida, which have early nominating contests.
Among his eight GOP rivals are former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who supports legal abortion; former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who used to support legal abortion; and Arizona Sen. John McCain, who alienated conservatives by supporting citizenship for illegal immigrants.
The only other Southern conservative, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, often talks about how hard it will be for Thompson to live up to his advance billing. Huckabee's campaign said Wednesday that he had moved to third place, ahead of Thompson, in a new poll of Iowans.
Thompson had hovered at the edge of the race for months. When he made his move, some wondered whether he had waited too long.
"Clearly, the buzz was greater (earlier) in the summer than it is right now," said Whit Ayres, a GOP pollster unaffiliated with a candidate. "But what's most important is how he performs in the future, not what he's done in the past."
There have been some "hiccups," as Ayres put it, during Thompson's stay on the sidelines.
His speeches received lukewarm reviews. He raised $3.4 million in June after setting a $5 million goal. There were also several staff shakeups, the latest this week when his communications director was replaced by national campaign veteran Todd Harris.
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