Vilsack for V.P.? Depends On How The Caucuses Go
One of the biggest stakeholders in the January 3 Iowa caucuses is Tom Vilsack, the former Democratic Governor who was briefly an ’08 candidate himself.
Vilsack traveled extensively in 2005 and 2006 and formally declared his candidacy last November, only to abruptly drop out shortly thereafter and endorse Hillary Clinton.
It was a pragmatic move from an ambitious man: With the unexpected emergence of Barack Obama, Vilsack realized it would be nearly impossible to break through in a Democratic contest featuring two full-fledged political celebrities (Clinton and Obama) and a half-celebrity (John Edwards). Plus, he faced the prospect of a humiliating showing in his home state, where Democrats resented the potential impact of his favorite son status on the primacy of their first-in-the-nation caucus. So he endorsed Hillary, hoping for a shot at the Number Two slot on her ticket. (She sweetened the pot by helping him pay off $400,000 in debt.)
Obviously, an Iowa win would bolster the 57-year-old Vilsack’s standing with Hillary – and he’s willing to play the attack dog to help deliver one. But is he really V.P. material?
On paper, the answer is yes. He’s a moderate from a swing state – Iowa is one of just three states that switched its partisan allegiance between the 2000 and 2004 elections – and his gubernatorial experience would mesh with Hillary’s background in the Senate and White House.
But he’s also a truly uninspiring public performer who would do nothing to generate excitement for a Hillary-led ticket. And while his credentials are solid, it’s not like he offers an extraordinary personal biography or professional story that would instantly add credibility to the ticket. He’d be a competent, serviceable Vice-Presidential candidate who almost certainly wouldn’t affect the outcome one way or the other. Given the hostility she faces from nearly 50 percent of the electorate, Hillary would probably need more than that from her V.P. choice.
Of course, any Vilsack speculation probably won’t even matter if Hillary trips up in Iowa in two weeks.
- Poll
- Obama (D)
- McCain(R)
- Spread
- RCP Average
- 49.6
- 44.1
- Obama +5.5
- Candidate
- Favorable
- Unfavorable
- Spread
- Obama
- 54.9
- 36.1
- +18.8
- McCain
- 50.7
- 39.6
- +11.1
should hillary get the nomination, she'll pick wes clark to round out the ticket.
bank on it.
Steve,
The title of your post seems to say that if Hillary doesn't win Iowa, she'll still have a chance. She's dreaming.
Tom Vilsack is an extraordinary individual. I have heard him speak several times - and have been consistently impressed. He is articlate and smart and can be inspiring as well. And unlike what you say about his background, it is a compelling personal story with his having been adopted at a young age. He was the first Democratic governor of Iowa in decades and was recognized nationally as doing a great job. His wife, Christie, is an outstanding campaigner too - and has been used by the Clinton campaign both inside and outside of Iowa. In this instance, Azi, I disagree with your analysis.
No standing senator has won the White House in at least 80 years except JFK, which tells you something. Senators have become presidents, but only after serving as VP. Hillary definitely needs a Governor, or ex-governor on her ticket, but Vislak doesn't bring much to the table, especially because Iowa has few electoral votes. Her best choices would be 1. Bill Richardson, a fine governor in New Mexico, a former Cabinet member and ambassador to the UN with good credentials in the international community. As a southwest governor, he will carry weight in that valuable region of the sunbelt. And he's half Hispanic, charismatic and easy on the eye, even if he is overweight. The man has veritas. In fact, I wish he had gained enough traction to be the nominee.
My other choice would be Wesley Clark, who has executive experience as head of Nato troops in Europe, is a decorated soldier and as such would be a refreshing break in a war White House with nothing but draft dodgers. Bush is determined to dump Iraq on his Democratic successor so he can avoid being the one who pulled the plug on Iraq. He will leave office saying he was right to go to Iraq. Clark would be a tremendous military asset to Hillary. Both VP choices would complement Obama as well, and perhaps Edwards.
Tom Vilsack and Hillary get along because they are both motivated by the same objective. They run for office not because they want to make good decisions for the people of our nation, but because they don't want anyone else to be doing it either. Complete power greed. It's disgusting. Tom Vilsack didn't do a thing to help the state of Iowa and Hillary won't do anything to help the state of our country.