The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

(Page 3 of 3)

p> WHO'S AFRAID OF FRED? br> Pajamas Media likes to portray itself as a cutting edge online media resource. So why isn't it including Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson in its weekly presidential poll? That's what one blogger keeps asking, with nary and answer from the "Inside the Beltway" PJs crowd. /p>

The blogger, PeteRepublic, has pulled the PJ online vote widget from his site in protest over the PJ Media decision to not include Thompson, an undeclared candidate who is the talk of conservatives and Republicans. Meanwhile, Newt Gingrich, also undeclared, is being touted in the poll. Odd.

Thompson appears to be going about his business -- being the most successful New York City District Attorney in history (we're talking about at least a 98% conviction record here, folks) on Law & Order, as well as the "voice of reason" on ABC Radio.

Meanwhile, the "Draft Fred Thompson for President" campaign seems to be taking on a life of its own. A late-Friday poll on the popular conservative blog site, RedState, shows that 75% of respondents support a Fred Thompson run for the presidency. A separate poll organized by an unauthorized "Draft Fred" website has collected more than a 100,000 respondents, again, with more than 70% supporting a Fred Thompson run. Yet another poll on GOPNation, has Thompson well ahead of all other Republican nominees.

On Friday, Sen. Bill Frist, sent an e-mail to supporters of his political action committee, VOLPAC, saying that he had spoken with Thompson on Thursday night and encouraged him to run. Thompson has not publicly commented on any of these activities, beyond his general comments on Fox News Sunday and the Sean Hannity radio show that he is mulling a run.

"What's interesting about all of this is how organic and spontaneous it appears to be," says a source who works on a Republican presidential campaign. "The media keeps saying there is dissatisfaction with the current crop of candidates, and this Thompson boomlet would appear to confirm that."

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