McCain had the best line about Fred Thompson’s absence from the GOP debate on Fox last night — “maybe it’s past his bedtime.” McCain also happened to have the best debate. But how did Fred do? His Leno appearance went well enough, with Leno getting in a joke about Thompson’s manliness at Larry Craig’s expense (the Leno clip is here — sorry, had trouble embedding from home computer.) And in his Hillary-style web-video announcement he sure looks like a president (at least, he could play one on TV). Speaking of Hillary, Thompson’s main point, beside establishing his conservative bona fides, seemed to be that he could beat her in a general election.
Now he just has to, you know, campaign – shake some hands, kiss a few babies.