Thompson bows out of race quietly

Actor and former Sen. Fred Thompson abandoned his presidential campaign Tuesday, making an early exit from a race that he entered perhaps too late to gain traction in a crowded Republican field.

In his characteristically low-key manner, Thompson gave no news conference and stayed off television, preferring simply to e-mail a one-paragraph statement to reporters.

“Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of the United States,” Thompson said in the statement. “I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort.”

Thompson’s departure ended a campaign that may be best remembered for the candidate’s ambling pace and a series of missed opportunities.

With the Republican field splintered, Thompson had been urged to join the race last summer under the premise that the well-known actor-politician could unify social conservatives, economic conservatives and national security conservatives. But Thompson took his time, engaging in a long listening tour and months of planning. He didn’t enter until early September.

“I wish we would have been in the race in June instead of September,” said Rep. Zach Wamp, a fellow Tennessee Republican who backed Thompson’s candidacy. “When he hit his stride in December in Iowa and in January in South Carolina, a lot of people were already committed.”

Wamp said Thompson was hurt by the fact that “he’s not a political animal.” At the same time, Wamp said, Thompson had shown fire as the campaign went on. Wamp touted Thompson as a vice presidential candidate.

“I believe he would add a tremendous amount to the ticket,” the congressman said. “He is a very consistent conservative. As a running mate for a McCain or a Romney, he would bring geographical balance. He’s got presence. He’s got stature.”

Thompson has been widely expected to endorse Arizona Sen. John McCain, a longtime friend. But supporters said that Thompson had made no decision and that an endorsement was not expected soon.

It was unclear what effect Thompson’s departure would have on the race. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Tuesday that Thompson’s presence in the race had cost him the votes of some Christian conservatives in South Carolina’s GOP primary Saturday, where Huckabee placed second, behind McCain.

A Thompson spokesman said Tuesday that there were no plans for a news conference or other event to announce the departure, or to announce an endorsement. Supporters and one family member said Thompson’s mother, who lives outside Nashville, was ill and Thompson had been at her side the last two days.

When Thompson entered the race, he was at or near the lead in national polls. As a candidate, he slowly began to drop. A tall man who had a habit of looking down and showing audiences the top of his bald head, he could be unpolished and underwhelming on the stump.

His rivals moved quickly to grab constituencies Thompson needed. Huckabee won over social conservatives, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney bested Thompson for the support of economic conservatives. McCain revived his moribund campaign and claimed the national security issue as his own.

After a third-place finish in Iowa and even weaker performances in New Hampshire and Michigan, Thompson said he needed a strong showing in the first primary in his native South to stay in the race. But in that primary, in South Carolina, he finished a distant third behind McCain and Huckabee.

He had been expected to drop out immediately. But, unwilling to be rushed, he told South Carolina supporters: “It’s maybe too early to declare victory. We told our folks to vote late, so they’ll probably still be trickling in.”

The campaign stood out for Thompson’s attempts to run almost as the un-candidate -- a Southern gentleman who did not need the job or even want to run but who thought he could make a difference as president. Thompson, an experienced Washington lawyer and sometime lobbyist, showcased his contempt for conventional political rituals, scheduling few public events, refusing to wear hats given to him by supporters and declining to interrupt rivals during debates.

His responses to an Associated Press questionnaire displayed his devil-may-care attitude. His favorite possession? “Trophy wife,” he answered. (Jeri Thompson is 24 years younger than her husband.) Favorite thing to do on a “lazy day”? “Campaigning.”

“I’m not particularly interested in running for president,” he said during one campaign appearance in Iowa.

Thompson won praise for rolling out policy positions on difficult issues such as nuclear nonproliferation and the cost of entitlements. “He really became the standard-bearer for the conservative cause in this race on the major issues of the day,” Wamp said, “from immigration reform to global security to tax policy to entitlement reform.”

But management troubles and strategic missteps drew more headlines than his policies did. He went through two staff shake-ups before he formally entered the race, and there were reports of advisors clashing with his wife, a Republican operative who helped run the campaign.

His entrance into the race drew more coverage than anything else he did. He made it official during an appearance on NBC’s “The Tonight Show.”

His departure was quiet.

His rivals’ statements about his exit were longer than his own.

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joe.mathews@latimes.com