The Christian Science Monitor assesses the Fred Thompson candidacy and who among the rest of the field his entry into the race hurts the most. Interesting points made in the story:
- Analysts note that the Republican field's fundraising totals for the first quarter of 2007 are lower in comparison with the Democratic field's take, suggesting that there is is a great reserve of untapped GOP money out there for Thompson.
- Thompson is expected to gain in the polls when he formally joins the race and, if he remainss competitive, that could freeze out former House speaker Newt Gingrich from entering the race. As GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio puts it, "Where is Gingrich going to go? He's already 100 percent known by [the party]. It will be tough for him to gain support until other people drop out."
The CSM says who Thompson hurts in the existing field and who he helps is open to speculation: "Some analysts suggest that Mr. Giuliani gains, because Thompson's entry dilutes the conservative field. But it may be that Thompson takes away from all the front-runners."
One thing the CSM is more certain of, though, is that, "given his long experience in television and film, Thompson could have a leg up over the other candidates" in the use of "all the modern tools of communication, particularly those that involve cameras."
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