Fred Waiting Until July

Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson will wait a little longer to decide whether to run for president.

Last week, Thompson said he is "ready to run," but not decided:

He told Cate he’s “ready to run” personally, and that opening an exploratory campaign committee would be the logical first step.

He wouldn’t commit to any timetable, but suggested that he thinks voters need to know before fall what their choices in the race will be.

Thompson also implied he would make a decision by September:

He wouldn’t commit to any timetable, but suggested that he thinks voters need to know before fall what their choices in the race will be.

His decision may come sooner. According to Chuck Raasch, political editor for Gannett News Service, there are several reasons why Thompson may announce whether he's running around July 1:

First, July is the start of the next three-month fundraising reporting schedule. If Thompson were to announce in June, the fundraising clock would start ticking and an unimpressive quarterly fundraising report released in July could dampen the enthusiasm his teasing candidacy has enjoyed this spring.

Second, Thompson already is on TV more than his potential rivals. His campaign tease is getting more publicity than many of the announced presidential candidates are getting. Should Thompson announce he's running, the broadcasting fairness doctrine would place Thompson's acting career on hiatus.

Third, Thompson needs time to deal with his multiple acting and business obligations, including his radio commentary for ABC.

Though he’s not a declared candidate, and hasn’t even formed an exploratory committee, Thompson still registers third in polls, behind the two Republican leaders, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain, and ahead declared candidates, former Governors Romney, Huckabee, and Tommy Thompson.

Waiting until September, like the strategy adopted by former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, is a mistake. It is now less likely that a successful campaign can be announced just weeks before the Iowa caucuses as Bill Clinton did in 1992. The front loading of the 2008 primaries, and 20 candidates, requires an earlier commitment.