Tommy Thompson seriously considering presidential bid

[Tender Branson]

Tommy tests presidential vibe in Iowa

By David Callender

There'll be one red-clad Badger outside the stadium in Iowa City today trying to shake the hands of as many Hawkeye fans as he can catch - former Gov. Tommy Thompson.

Thompson says he will be at the game testing the waters for a possible presidential bid that would begin with the Iowa caucuses in January 2008.

"There's no question I'm very interested," Thompson told reporters during a press conference promoting organ donation on Friday, adding that he is "seriously considering" such a bid and believes it is "doable."

Thompson said he has already set up a political action committee to raise money for the race, "and I'll probably set up an exploratory committee after the first of the year."

Thompson, who was mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate in 1996 and who served as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services during President Bush's first term, said he believes he has a reasonable chance if there is a wide-open field of Republican contenders in 2008.

"If you look at the numbers, there are not that many (votes) that you need," he said. "In the last presidential caucus, there were just 95,000 people that showed up. You divide that up between 10 or 12 candidates, you don't need all that many to come out of Iowa. You come out of Iowa, and you're at the head of the pack."

story continues ...

http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/index.php?ntid=107057&ntpid=1

[WalterMitty]

tommy's chance was 1996 and 2000.

[True Democrat]

MASTERJEDI LOOK HERE!!

[Conan]

He has some shot.

[Colin]

tommy's chance was 1996 and 2000.

Yeah being Secretary for Health and Human Services isn't exactly a stepping stone to the Presidency.

[NHPolitico]

His logic is sound if there are actually a dozen candidates, but he's not going to be nominated. He missed his chance.

[RBH]

Will he base his campaign around putting chips in people?

[Keystone Phil]

I seriously laugh at this idea.

[Mr. Morden]

Why has this story (apparently) not been picked up by a single national media outlet?  Looking at this:

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=Tommy+Thompson&btnG=Search+News

it appears as though stories about Thompson's possible interest in a presidential run have appeared in numerous Wisconsin media outlets over the course of the last month, but never in the national media.  I mean, sure, he stands almost no chance of winning, but the same can be said of George Pataki or Tom Tancredo, or Chris Dodd on the Democratic side.  But when each of them started making comments suggesting that they might be open to a presidential run, the national media picked up the story and at least mentioned it in passing.

[Inmate Trump]

The Republican nomination in 2008 will be between McCain, Giuliani and Romney.  Anyone else will be like Kucinich and Sharpton in 2004.

[Mr. Morden]

The Republican nomination in 2008 will be between McCain, Giuliani and Romney.  Anyone else will be like Kucinich and Sharpton in 2004.

That might be going a little too far.  I think Huckabee could be like Lamar Alexander in 1996.