More 2008 [Liz Mair]

The Intrade items that Stephen posted earlier, relating to GOP chances in 2008, were interesting. But, with news that Fred Thompson has hired yet another campaign manager (and it seems got rid of the now-deemed-stand-ins that preceded him), I've got to think that they should be downgrading the odds on Fred being the nominee.

Don't get me wrong, I like Fred, too (not quite as much as Rudy, but I can't think of anything that would put me off voting for him, unlike Romney, as has been pointed out). But I have a bad feeling about his campaign-- he keeps delaying announcing, he keeps shifting his staff, he is still not regarded as being very enthusiastic by a lot of people who come into contact with him, and so on. I'm left wondering whether he'll feature in this race as much as people are hoping.

And on a separate note, I entirely agree with the sentiments voiced that Romney's sons campaigning for him is not the same as Iraq-- and that him suggesting it is, is just plain stupid.

It takes a certain arrogance to view your candidacy as as important a national struggle as winning an actual war. But then, of course, Romney wouldn't know anything about that-- hell, back in 1994, he was happy to admit that it was not his "desire to go off and serve in Vietnam," although he later said he "felt guilty about the draft deferment he would get for it [completing his mission], when other young men his age were heading for Vietnam" (which I somehow doubt-- this sounds a lot like stuff Bill Clinton used to come up with, if I'm remembering 1992 at all).

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