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MANCHESTER, N.H. – With the polls still open here, former Sen. Fred Thompson’s (R-Tenn.) campaign announced that it will make South Carolina the focus of its efforts. The Thompson campaign sent out an email to supporters late Tuesday afternoon, calling South Carolina the “decisive contest” of the early going. But the email also appeared to acknowledge rumors that Thompson’s campaign, which has never really seemed to gain full steam, is cash-strapped. The email, which quotes Thompson campaign manager Bill Lacy, said “the campaign’s headquarters staff is going above and beyond the call of duty to shift the focus to South Carolina, as well” by taking “reduced pay” through South Carolina. The email says the campaign is launching a statewide media buy, moving more staff there and planning another bus tour. “Our campaign has long viewed South Carolina as the decisive contest in the opening of the 2008 campaign. We fought hard to get there and we intend to win there,” Lacy said. Depending on the outcome of Tuesday night’s primary and next week’s contest in Michigan, the GOP nomination battle will still likely be a cloudy picture. Neither Thompson, who already went to South Carolina, nor former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee were expected to do very well in New Hampshire, and both candidates appear to view South Carolina, with its wealth of socially conservative voters and evangelicals, as the next opportunity for victory. The Thompson campaign insisted Tuesday evening that it is not struggling financially. One Thompson official said the campaign raised $500,000 since the Iowa caucuses. |
