Matt Drudge is reporting Fred is out

[hodman]

Fred Thompson drops out.... Developing... 1:30 CST

http://www.drudgereport.com/
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) - Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson quit the Republican presidential race on Tuesday, after a string of poor finishes in early primary and caucus states.
"Today, I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of the United States.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," Thompson said in a statement.

Thompson's fate was sealed last Saturday in the South Carolina primary, when he finished third in a state that he had said he needed to win.

In the statement, Thompson did not say whether he would endorse any of his former rivals. He was one of a handful of members of Congress who supported Arizona Sen. John McCain in 2000 in his unsuccessful race against George W. Bush for the party nomination.

The actor-politician best known as the gruff district attorney on NBC's "Law & Order" placed third in Iowa and South Carolina, two states seemingly in line with his right-leaning pitch and laid-back style, and fared even worse in the four other states that have held contests thus far. Money already tight, he ran out of it altogether as the losses piled up.

Thompson departs the most wide open Republican race in half a century; three candidates each having won in the six states that have voted.

In Florida, McCain, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani are battling for the lead ahead of its Jan. 29 primary, while former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee evaluates his next steps amid money troubles of his own.

[sigluvr]

Well that's just a fine how do ya do.  Now who do we have?  Michael Bane is as good as the rest of the remuda.   

[joemerchant24]

Best-case scenario.... Old buddy McCain picks Fred for VP, wins the election, then has to resign after a mild stroke 3 days into office.

(Shiva help me, I have to vote for Ron Paul now)

[DDMac]

Now THAT is a plan!  Mac

[joemerchant24]

No, that's dreaming.

Here's a plan.

The entire gun culture needs to vote third party. I don't care who they vote for, just not mainstream.

The Republicans have dismissed our concerns for years because they knew we'd never vote Democrat.

So, they take us for granted, use us and abuse us.

I say voting FOR the Republican is a wasted vote.

Don't stay home either. Go out, vote third party and send a message to the GOP that gun owners are not going to automatically vote GOP regardless of who they trot out.

I'm dead serious... Vote Paul, vote Reform, vote Green, Vote Libertarian, vote Cylon, vote Scientologist.... Just don't vote Republican.

If we can make a big enough statistical bump, the GOP might be more receptive to our needs/threats in 2010.

As it stands now, we complain and all they have to say is "Who else ya gonna vote for? HilaBamaWards?"

[Sponsor]

[clayflingythingy]

I will NOT vote for Romney. MB has posted the info on his blog that Romney will sign a new AWB.

Guiliani wants to be prez and has made the right noises about the 2A. Can we trust him? Dunno, but he would want to get reelected so maybe he would keep his word. algore was a "moderate" Dem until he became VP so maybe Rudy would be forced to become conservative?

McCain voted against the AWB. Maybe he would veto if the Dem congress passed one?

McCain/Thompson ticket would maybe become appealing?

If gun owners vote 3rd party and the Rep wins anyway that would really show those Rep's, wouldn't it?

[Hazcat]

McCain wants amnesty among other unpalatable things.

Rooty is a gun grabber not a 2A defender.

Sorry it is now a 'no vote' category for me.

[CDR]

Don Worsham for President

[Rthomps]

Don't stay home either. Go out, vote third party and send a message to the GOP that gun owners are not going to automatically vote GOP regardless of who they trot out.

I'm dead serious... Vote Paul, vote Reform, vote Green, Vote Libertarian, vote Cylon, vote Scientologist.... Just don't vote Republican.

If we can make a big enough statistical bump, the GOP might be more receptive to our needs/threats in 2010.

As it stands now, we complain and all they have to say is "Who else ya gonna vote for? HilaBamaWards?"

I guess voting Democrat is not out of the question according to your logic

[joemerchant24]

Don;

"No vote" is the worst you can do.

If you're gonna toss your vote by not using it, then toss it third party. Then it makes a statement to the national parties that their offerings suck.

Radio host Dan Carlin wants a "none of the above" box on all ballots. That way, we can make our protest vote VERY clear.

Until that happens, the best we can do is vote for Fluffy the Chihuahua Party candidate.

As for voting Democrat... what's that get us?

Look at the candidates on guns (which is my single-issue, and this is a gun blog).

There is no difference between Mitt and Hilary, Rudy and Obama. McCain and Huck want to turn the Constitution into a jumble puzzle, which opens the door via precedent to the "Let's change the 2A crowd."

They are all the same, as far as the gun culture is concerned.