FIRST PERSON

Tommy Thompson On Running For President

As Told To Will Englund

Monday, Sept. 1, 2008


First PersonSometimes presidential candidates don't have to win to accomplish part of their goals. But coming up short--in money, attention, and, of course, votes--still stings.
• Tom Tancredo
• Tommy Thompson
• Duncan Hunter

I had the best ideas. But you need the attention of the national press. What gets the attention of the national press is money. So if you don't have the money, you don't get the attention of the national press. If you don't get the attention of the national press, you can't raise money. So it's basically a lose-lose situation.

In January of 2007, I was in Muscatine, Iowa, in a house, and there must have been 50 neighbors in. It was 1:30 in the afternoon, and I gave my speech and noticed this elderly lady sitting at the kitchen table who was intently watching me, I mean intently, almost passionately. And so I gave my spiel, answered the questions, went around and shook hands afterward, and went up to see this woman. And she said, "You are really a good speaker." And I said, "Well, thank you. And I noticed you were really intently watching me." And she said, "Yes, I usually come to these events and I fall asleep. I just come to say I met the presidential candidates, but you make a lot of sense, and I really appreciate what you had to say." And she said, "My name is Mrs. Larson, and I'm 84 years old." And I said, "Well, Mrs. Larson, thank you. I'm wondering if I can get you to sign my endorsement card."

"Oooohhhh, no! I only met you once. I do not kiss on the first date."

I'm the only candidate that went to every county in Iowa, 99. And I didn't miss a week from January 1 until I dropped out in August. I should have spent my time in New Hampshire and Florida and South Carolina. I would have been much better off. But you don't know that. I just thought all the marbles were in Iowa.

John McCain bypassed Iowa, and spent all of his time on the popular vote in New Hampshire, and he got the bounce out of it. He did it the same way I should have done it.

I learned it's amazing what a body can go through, physically and mentally, if the goal is important enough for you to work for. Any time you work that hard and end up without achieving that success, it's very difficult. At least I wasn't going to have to spend every week in Iowa from there on.

It cost me personally a lot of money. Money I didn't have. I'm glad I did it, but I doubt if I'd ever do it again.

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