Thompson's Record Doesn't Speak for Itself

Why is Tommy Thompson barely a blip on the presidential campaign radar screen when he has what is arguably the best resume for the job? The  HHS secretary and former governor has plenty of ideas and an impeccable record as a welfare reformer. But buzz and bucks are what count, Jonathan Martin observes, and that's what Giuliani and Romney have.

The former governor illustrates the triumph of media popularity over substance. “First comes biography, then comes viability, then comes issues,” explains consultant Dan Shnur. And speaking of viability, don't forget that Thompson's war chest contains a fraction of those of his rivals. "Big ideas don't cut the big checks," Martin writes. (More Tommy Thompson stories.)