Fred Thompson

Former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson, or New York District Attorney Arthur Branch for you "Law and Order" fans, announced his candidacy for the 2008 presidential election Wednesday night.

Thompson has been considering running for several months now, but never made any formal campaign announcement. For the time being, this might work to his advantage: the other Republican candidates have already discussed their platforms -- and faced criticism -- during several debates. Thompson has had the luxury of sitting back, observing the weaknesses of the other GOP candidates, and perfecting his campaign strategies.

A New York Times editorial describes the rationale behind Thompson's tactic: "Mr. Thompson’s approach was to avoid a formal announcement until well after his rivals were strutting and stumbling from the wings."

The article does go on to point out that the election is over a year away. The buzz around Thompson's campaign won't last forever.

But Thompson definitely has a fanbase, and it's not just made up of "Law and Order" diehards. In March, the Washington Post reported that Thompson was a favorite among Republican-leading voters, sitting behind McCain and Giuliani but ahead of Romney. Six months is an eternity in politics, but an interest in Thompson was once there. It could still be there.

Right now Thompson's main rivals are Giuliani and Romney; McCain doesn't seem to be as much of a threat anymore. Newsday reports that Thompson will have difficulty convincing Republicans that he is as strong as Giuliani when it comes to terrorism. The Thompson campaign has to convince conservatives "that Thompson is just as tough on terrorism, but with values and beliefs that conservatives say Giuliani lacks, on abortion, gun control and other issues."

Thompson seems less concerned with Romney, or is at least acting that way. The Thompson campaign has attacked Romney's conservative values as "evolving" when it comes to several issues.

So maybe Thompson will convince Republicans that he his political values are more conservative than Giuliani's or Romney's. But do voters, even Republican voters, want the "most conservative" candidate in 2008? I thought the era of partisan politic, far-right v. far-left, was at an end. Thompson should realize that being the "most Republican" might not make him the best candidate for the GOP.

More on Thompson:
Social conservatives see Thompson as a Reagan-like figure, but leading evangelicals aren't as excited.
Heated Giuliani-Thompson relations before Thompson announced his candidacy.