Gee, it was nice of Fred Thompson to announce that he was going to announce his long-awaited official Republican
candidacy -- of course, surrendering his campaign virginity will come a day after the major, nationally-televised debate between his Republican rivals at the University of New Hampshire. That's New Hampshire, Fred, as in first-in-the-universe primary land. It's easy to see why this was a smart call --- he gets the benefit of buzz without having to do a darn thing. It's no wonder that NH GOP chief Fergus Cullen has gone bonkers in telling anyone who will listen that he's "disappointed" that Thompson was playing this game. Cullen told James Pindell at the Globe's Primary Source "They are clearly trying to avoid this specific event. Cullen was also blunt with my Herald colleague Adam Leech: Instead of dealing with the media and voter scrutinyof the debate, "He will be going on the Jay Leno show to trade jokes while other candidates are having a seriuous discussion about issues.” Can't wait to see Cullen and Thompson shake hands and exchange pleasantries for the camera some fine day in the primary future.
On the TV front, the good news for Thompson is that the TNT network will not remove "Law & Order" rerun episodes with his folksy Arthur Branch character spouting hayseed one-liners (did anyone really believe, even in TV fiction, that New Yorkers would elect an Arthur Branch as DA?).
INTERVIEW
I found my daily link at Blue Hampshire with blogger Mike Caufield's tough and informed dissection of a recent "presidential job interview" by Nex Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson in Keene. The interview issue was NAFTA and Richardson's role in passing it in 1993 -- but it was yet another example of why the voters in this state takes his vetting duties seriously.
PREVIEW
In Sunday's Out on a Limb column, I have an exclusive, fictional interview with a behind-the-scenes GOP strategist named Deep Source. We met in the bowels of a Portsmouth parking garage and she warned that "no one's safe in this election" -- and has evidence a major Democratic candidate is conspiring with aliens. No, not illegal workers from, say Mexico, but strangers from another galaxy.
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