Enter Mr. Thompson

FORMER Tennessee senator Fred Thompson enters the 2008 presidential race at a time when the state of the campaign is unsettled and many Republican voters appear less than fully satisfied with their choices. Mr. Thompson has been testing the presidential waters for so long that, as Jay Leno noted when Mr. Thompson arrived on his show to make his announcement, he may be "starting to get a bit wrinkly." Whether he blundered in waiting to launch his candidacy, and whether missteps and staff changes in the lengthy run-up will result in long-term problems, it's clear that Mr. Thompson's formal arrival has the potential to shake up the GOP race. The notion that he's jumped in too late strikes us as wrongheaded; most voters have scarcely begun to focus on 2008. In any event, it would be a shame if the only people who could credibly run for president are those who have been going nonstop for the past year or two.
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