There has been a boomlet as of late for former US Senator Fred Thompson's candidacy for President. Much of the interest in Thompson can be directly connected to conservative dissatisfaction over the top three contenders. So, is Thompson the moderate conservative that Republicans can rally around. Probably not for a few reasons.

Yes, there is still space in the Republican field for a late entrant to make a difference. But in order to do that, you need a candidate who has universal name appeal and can raise money quick. Let's face it, in today's political environment, you need money and organization to win the nomination. Some think that it will take $100 million just to win the nomination! That is the major hinderance Thompson will face. It is simply too late to enter the race. The Senator hopes that using the internet to spread the word about his candidacy and raise cash will work for him, much like it did for Howard Dean 3 years ago. However online politics has limitations: politics is still all about pressing the flesh, tv ads, and working the newspaper boards. Online politicking is used by younger voters, but older voters still rely on traditional means to get the word out about their candidacies--and older voters vote more...

That said, Thompson is articulate, calm and reassuring. He can certainly play the role of President, and if he gets some positive press going, he might be able to make a difference in the race. However, he is going to need to be more aggressive if he expects to mount an insurgent campaign. While Giuliani, McCain, and Romney, the big 3, have some significant negatives, they still have a monopoly on news coverage, money, endorsements, and organization.