Thompson quits race, Manzullo to be neutral for now

2 comments January 22nd, 2008

Congressman Don Manzullo, R-Egan, will not immediately endorse another presidential candidate now that Fred Thompson has officially quit the race.

Manzullo was an early-on supporter of the former Tennessee senator and Hollywood actor, but Thompson never captured the imagination of enough voters to catch-on. He certainly didn’t act like an enthused candidate. Thompson without a script to read turned out to be a very boring guy.

Manzullo, first elected in 1992 and a candidate for re-election, will be neutral on the presidential race for the time being, said Rich Carter, his spokesman.

“He’s going to take some time to evaluate the economic policies and records of the remaining candidates,” Carter said Tuesday afternoon.

So, who’s remaining? Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney. Thompson’s withdrawal could help Mitt, and it could also help Huck. I’m not sure Giuliani is really in the race, certainly he will be out of it if he doesn’t win Florida, the only place he’s been campaigning.

Right now it’s basically McCain, Romney, Huckabee race in the GOP.

Yes, I know Ron Paul, the white collar anarchist, is also a Republican candidate. While he has no chance of winning the nomination, he will eventually affect the outcome because at some point his supporters will migrate to other candidates.