I'm an admitted fan of Romney but if I look over the political chess board this week I see an opportunity for Fred to land a serious blow to the other candidates. Thompson has indicated that he will announce his candidacy on Thursday avoiding the Wednesday night debate in NH. This has riled many in the field being seen as a ducking move... but there's a way that Fred could turn the tables on the rest of the field in a dramatic way. Here's what I see: WHAT DOES FRED NEED?

• Positive free press that will put him at the center of attention.
• A starting momentum that will carry him to the end of the year.
• "White-horse-like" positioning, coming to save the day.

WHAT FRED CAN DO:

Sunday night (Sept 2) send out a poll to online supporters indicating that he's getting pressure to attend the debate. The question: "Should I?" (email req'd for poll)

Publish the results on Monday and keep everyone guessing.

Tuesday, announce that you are going to the debate with an online video (need some unique twist here - perhaps a play on the old Clint Eastwood western standoff)

It's a risky move but it would improve the image that Fred is ducking the debates and would launch him to full-time candidate status in an innovative way.