Thompson abandons White House bidi.l.cnn.net
Thompson abandons White House bid
Made popular 1947 days ago in Opinion
cnn.com — Former Sen. Fred Thompson on Tuesday ended his run for the presidency, coming off the heels of a disappointing third-place finish in South Carolina's GOP primary and heading into the showdown state of Florida next week.

"Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of the United States," Thompson said in a statement.

"I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort. Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people."

Thompson entered the race in September, long after his Republican rivals had announced their candidacies and began raising money. His campaigning style was criticized as lackluster, and he was never able to capitalize on the anticipation supporters had built before he announced that he was getting into the race.

Thompson was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994 and represented Tennessee for eight years. He had hoped to do well in South Carolina, the first Southern state contested in this election cycle and where a strong showing could have reinvigorated his flagging campaign.

He finished with 16 percent of the vote. Sen. John McCain won Saturday's contest with 33 percent, followed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee with 30 percent.

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Who's most likely to benefit among the Republican Candidates from Fred Thompson's exit?
Rudy Giuliani
2.1%
Mike Huckabee
23%
John McCain
7.6%
Ron Paul
54%
Mitt Romney
13%
This is not a scientific survey, click here to learn more. Results may not total 100% due to rounding and voting descrepencies.
User Comments
Herbert
Posted 1948 days ago
0 up votes, 0 down votes
He was great in Red October: "Russians don't take a dump, son, without a plan."

I guess Fred didn't have a plan...
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