The Fred Thompson Pinata Has Ruptured

Fred made his departure official today, offering the following statement on his way out.

"Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States.  I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort.  Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people."

Fred's departure, following South Carolina, wasn't unexpected.  But now that it's official, which of the remaining candidates stands to collect the most former Fredheads?  With the Florida primary looming, Fred's 7-12% support in that state could easily swing the result is such a tight race.  On average, McCain leads Romney and Giuliani by less than 4%, with Huckabee not far behind.

If Patrick Ruffini's unscientific poll is any indication, Mitt Romney might sweep up as many as 3 of every 4 Thompson supporters, offering a net bump of perhaps 5 points.

Of course any calculated impact could deviate wildly depending on whether and behind whom Thompson decides to throw his own support before next Tuesday.  But if he's angling for a VP offer and wants to boost his odds of picking the winner, we might not get that insight until after Florida.

Update:  Allah hauls out a more somber (yet equally holiday-centric) metaphor to mark the occasion -  the melting chocolate bunnies.

Update: Selena Zito makes the case that Thompson's withdrawal benefits Mike Huckabee most.