Some disappointed to see Thompson withdraw

Hopes of a local guy going all the way to the White House were dashed Tuesday when Fred Thompson, former Tennessee senator and former star of the television drama "Law & Order," announced he was withdrawing from the Republican presidential race.

Thompson was born in Sheffield, on Aug. 19, 1942, and soon after, his family moved to Lawrenceburg, Tenn., where he grew up.

Several people who knew Thompson personally or politically expressed disappointment that the former senator ended his race toward the White House.

Ann Hughes and her husband own Thompson Station on the Lawrenceburg downtown Square, a store that displays several Fred Thompson pictures and memorabilia.

"We opened (the business) as a tribute to Fred - my husband and him went to school (together) and he played ball with him," Hughes said.

"We were hoping he would do better, but we had heard that this might happen, and we're disappointed that he didn't do any better," Hughes said. "It would have great to have someone local in the White House.

"Fred has done well, and we're proud of him for what he has done and for giving the effort that he did in this venture."

By Sept. 30, 2007, the last date with available data, Thompson's venture to the White House cost $5,706,367 from a campaign that raised $12,717,993, according to the Washington Post. Of his campaign funds, $2,681,549 came from Tennessee.

Many political analysts have said that Thompson missed his window of opportunity after Sen. John McCain stumbled from a bloated and financially exhausted campaign last spring.

Thompson "decided it would be too simple to strike while the iron was hot. He never recovered," wrote conservative William Kristol in the New York Times.

"I'm not surprised; I'm hoping he will throw his support to McCain," said Tom Crews, a longtime friend of Thompson's. "I would have thought Fred would have made a better impression during his debates. It's a little disappointing."

Crews, of Lawrenceburg, said he planned to vote for Thompson early for Tennessee's primary Feb. 5. even though Thompson might not be on the ballot. "We got out and supported him and I don't regret anything we did."

Regardless of his pullout, Thompson will remain on the Super Tuesday ballot Feb. 5 where he can still win delegates.

"He's from our area and shares our values and beliefs; I'm disappointed that he's decided to stop his presidential campaign," said William Smith, Lauderdale County commissioner and also a Thompson delegate.

"He would be a strong candidate for vice president based upon his experience," Smith said.

"He assembled a team with a strategy, whether it was the right strategy, I don't know, but he didn't have the momentum needed to win key states," said Philip Bryan, communications director for the Alabama State Republican Party.

"Senator Thompson embodied - out of all the candidates -he embodied (former President) Ronald Regan's ideals."

The elimination of Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., last fall, Duncan Hunter on Saturday and now Thompson will push the other six potential presidential candidates and their ideas to the forefront, Bryan said, as the Republican party marches toward Super Tuesday when 20 states will hold primaries and caucuses.

Though Thompson started his campaign strongly, his campaign weakened and ultimately faltered when he finished third during the South Carolina Republican primary Friday behind Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

In Alabama, Thompson rode high in July, where he was a frontrunner with 34 percent of Alabama's expected vote, according to a state poll taken by Capital Survey Research Center/Alabama Education Association.

By late November, his numbers had slipped to 22 percent, according to the same polling agency. Nationally, Thompson's popularity fell from 17 percent in June to 11 percent in December, according to national polls conducted by the AP/ Ipsos.

"I tremble for my party; I think we'll end up getting a candidate who's a little more watered down," Renshaw said. "I'm just not energized and excited by any of them. Right now I'm not endorsing anybody."

Trevor Stokes can be reached at 740-5728 or trevor.stokes@timesdaily.com

TimesDaily Senior Staff Writer Tom Smith contributed to this report.