oh, the reason would be that john mccain was a crappy candidate, and even Sarah Palin couldn't save him.
Bingo--I would have had no reservations voting for Thompson had he made it that far.
So what's the reason? Where do we put the blame, if any is to be given? Frankly, I'm more of the, "fix the problem, not the blame" type of mentality.
Here's one thing wrong as I see it--primary season. Every damned state was moving up dates, screwing everyone else over, making claims of disenfranchisement, etc., etc...
I really don't want to be choosing a party candidate when the election is a year away. It's not necessary. From the time NH had the "first" primary in 1952 until today, the primary has gone from mid-March to January 8th. The 8th?
Candidates who didn't do well in states where they might not have been expected to do well were screwed. IOW, the "firewall" strategy used by Thompson and Guiliani backfired on them badly. They waited until it was too late.
Here's my idea: Four "super" days of states with roughly equal numbers of delegates. Every other Tuesday starting the first Tuesday in April, with the last one coming just before Memorial Day. Therefore, for 2012, the primary days would look something like this:
Group 1--April 10th
Group 2--April 24th
Group 3--May 8th
Group 4--May 22nd
Groups rotate every four years, with Group 4 going to Group 1 next, then 2, then 3. State legislatures which do not abide by these rules will not be allowed to seat delegates at the national convention. This way the media hype, campaigning, fundraising, etc., is a bit more even.
Just a thought.
That being said, Palin is going to be a force to be reckoned with. The RINO's screwed her over and she ain't one to take that kind of crap ever.