Reality Check

When Tancredo Is On His 'A Game,' People Listen

Tancredo Vows To Fight On In Presidential Bid, Despite Uphill Battle

(CBS4) Colorado Congressman and presidential hopeful Tom Tancredo will be present for the Iowa straw poll, despite the fact that he is considered a long shot in the presidential race.

Tancredo is vowing to fight on no matter what the poll shows.

"Tom Tancredo is the master of the moment. I can't remember the last time a candidate with so little money and no chance of becoming president has been so good at getting media play," Raj Chohan says in his latest Reality Check, which follows:

• Sourcing: Campaign money raised so far: opensecrets.org

Chohan: "For example, Coloradans have known for some time that Tancredo thinks the U.S. can deter islamic nuclear terrorism by simply threatening to annihilate muslim holy sites in response. But it came up again recently on the campaign trail, and Tancredo embraced yet another opportunity to become international news."

Tancredo (speaking during a recent debate): "And that means to deter -- and I want to underline "deter" -- any kind of aggression, especially the type we are threatened with by Al Qaida, which is nuclear attack."

Chohan: "Here's the spin. Even if Tancredo believes such a high stakes bluff would work, no thoughtful diplomat, foreign policy expert or any other person in a position of responsibility takes him seriously. In fact most have branded his comments reckless and irresponsible."

• Articles on Tancredo's "Bomb Mecca" Comments: foxnews.com | rockymountainnews.com | netscape.com | breitbart.com

Reality Check Continues...

Chohan: "So why do we keep listening?"

Tancredo (speaking in a campaign commercial): "Friends we are losing our country. More than 15 million illegal aliens have invaded our land."

Chohan: "We keep listening in part because when Tancredo is on his A-game, that is, when he's talking about illegal immigration he strikes a chord that resonates. He says things many Americans agree with: sealing the border and getting tough on employers who hire illegal immigrants, even deportation. That's the message Tancredo supporters love to hear. But you have to wonder, if Tancredo has no chance of becoming president, and he doesn't, what's in it for him?"

Tancredo (speaking in a campaign commercial): "I am in the race of course to win it; I am also in the race to advance a series of ideas and issues."

Chohan: "The truth is a national platform is what's in it for Tancredo. If he were just sitting back in congress, in the minority party he likely wouldn't get near the attention he's getting right now. His fiery independence and scrappy willingness to speak his mind have made him likable in an odd sense and his hardline stance may well have moved the entire immigration debate to the right."

Tancredo (speaking in a campaign commercial): "I'll make English our official language, and never ever give amnesty to illegal aliens."

Chohan: "Tancredo has been more than willing to pay a price to get his ideas out there. He's become something of a cartoon character, providing entertainment value, someone you prick up your ears to listen to just to hear what he'll say next. But when the primary season cranks into gear and the serious candidates separate from the sideshow, Tancredo's fate will almost certainly be that of an also-ran; which is why he really has no choice but to make the most of the moment. Truth is, no one's done a better job of doing that than Tom Tancredo."

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