Thompson's to-do list looms
— -- Five months after suggesting he might be interested in the Republican presidential nomination, former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson says he'll formally announce his candidacy Thursday — first on the Internet, then at a Des Moines rally. Has he waited too long? Maybe not, but he does face a formidable set of challenges and not much time to complete them.
Here's a look at Thompson's to-do list:
Get organized in Iowa and New Hampshire. Thompson's rivals have been opening campaign offices and recruiting county chairmen for months. The political on-line newsletter Hotline calculates that former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney already has made 29 campaign trips to Iowa, which holds the opening caucuses, and 24 to New Hampshire, which holds the first primary.
"Obviously, he's got a lot of catching up to do," Steve Roberts, a Republican national committee member from Iowa, says of Thompson. "He has to get acquainted." His celebrity as an actor is a plus: "We've got excellent candidates, but we don't have the rock-star types" in local campaigns, Roberts says.
Thompson seems to get that message. He plans to stump in Iowa from Thursday to Saturday before heading to New Hampshire for events Sunday.
Stake a flag in South Carolina. Among the states with early contests, the Palmetto State, which holds the second primary, should be the friendliest territory for a fellow Southerner. "South Carolina will be where Fred Thompson is measured most," says Rich Bond, a former GOP national chairman.
South Carolina party chairman Katon Dawson warns Thompson's late entry has carried a cost. "The McCain campaign and the Giuliani campaign and the Romney campaign … have been picking up IOUs and endorsements and making friends," he says, "and that goes a long way when it comes down to Election Day."
Step up fundraising — and by the end of the month. Thompson must detail his fundraising through September to the Federal Election Commission by Oct. 15. A report filed to the Internal Revenue Service showed $3.4 million raised in June, less than the $5 million aides predicted beforehand.
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