Unless I missed a poll, the most optimistic "respectable finish" Thompson could be hoping for in IA is distant third. And in New Hampshire ... please. He's locked in a statistical dead heat with Duncan Hunter.

Whether or not that means he is preparing to bail out, or who he would endorse if he did is beyond me. But that rumor is certainly easy to believe given that he hasn't seemed like he even wanted to be in the race to begin with.

I agree Brian, looking at Fred's poll stats, it seems that even if he marched right out in front of the cameras at the release of this "rumor"/leak, the denial has some merit and truth to the speculation.

As for playing VP with McCain, Gov. Pawlenty of Minnesota is still out pandering for McCain, it would seem to me that McCain already has a VP in mind.

We shall see.

Whether or not that means he is preparing to bail out, or who he would endorse if he did is beyond me. But that rumor is certainly easy to believe given that he hasn't seemed like he even wanted to be in the race to begin with.

No one with an ounce of reason would pretend to believe a candidate who is this strongly supported would leave the race over the results of the first blue state, NO ONE.

Gephardt.

No one with an ounce of reason would pretend to believe a candidate who is this strongly supported would leave the race over the results of the first blue state, NO ONE.

Therefore, the only possible explanation for you to feign agreement with a flagrant low-life attempt to intentionally subvert the election process of the American people is to further your own pathetic political agenda.

I've also heard something recently Jimmy. A source within Politico suggests that Martin and Allen will be having the last stage of their lobotomy's finally completed and that you will be at the same hospital to observe if theirs went as well as yours...How does THAT "strike you as right" Jimmy??

This sounds perfectly in line with all of your "thinking" to me.

In case y'all have forgotten, we still have 10 months until the election.

But not until the nomination. Iowa votes TODAY. New Hampshire votes FIVE DAYS from now.

In case y'all have forgotten, we still have 10 months until the election. This race reminds me of the old tortoise and hare fable. While the other candidates are racing to be at the front of the pack, Fred keeps on plodding along right behind them.

Not long ago, it was all about Guiliani who had a commanding lead in the polls. Anybody heard anything about him lately? Then it was Mitt, who is in a I-am-more-religious-than-you battle with Huckabee who in turn has surged only to fall back again. Now it's McCain being hailed as the comeback kid. Only he won't survive scrutiny of his record and someone else will challenge him for the lead.

As the months go by, the current leaders of the pack will burn themselves out and start looking to make partnership deals with each other just to stay alive in this race. In the meantime, Fred will be moving up to reach the finish ahead of the others.

The problem with this line of reasoning is that, for the most part, the race for the Republican nomination will be over after February 5, due to the fact that most Republican primaries are winner-take-all. So the idea that Fred can "plod along" in the 10 months between now and November doesn't really make much sense.

As far as the "surge" is concerned, he went from 8% in the poll to 10% to 12%. That ain't exactly the stuff of legend.

Just go ahead and ignore John Zogby and actual polling numbers.

Text book dirty politics at work.

In case y'all have forgotten, we still have 10 months until the election. This race reminds me of the old tortoise and hare fable. While the other candidates are racing to be at the front of the pack, Fred keeps on plodding along right behind them.

Not long ago, it was all about Guiliani who had a commanding lead in the polls. Anybody heard anything about him lately? Then it was Mitt, who is in a I-am-more-religious-than-you battle with Huckabee who in turn has surged only to fall back again. Now it's McCain being hailed as the comeback kid. Only he won't survive scrutiny of his record and someone else will challenge him for the lead.

As the months go by, the current leaders of the pack will burn themselves out and start looking to make partnership deals with each other just to stay alive in this race. In the meantime, Fred will be moving up to reach the finish ahead of the others.

When Fred first appeared on Fox News with Chris Wallace, back around March of last year I believe, I predicted then that he would be our next president. I don't see anything now that would make me change that prediction.