MyDD :: Vilsack to drop out of Pres. race

Vilsack to drop out of Pres. race

by Jerome Armstrong, Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:03:33 AM EST

From annatopia:

MSNBC just reported that former DLC Chairman Tom Vilsack will drop out of the Presidential race today. MSNBC says Vilsack will officially announce this in about 30 minutes.

There was just not a road beyond Iowa. Whoever lands John Norris will be the winner from Vilsack dropping out.

Tags: Tom Vilsack (all tags)

Permalink :: 21 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: Vilsack to drop out of Pres. race (none / 0)

Wow, I thought he never should have un in the first place to be honest and can't really see what he gained from being in it at all.

Mark

by Mark J. Bowers on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:08:06 AM EST

Re: Vilsack to drop out of Pres. race (none / 0)

Richardson.

Michigan For Edwards and Labor-Netroots for Edwards

by philgoblue on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:09:14 AM EST

Re: Vilsack to drop out of Pres. race (none / 0)

Yep. He has the most to gain from it because now he is the only governor in the race.

by Hellmut on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:24:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Vilsack to drop out of Pres. race (none / 0)

Unless Bayh decides to get back in but I think Bayh is aiming for the VP nod at this point

The Kentucky Democrat

by kydem on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 12:26:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Vilsack to drop out of Pres. race (none / 0)

Maybe, but who would take him... I don't see him as a good match for Edwards or Obama... HRC possibly, but I still think she is going to go with Rendell or Vilsack or someone from a swing state... After all, there is a much better chance of her taking HRC or Iowa than Indiana... even if Bayh is the VP. I just can't see him bringing Indiana to the Dems UNLESS he is the Pres nom.

Maybe he is gearing for a cabinet position.

http://www.imvotingrepublican.com/ McCain Sucks!

by yitbos96bb on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 12:33:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]

it's official (none / 0)

MSNBC is doing a segment on it right now. they are saying that vilsack felt he could not raise enough money to be competitive.

Visit us at TexasKAOS, where we're taking Texas back!

by annatopia on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:11:25 AM EST

Re: Vilsack to drop out of Pres. race (none / 0)

Will anyone notice? I mean even his support in Iowa was on the decline. Hey even I could have told him he wouldn't get serious media coverage, wouldn't be able to raise enough funds to have a chance.

by kundalini on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:36:45 AM EST

Re: Vilsack to drop out of Pres. race (none / 0)

Still was polling about 14%... I am curious to see what the polls look like now... who gets that 14%... HRC? Obama? Edwards? Richardson?

http://www.imvotingrepublican.com/ McCain Sucks!

by yitbos96bb on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 12:34:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Vilsack to drop out of Pres. race (none / 0)

it would be really interesting to see Vilsack challenge Grassley in 2010. really unlikely though. i think going from governor to senator feels like a step down.

"I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned."--John McCain

by lorax on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:49:35 AM EST

Re: Vilsack to drop out of Pres. race (none / 0)

I've heard the opposite... that Senator is actually the better position unless running for President... There are definately some that went this route... Allen did it, Bayh did it. I think the money is better plus the national exposure means some good lecture circuit opportunities in the future.

http://www.imvotingrepublican.com/ McCain Sucks!

by yitbos96bb on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 12:38:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Vilsack to drop out of Pres. race (none / 0)

Its hard to say where his 14% will go, because it feels like most of that 14% was just Iowans being loyal to their guy. Maybe it will be evenly split, who knows, but I do think it creates a little more of an opening for Richardson.
Vilsak was never gonna win, he was polling 4th in his own freaking state! Tom Harkin couldnt win in '92 and he won Iowa by a mile. Even so, Vilsak is young and relatively popular in Iowa so I would expect him to run for Senate someday soon. Perhaps Harkin really is gonna retire and Vilsak is our ace in the whole? Or perhaps he will challange Grassley (who is actually a decent bet to retire I think) in '10. Like Warner, time is on his side and now wasnt the right time.

by AC4508 on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 12:59:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Not really. (none / 0)

Governors and ex-Governors run for Senate all the time. If you're not running for President right away, it's often considered a logical step in furthering your political career.

Current or very recent Senators who used to be Governors include: Carper, Carnahan, Ashcroft, Allen, Bayh, Ben Nelson, Gregg, Bond, Voinovich, Alexander, Rockefeller...there have been plenty of others.

by brownsox on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 01:20:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

and then there were 37. -nt (none / 0)

by azizhp on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:56:43 AM EST

The next Iowa polls should be interesting. (3.00 / 1)

The last one -- Strategic Vision (Feb. 16-18) -- had it like this:

John Edwards 24%
Hillary Clinton 18%
Barack Obama 18%
Tom Vilsack 14%
Joe Biden 5%
Bill Richardson 3%
Wesley Clark 2%
Chris Dodd 1%
Dennis Kucinich 1%
Undecided 14%

John Edwards 2008

by MeanBoneII on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 12:24:43 PM EST

Re: The next Iowa polls should be interesting. (3.00 / 1)

I'm betting most of that 14% is gonna be split by Richardson, Clinton and Edwards (in that order).

by fwiffo on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 12:38:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The next Iowa polls should be interesting. (none / 0)

I got to think HRC or Richardson benefits the most in the next poll... Unless Vilsack endorses someone.

http://www.imvotingrepublican.com/ McCain Sucks!

by yitbos96bb on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 12:39:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

harkin can now endorse Obama (none / 0)

Harkin had endorse Vilsack he will now endorse obama

McCain - a serial Opportunist, from marriage to policy positions

by TarHeel on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 02:47:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

this is a big deal for iowa (none / 0)

This is a very big deal for the horserace in Iowa.

Vilsack actually had the potential to be competitive in Iowa as he'd become a safe harbor for activists who wanted to avoid having to committ to one of his competitors. Also, Vilsack had an absolutely dynamite Internet team.

My sense is that because of momentum you'll see Obama's numbers bump up a little bit (~4%), with Edwards (~3%) receiving a slightly smaller bump, and Clinton (~1%) on the trailing end.

Also, there's Stonyfield Farms CEO Gary Hirschberg of New Hampshire who endorsed Vilsack. He's a major activist and his support is now up for grabs. He endorsed Dean in '04, and has expressed preference for governors so expect him to look hard at Richardson.

by blueflorida on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 12:56:09 PM EST

It'll be interesting (none / 0)

to see who Hirshberg supports.

He may be running for the Senate in 2008, and so his fortunes in his own primary might be related to those of the candidate he backs.

by brownsox on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 01:22:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Where does his support go? (none / 0)

Unfortunately, I think most of it will go to Hillary. A lot of his support was probably based upon high name recognition in Iowa, because people who pay more attention to politics are more likely to say they would vote for someone from out of state. That will transfer to Hillary.

Hopefully I'm wrong.

by R2Dem2 on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 01:05:43 PM EST

Re: Vilsack to drop out of Pres. race (none / 0)

Regardless, I think it has now become time to put a cease fire on the McCain google bomb... or at least put it as a secondary thing right now. Its time to slime Guiliani... Yes, I think he isn't the big boogey man map changer the neocons seem to think he could be... afterall, Rudy has some big time baggage and once someone gets the ex wives talking, his sterling reputation will go down hill... plus, as long as HRC isn't the Nom... there are a lot of people in the west, south and midwest who simply don't like New Yorkers (especially from New York City) all that much.. kind of like the whole NE liberal thing... its irrational, but it does happen. Once a true campaign gets going against Rudy... Obama, Edwards, and Richardson will be able to tear Rudy apart.... Plus his lack of governmental experience takes that attack out of the general against Obama and Edwards... and opens him up to it in regards to Richardson.

And if, god forbid, I have to sit through another 4 years of the GOP, there are a LOT worse choices than Rudy... Better him than Romeny, Hagel, McCain, Brownback or Gingrich.

http://www.imvotingrepublican.com/ McCain Sucks!

by yitbos96bb on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 01:20:12 PM EST

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