Pollster John Zogby went through his quick take on the leading presidential candidates during his talk last week at the Association of Washington Business conference. I wasn't able to post on it at the time, but I was particularly struck by his dismissal of Fred Thompson as a serious contender for the GOP nomination. As he made his way though the pros and cons of each candidate, Zogby said:

Fred Thompson. This will not take long. I don't see it. I don't see it, I've never seen it. He's finally announced. He's received a bounce in the polls.

Pros: He has an impressive resume. He comes from a good state. He's very tall. You'll recall that John Kerry was very tall as well. He also has some leading Bush consultants working for him.

Cons: You know, I love it when these guys go out there and compare themselves to Ronald Reagan. ... Don't even bother comparing yourself. Ronald Reagan alive was not even Ronald Reagan today. ... You lose in comparison. Don't go down that road unless you can really match the real thing. And Fred Thompson is not the real thing.

I'm sorry if there any Thompson buttons out there. It is a very dull campaign speech. He has given little reason for running. He wants a small government. Yeah. Who's the big government candidate in the primaries? You know? He's fallen short on fundraising. Watch for the Freddie Fizzle.

Let me just tell you on a very personal note. If he should go places in this campaign, I want his job on Law and Order because for 12 seconds a week I get to open a door and say: 'I think you're going to have to find more evidence Jack. That's how the system works.'

It was not a bad imitation of Thompson as Arthur Branch.

Now, if Fred Thompson is elected president, this was only for entertainment purposes.