Berkeley Forum

Fred Thompson is finally gone. He made an announcement today and left the race to those who are serious about running for the Republican nomination. I never understood the hype when Thompson decided to run. He was not a very well known politician and he certainly was not a world class celebrity. What he had going for him were some similarities that his supporters drew to an Ronald Reagan. That Thompson was an actor just like Reagan and that he is tall as was Reagan and that he was a true conservative who could unify the party.

Thompson proved to be none of the above. He could barely meet expectations with his poor performances in the GOP debates. He did not have a clear message and did a poor job campaigning in the early states.

I still don't know why some seasoned political observers considered Thompson to have a good chance at winning the nomination. He never had a shot at it. In a Republican field dominated by Romney's money, McCain's appeal and Huckabee's evangelicalism , Thompson could only get the crumbs . This country does not need lazy politicians or lazy presidents. we don't need someone " lazy like a fox" as Newsweek put it. We need a uniter, a hard worker and an American hero who understand the daily lives of middle class Americans.