Alexander says voter fatigue will help Thompson

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), a strong supporter of GOP presidential candidate and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, said that voter fatigue would help the latest entry into the race for the Republican nomination.

“I think people are going to be tired of the candidates before New Year’s Day at the rate we are going,” Alexander said in a HillTube interview. “Fred is going to be a fresh face and they are going to be less fresh.”

{mosads}Many observers have argued that Thompson is entering the race too late, even though he has been running a de facto campaign. With a frontloaded primary schedule and massive amounts of money already raised, they contend the “Law & Order” star will not have enough time to make up ground, even though he has seen strong support in national polls.

Alexander praised Thompson’s sense of timing and touted his conservative credentials, which the candidate hopes will give him a boost from the GOP base.

In addition, Alexander defended Thompson’s decision to declare his candidacy officially in early September, just ahead of the issuance of the status report on Iraq, rather than in August, where Thompson could have dominated cable news coverage.

“In August, nobody is paying attention,” Alexander said.