Fred, We Hardly Knew You

Via News For The Left:

Fred Thompson is breaking the law and it's time somebody did something about it. So, this morning, I filed an FEC Complaint against him. [...]

It is my contention that he has violated the 'testing the waters' exemption of election law. He has been presenting himself as a candidate for President, he has been raising large sums of money beyond what would be required to explore a possible candidacy, and he has signed a long term lease on a headquarters for his campaign. He has even spent advertising dollars, which are specifically prohibited by the law.

If this pans out, it should be a big hit to the combined ego of the Republican party. They have been waiting for quite some time for their fabled savior, Fred Thompson, to enter the race and crush the opposition. It really does seem unfair to be essentially counted as a candidate while skirting the rules. "Testing the waters" is important for candidates who are not immediately recognized front-runners, but with someone who has been as popular as Fred Thompson, candidacy is just a matter of time (or, possibly, was after this).

D. None of the Above

Via the Detroit News:

The crowded field of presidential hopefuls isn't crowded enough to suit Michigan voters, who prefer two unannounced candidates for the Republican and Democratic nominations, a new Detroit News/WXYZ-TV poll shows.

Former Tennessee Senator and TV star Fred Thompson would lead the GOP pack and former Vice President Al Gore would top the Democratic slate should they decide to run, according to a statewide survey of 400 likely Republican and 400 likely Democratic primary voters in Michigan conducted last Wednesday through Monday by EPIC/MRA of Lansing.

Well, that's interesting. The best choice seems to be none of the above when talking about the current crop of candidates. The stats are listed below: With Al Gore as a choice:

• Al Gore - 36%
• Hillary Clinton - 32%
• Barack Obama - 16%
• John Edwards - 8%

Without Al Gore:

• Hillary Clinton - 45%
• Barack Obama - 26%
• John Edwards - 16%

Gore would be a great addition to the Democratic field and would have a very good chance of winning the candidacy. It would be interesting to see a Gore/Clinton ticket (as opposed to the Clinton/Gore ticket of '92 and '96), but the a Gore/Obama ticket would bring great change to presidential politics. With Fred Thompson (and Newt Gingrich - who is also not a current candidate) as a choice:

• Fred Thompson - 22%
• Rudy Giuliani - 19%
• John McCain - 16%
• Newt Gingrich - 15%
• Mitt Romney - 12%

Without Thompson (or Gingrich):

• Rudy Giuliani - 30%
• John McCain - 21%
• Mitt Romney - 21%

Fred Thompson has, at least, shown his intent to run although he has not officially thrown his hat into the ring. Newt Gingrich's intent has been more vague, but may include running for the Republican candidacy. This was a poll from Michigan only, but may represent a strong possible position for each of these non-candidates across the nation. There is still time before the primaries for each of these people to officially announce candidacy, only time will tell.