Mike Allen at the Politico has the story. Quotes below: So Thompson’s deadline is not Election Day 2008, or even the January nominating contests.
The make-or-break date for his campaign is Sept. 30 – the Federal Election Commission cut-off for the next financial report. That document, which must be filed by Oct. 15, will determine Thompson’s fate. If he looks weak, he is unlikely to get the money, endorsements and grass-roots support that he’ll need to pull off his Houdini act, insiders say.
It amounts to a three-week, do-or-die sprint, and even Thompson does not claim to be a sprinter.
Not getting in had some pluses and minuses. Forcing Fred to sprint for anything is not a great idea. Remember his travel at the Iowa State Fair? Yep, a golf cart. If anyone is personally and organizationally prepared for a sprint, that would be our boy Energizer Mitt.
As Mike Allen puts it, the pressure is on:
Thompson is still interviewing consultants and aides and does not yet have a fundraising infrastructure in the early primary states.
“There is nobody here to do it,” said South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson. “And a good fundraiser will cost you 10 grand a month.”
Thompson’s need to ramp up his money machine is urgent, Dawson said. “When you come in with $3.5 million, you’ve opened yourself up to get pounded,” he observed, referring to the amount of money Thompson raised in June.
Sill interviewing? No infrastructure? Thompson is in trouble. Whereas Mitt is an organization whiz, Fred appears to be a dropout. Further, any $ that trickles in will flow out as good, 'ole Fred attempts to copy those who got an uncontested headstart.
I saw this image on The Mitt Report under his Fred Thompson section. I laughed so hard I had to use it here. It illustrates part of my point: Fred's cowardly lion behavior has gotten himself into this current time crunch.
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