Too Late for Thompson?

Is it too late for Fred Thompson? Politico reports that almost two months after he was hailed as a sure bet in the checkered Republican primary field, Thompson is down in the polls. So he's returned to what he loves—talking serious policy—and is even enduring “inside-the-Beltway political BS,” as he calls it, like Sunday morning shows and grip and grins.

And he may be gaining traction: He’s rolled out initiatives on Social Security and the military that have won conservative praise. The National Right to Life Committee even gave him its prized endorsement. Now his handlers say Thompson must shine in Iowa, but one GOP analyst is dubious: “It’s getting a little late for Thompson, who may have squandered an almost unprecedented opportunity."