Could one Southern state define the 2008 presidential election?

There's been some interesting movement of late in the Republican Party to draft former Tennessee U.S. Senator and actor Fred Thompson to run for president in 2008. Although he won't say for sure if he's running, he has not ruled it out and appears to be testing the waters (and that's an understatement). In a recent straw poll at a county GOP caucus in Georgia, Thompson got more votes than all other candidates combined. All kinds of speculation and crazy rumors have been flying around Tennessee, including one about some sort of deal in the works between Thompson and McCain.

Meanwhile, there has been a "draft Gore" (sometimes called "reelect Gore") movement since 2001, but it is gaining strength on Al Gore's newfound celebrity. He, too, says he is not running, but he's coy about it (recall his "announcement" that was cut off by the "wrap it up" music at the Oscars). Similar to Thompson, Al Gore has been moving up in any polls that mention him. Many pundits believe the nomination is his if he wants it. Some speculate that he's biding his time, waiting for Clinton and Obama to beat each other up, and then come riding in to save the day for the Democrats.

I have speculated for several months that the eventual nominees for both parties are flying below the radar and not among the high-profile candidates currently being discussed. Could Fred Thompson and Al Gore be those candidates?

And, do you suppose national Democrats would pay more attention to the South if the GOP and the Democratic nominees were both from the Great State of Tennessee? The South would be center stage in the national spotlight. Wouldn't that be something?

Labels: Election 2008, Southern Politics