Thompson will endorse McCain, save the GOP?Here's my thinking:
1) Huckabee wins Iowa over Romney. Huckabee's lead is blunted because of Thompson's lingering conservative support.
2) Romney's loss in Iowa means his support drops in NH.
3) Neither Huckabee nor Romney can win a general election matchup against the Dems.
4) McCain narrowly eclipses Romney in NH. Therefore, both Huckabee and Romney are both done (yet soldier on).
5) South Carolina is split almost evenly between McCain, Romney, Thompson, Huckabee, and Giuliani. As a result, Huckabee, Thompson, and Romney drop out.
6) Thompson endorses his old friend, McCain. Huckabee follows suit. Romney stays neutral. It's now a McCain-Giuliani race for the nomination.
7) Conservatives (grugingly) coalesce around McCain. He wins the GOP nomination.
8) Hillary doesn't have a chance against McCain. Running against a national headwind, McCain keeps the WH for the GOP.
9) Pres. McCain replaces Justices Stevens and Ginsberg with reliable (90% ?) conservatives -- giving us a conservative majority on the SCOTUS for a whole generation.
http://redstate.com/blogs/sandiego92108/2007/dec/10/thompson_will_endorse_mccain_save_the_gop