Posted by Michael Tackett at 10:57 am CST
Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, billing himself as the keeper of small-town values and virtues, became the first Democrat to formally announce that he wanted to be the next president of the United States.
In the pleasant setting of Mt. Pleasant Iowa, where Vilsack once was mayor, the governor ticked off a list of accomplishments during his tenure, from education to energy independence, that he hopes will find a warm embrace among Democrats who might be seeking the hotter candidates like Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and Hillary Clinton of New York.
His entry into the race creates immediate complications for his home state, which traditionally kicks off the presidential nominating process with its increasingly less quaint precinct caucuses. Some contenders will choose to campaign there to show they can knock off Vilsack and thus prove their broad appeal. Others are likely to avoid the caucuses altogether and head straight for New Hampshire. That's what happened in 1992, when Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), decided he needed to get his presidential ambitions out of his system.
Vilsack enters the race with limited name recognition outside his state, no obvious base to build upon and uncertain prospects when it comes to raising the tens of millions of dollars he will need to compete.
That said, a heartland governor probably should not be underestimated, almost precisely because the expectatons for his competitors are almost impossibly high.
He has a good log cabin story to go with this public record, having been orphaned in his native Pennsylvania, rising above many hardships. And he did have the nice backdrop of a small town in Iowa to launch his campaign.
But as just one measure of his challenge. As he was speaking, MSNBC was going live with correspondent John Harwood in Mt. Pleasant....to talk about the presidential run of Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
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Comments
If where you live helps you as president I would like to throw my hat into the ring also. I promise to bring the south back to the folds of the democrats. I also would like to say the catch
phrases that somehow wow Americans voters. Family Values.....I would like to leave the values to the families as their responsability
and have the politicians to do the business of the country.
Posted by: bill r. | November 30, 2006 11:07 AM
The popular opinion of MSM is to write-off the candidacy of Tom Vilsack before it really gets started. He has been a very successful Democratic governor in a primarily Republican state for two terms. It might be enlightening to review the rise of Harold Huges, a Democratic Governor of Iowa from l963 to l969, who then went on to serve as a Senator from l969 to l975 and was even considered a possible candidate for the Presidency. Hughes had a less than stellar background but was an outstanding governor and very effective Senator. The personal values and fairness in politics shared by the two reflect those values and fairness desired by many of the U.S. citizenry, and especially middle America.
Posted by: Phyllis Curry | November 30, 2006 11:25 AM
Can you say a Clinton move. He will give way to her in Iowa
Posted by: Dale Peters | November 30, 2006 11:57 AM
Vilsack already announced was running for president, on November 8th. He's already appointed a presidential campaign staff, and has a Vilsack for President website up and running. So why is this second announcement, three weeks later, news?
Posted by: Bruce | November 30, 2006 12:47 PM
"Others are likely to avoid the caucuses altogether and head straight for New Hampshire. That's what happened in 1992, when Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), decided he needed to get his presidential ambitions out of his system."
We need to s%#@ can the current creeping primary scheme and go to a national primary day.
My primary vote has never counted for anything.
How about yours?
If you vote after so called 'Super Tuesday' it counts for almost nothing.
Posted by: c.morris | November 30, 2006 4:29 PM
Man, nobody cares about this guy.
Posted by: c.morris | December 1, 2006 5:49 PM