Run, John, Run! - The CPAC Speech

Thune's CPAC speech sounded very presidential today.

      A few observations...

• His inspirational speech highlighted his Midwestern values - "living in your means even if it means going without".
• He rebuked legislators who talk about values and become D.C. sellouts - "Our actions must match our words".
• He touched on a possible campaign message that he has been on the frontline fighting the Obama agenda while the other candidates have been on book tours and reality TV.

The full speech here...

Thune to Speak at CPAC Today!

The day has arrived!

Senator Thune will be giving his much anticipated CPAC address today at 1:30 ET. If you would like to watch live, register here for streaming.

I'll post the video of his speech as soon as it becomes available.

UPDATE: Awesome speech! At the beginning the crowd kept chanting "Run, John, Run" ... will post the video ASAP.

The Wadhams Effect

A friend brought to my attention this morning that Dick Wadhams is not going to seek reelection as Colorado GOP chairman. This is positive news for anyone betting on John Thune running (and winning) in 2012.

Wadhams was instrumental in John Thune's historic 2004 defeat of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle. He has previously worked on campaigns in South Dakota, Colorado, Montana, and Virginia.

This news is so unexpected the Colorado Democratic Speaker of the House tweeted that he was "speechless".

Maybe Mr. Wadhams is resigning to work on one more campaign: John Thune for President.

Video: Thune Decision in Weeks

Thune Faring Well in SD

Public Policy Polling is out with some new numbers showing Sen. Thune doing well in his home state of South Dakota. He leads the rest of the prospective 2012 pack by a 25% margin.

At face value, this seems expected coming from his "stomping grounds". However, when you look at the other contender's home state numbers, you see that Thune stands out.

For example, Sarah Palin only received 15% in Alaska, and Tim Pawlenty checked in at 24% in Minnesota.

The overall trend among the Republican candidates is that their home state electorates are unimpressed with them. Only Thune and Mitt Romney managed to break the 30% mark (37% and 47% respectively).

Video: Thune on Healthcare Repeal

Last night John Thune went On the Record about the Senate's Obamacare repeal vote.

UPDATE: Thune has also written an op-ed about healthcare repeal for Real Clear Politics.

Money Talks

We all know how big a factor money plays in Presidential elections - one of the biggest reasons Obama won in '08 was his ability to shatter fundraising records. So, it's no surprise that one of Candidate Thune's strengths is the deep pockets he already has.

The Politico Morning Score is predicting (as the FEC numbers roll in) that Thune will hold his title as the 2012 contender with the most money in the bank. They are betting that he will have around $7 million when his reports are disclosed. For comparison, the nearest candidate to him is Michelle Bachmann with $2 million.

 In order to face Obama in 2012, the Republican nominee will need to have the leadership, funds, and personality to beat him - things that Thune certainly brings to the table.