VICE PRESIDENT FRED THOMPSON ?

Placing a great deal of importance to a win in the South Carolina Primary and finishing third may very well have taken the wind out of the sails for the GOP nomination bid for Fred Thompson. Sources in the former Tennessee Senators camp are saying that Fred may be making an announcement soon concerning his campaign. This combined with his pulling out of the Thursday debate before the Florida Primary and his low profile since the South Carolina Primary leads to the conclusion that Fred will gracefully bow out of the GOP Presidential race.

But that will not be the last that we hear from Fred Thompson. Senior Staffers from his campaign are talking seriously about the VP spot on the GOP ticket. In fact as early as last summer the Thompson campaign had mentioned the possibility of Fred seeking the second spot on the ticket.

This may also explain why his campaign seemed to lack the energy that is necessary for a full fledged Presidential run and that Fred has actually been more interested in the second spot rather than the first from the very beginning. Granted the methods that Fred used during his campaign worked extremely well when he ran for the Senate but have not been as successful in a national campaign for President.

Having the conservative Fred Thompson as the number two man on the GOP ticket would definitely strengthen whomever the eventual nominee may be. Fred's conservative credentials will fill many of the gaps that McCain, Romney or Giuliani have with the base of the Republican Party. This combined with the showing that he has had in the early Primaries will place him in a strong position for not only the VP nod but to help shape the party platform to a more conservative one.

The idea of Fred as the VP on the GOP ticket also found some confirmation during the debate which took place in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on January tenth. I had an opportunity to speak with South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham, who has been a staunch McCain supporter and has partnered with the Arizona Senator on all of his controversial legislation from McCain/Feingold to the gang of 14.

Graham has talked and been questioned many times in the past about the VP spot if McCain were to get the nomination and has always been willing to not only talk about the possibility but has always responded as if being the number two on a McCain ticket was a foregone conclusion.

After the debate in the Spin Room, I asked Graham about the number two spot if McCain's momentum continued and he won the nomination. At first he hesitated in even answering the question then he avoided it all together which was highly unusual for Graham who has always readily talked about the possibility in the past and is very much a media hound when it comes to any type of press coverage.

At the time I chalked it up to the fact that he was in a crowd of several reporters and that he had been answering questions for nearly an hour by the time I got to him. Now with the talk of Fred being the number two man the distinct possibility that McCain had already talked to Fred and that Graham was privy to the conversation and was no longer in the running for the number two spot with McCain seems very likely.

Fred Thompson would make a very strong VP nominee on any ticket. His conservative credentials will strengthen any of the remaining candidates and the fact that he is well known from not only his Presidential run but his Television and Movie career will be a definite plus for the ticket.

Thompson's presence will also help to bring conservatives to the voting booth who may be hesitant to vote for McCain, Romney or Giuliani because of their more moderate or liberal records on many conservative issues.

Fred Thompson as Vice President of The United States ? A very distinct possibility and one that I would support. Though I would rather see Fred at the top of the ticket which would take a miracle at this point, the number two spot would be a welcome sight for the Tennessee conservative

Ken Taylor