From the Mufreesboro, Tennessee Daily News Journal, which seems to have assigned a reporter to the Thompson campaign:

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Fred Thompson began caucus day by urging his supporters to “shock the world” at Thursday night’s events. Thompson’s plea to a raucous crowd of more than 200, who chanted “Fred, Fred, Fred,” came as the campaign fended off what they saw as dirty tricks. Thompson and key staff members denied news accounts quoting unnamed sources or no sources at all that Thompson was planning to drop out of the GOP race after the caucuses and support Arizona Sen. John McCain. Also, Thompson backers in Iowa reported receiving phone calls in which a person played audio of Thompson saying he did not have “fire in the belly” to be president. Finally, to counter rumors he was not able to raise money, spokesman Darrel Ng, released a statement that the actor and former Tennessee senator had raised $1.9 million in the the past three weeks, which included the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

If Thompson finishes a weak fourth instead of a strong third, I’m not sure how he gets traction anywhere, even South Carolina. But who knows? There has been one whole heck of a lot of movement in these last few days — just yesterday, you’ll recall, Zogby wrote of a “late-breaking surge” for Thompson. And I still have the feeling that loads of voters want to support Fred–if only he can assure them that he actually wants the job. And now there he is, fighting hard and honorably against slick opponents and very long odds, waging, for the last three weeks, one of the gutsiest campaigns of recent decades.

If the good Republicans of Iowa want a candidate to whom they can give not only their votes but their hearts, Fred Thompson has become their man. Has the Thompson campaign had the resources to say so? To reach enough voters to assure a third place finish? Maybe not.

But then again, maybe.

And in the meantime, the big man from Tennessee is still in this to fight.