Has anyone seen Fred Thompson?

By Lee Bandy
SouthCarolina Insider
December 20, 2007 —
GOP presidential hopeful Fred Thompson has been a huge disappointment.
South Carolina conservative Republicans had looked upon the former U.S. senator from Tennessee as the savior who would come and snatch the party’s nomination away from the more progressive wing of the party.

Thompson teased the party faithful all summer long. One day he sounded like a candidate who might run. Then the next day his candidacy was a no-go.

Conservatives were breathlessly waiting for a decision. They were not pleased with any of the three frontrunners and eagerly welcomed an alternative.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was too liberal to suit their tastes. They didn’t trust former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and they didn’t like U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

Then there was the late surge by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee who lept into first place, blindsiding everyone, including the pundits.

By summer’s end, the name Thompson was on the lips of every conservative, it seemed. He was the “real conservativeâ€