Tom Vilsack running for president in 2008 (PING: Iowa Folks)
 

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/....ap/index.html

Democratic governor of Iowa.

Anyone know anything about this guy?

I've posted about him in a couple previous threads (that I'm too lazy to dig up). I'm a fan.

I think Vilsack's biggest asset is his personal history (because I believe that matters a lot in presidential elections). He was an orphan who was adopted and raised by a Roman Catholic family in PA. He is self-made, became a lawyer in Iowa, mayor of Mt. Pleasant, IA, and the first democrat governor in Iowa in 30 years. He is an effective speaker, generally worked well with an opposing state congress, and has very few black marks. He is also is the head of the DLC which Clinton used to become president. I think being a governor from a Midwestern state is also very helpful as the Democrats will do much better with a Midwest strategy rather than a Southern one.

In interviews he's about as exciting as corn.

He has a funny-sounding name. Strike two.

Was the first strike his interviewing skills or that John Galt was a fan?

:D

Specifically, he sounds like he is a pickle. I agree that, sadly, that is a big stumbling block.

:p

Corn and now pickles? You guys are making me hungry.

Here are some Youtube videos if people are interested in seeing him speak:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=DxE7v5auHQA
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OitBaCtUecM
http://youtube.com/watch?v=C9ulFKlpY7s

As I said, I think he is an "effective" public speaker. He is not the best, but generally above average. As are current president has shown, excellent public speaking is not a prerequisite for the job.

30 minutes from now . . .

LUNCH COUNTER LADY: What'll you have Jon?

JONATHAN EZARIK: Corn and Pickles! A big plate of 'em!

LUNCH LADY: What!?

JONATHAN EZARIK: Or pickled corn if you have it. Whatever. I'm easy.

:)

Yeah, but some people will think the name is Tom Sellick.

If he changes to Tom Nutsack, then I'm down.

From the clips... he's not a great speaker, but I wouldn't exactly call him horrible, either.

'Sack in 08

Show Me
Some
'Sack

His name is far from the worst among the potential Democratic candidates.

Teabag the Republicans
Vote 'Sack in '08

I'm a republican that could someday vote for a moderate democrat. What do you dem's think of Bayh from Indiana? I've heard him speak a number of times and I liked what I heard. Especially concerning his thoughts on national security.

I feel sorry for him because he seems like a very genuine person, an intelligent guy and a noble public servant who has absolutely no chance at doing anything except making the Iowa caucus irrelevant. All that will do is make the New Hampshire primary even more vital since most of the more notable names will bypass Iowa completely due to the fact that they will gain no momentum or exposure from campaigning there.

I think Vilsack fits into a range of Midwestern governors who will probably enter the presidential race with a more realistic shot at the vice presidency. Bayh in Indiana and Sebelius in Kansas are two more names that will be on a VP short list. I think Bayh could be a sleeper to break out of the pack for the top slot on the ticket, but it depends who else enters the race.

Apparently, he's also happy about Canada's "new" 24 hour clock. Check out the end of the clip at hxxp://home.comcast.net/~wwwstephen2/iowa.mpg.

Vilsack will eventually have to answer up for a scandal that faded during the election build-up. That's the statewide labor agency that was paying non-college educated bureaucrats several hundred thousand dollars in salary and then piling on that much again in bonuses.

Personally, I'd love Bayh. He was great as Gov. of Indiana, but I fear he'd be more likely as a VP.

Well, that was fun.

Yeah, no money and no name pretty much did him in. Oh well.

By pulling out now he demonstrates a sense of fiscal responsibility and realism that makes me wish that he were president . . .

Oh well.

I think a sense of realism would have kept him out of the race to begin with.

So, we're down to Hillary vs Barack Hussein Obama vs John Edwards like that already? That sucks.

That's where you were before today's announcement anyway.
(actually, I think you've got one too many in the list, as it's a two horse race)

And people wonder why we can't find any good presidents.

We really need to get away from the primary system.

So much for any chance of me voting Democratic in '08.

Biden is still in the race, isn't he? And Dodd, Kucinich. Possibly others still.

Then there's the rumor that Gore will announce his candidacy during the acceptance speech if "An Inconvenient Truth" wins the Best Documentary Oscar.

Kucinich isn't in the race to win

There is also still Richardson, who I had forgot about earlier.

Richardson would be the best choice, so naturally, he isn't going to win ;).

Do you really think so? I would like to hear you expand on this, if you don't mind. Not that he won't win, but he would be the best choice.

It all worked out for him in the end:

Former Gov. Vilsack claims $150,000 Powerball prize

God I love underdog stories.