Thompson's exit may lift Huckabee

CORAL BEACH, Fla. — Fred Thompson, an actor and the former senator from Tennessee, dropped out of the Republican race for president Tuesday after a third-place primary showing Saturday in South Carolina, a state he had hoped to win.

In a characteristically low-key manner, Thompson gave no news conference, preferring to e-mail a one-paragraph statement: "Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort."

His withdrawal came three days after he delivered a rambling speech Saturday that signaled his departure was imminent. Aides said it was delayed because he went to Tennessee to tend to his mother, who was ill.

Thompson's advisers said he would not make an endorsement in the race.

His decision would seem potentially to help Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, who has competed for many of the same conservative voters that Thompson sought to appeal to. Huckabee said Tuesday he might have come in second in South Carolina because Thompson had siphoned off much of his support, permitting Sen. John McCain of Arizona to win.

Thompson, 65, perhaps best known for his role as the gruff district attorney on NBC's "Law & Order," rode into the campaign powered by the high hopes of conservative Republicans disappointed with the field of candidates. Conservatives hoped Thompson could rally conservatives behind him; instead he brought a phlegmatic style to the campaign trail, and his candidacy never took off, though when he entered the race, in September, he was at or near the lead in national polls.

He ruminated for many weeks about whether to run. By the time he entered, much of the buzz had dissipated. His speaking style swung between folksy and laconic, to the point of sleepy.

"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, and he touted Thompson as a vice-presidential candidate. "I believe he would add a tremendous amount to the ticket," the congressman said.

Thompson, an experienced Washington lawyer and sometime lobbyist, showcased his contempt for political rituals, scheduling few public events, refusing to wear hats given him by supporters and declining to interrupt rivals during debates.

He also drew considerable criticism for his flagging energy; some of his walking tours lasted just 10 or 15 minutes, and he often took few questions.

He drew just 1 percent of the vote in New Hampshire and finished fifth in Michigan.

Material from the Los Angeles Times and The Associated Press is included in this report.