Wake Forest, NC:

On a stunning spring day on the campaign trail in North Carolina, I chatted up Fred Thompson who was on the stump for the first time since dropping out, campaigning for John Mccain. McCain was giving a speech at Wake Forest University on judicial conservatism (see earlier post.)
When I asked Thompson if he experienced any ‘crash’ or difficulty readjusting to the pace of a slowed down normal life after his campaign, he paused, grinned and with a twinkle in his eye said:

“That’s one of the advantages of the way I campaigned”

He winked and joked that you don’t have to make that many adjustments.

I laughed out loud, and reminded Thompson that he and I have history together with him dissing his own candidacy in front of an open mike, he laughed and barked amiably:

“Who cares?”

Back before the NH primary as Thompson and I waited for FNC to take our interview live after his remarks to the famed “Politics and Eggs” breakfast, I joked to the producers that we were keeping the ‘next president’ waiting too long and we should go live quickly.

Thompson quipped for all to hear that HE too had a busy schedule.

Reporters took it as proof that Thompson was not a serious candidate.

In fact, Thompson both then, and again today, was attempting a self deprecating joke. It’s funny in all sorts of ways.