MyDD :: Tom Vilsack's Endorsement Of Hillary Clinton

Tom Vilsack's Endorsement Of Hillary Clinton

by robliberal, Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 12:15:04 PM EST

Tom Vilsack has sent out an endorsement email for Hillary Clinton which details the reasons he is supporting her.

http://bluesunbelt.com/showDiary.do?diar yId=329

Deadline March 31

Dear xxx,

I'm not someone to play coy about my intentions. When I make a decision, I go all in and follow through. Hillary Clinton has the same determination, and it is something I have always admired.

When I first ran for governor of Iowa in 1998, many people didn't give me much of a chance. But not Hillary. She told me she'd do everything she could do to help, and she followed through. She stood by my side, and Iowa is better for it. She helped ignite the spark that changed Iowa from a red state to a blue state.

By standing with Hillary now we'll help show that we are strong enough to win back the White House -- and America will be stronger and better for it.

Please join me and Christie and help Hillary make a strong showing before the March 31 deadline:

http://www.hillarycl...

Christie and I plan on spending the next 10 months helping Hillary win the Iowa caucuses and the other states necessary to win the Democratic nomination -- and after that, the White House in 2008.

I am proud to do it because of all the candidates running, she has the best ideas, the most energy, and the values and vision to lead our country in the right direction after eight long years of George W. Bush.

She's going to put an end to the war in Iraq. She's going to make sure every American has access to affordable health care. She's going to make us energy secure. And I know she'll put children and families first -- she has fought for them for decades.

Today, Christie and I made a contribution to Hillary's campaign, and we did it for two reasons. First, we believe in her campaign. And second, the critical March 31 FEC deadline is just five days away.

We must show the magnitude of the grassroots support for this campaign in the next five days. I hope you'll join us and make a contribution at this critical time:

http://www.hillarycl...

I just returned from my first real vacation in nine years, and I am ready to get back to work -- because we don't have time to wait.

This country wants real change.

That's why I announced I'm endorsing Hillary today, and that's why Christie and I are going to travel around our state and the country, introducing Hillary to our friends and talking to everyone we meet about why Hillary is the right choice for Iowa and America.

We're going to give this campaign everything we've got. Please join us and make your contribution before the March 31 deadline:

http://www.hillarycl...

I'm excited about joining this campaign. Thanks for your support.

Sincerely,

Tom Vilsack

Tags: hillary clinton, tom vilsack, iowa, 2008 elections, bluesunbelt.com (all tags)

Permalink :: 19 Comments :: Post a Comment

how many times (none / 0)

are you going to diary this?

even the Iowa papers don't think it will help.

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.d ll/article?AID=/20070323/NEWS09/70323034 /-1/politics

they specifically mention that Harkin endorsed Dean and say that Harkin was much more popular than Vilsack

McCain - a serial Opportunist, from marriage to policy positions

by TarHeel on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 12:17:30 PM EST

Re: how many times (none / 0)

Each person has their own opinion but many analysts felt that Christie Vilsack's endorsement of Kerry in 2004 helped him win Iowa. Dean's endorsements by Gore and Harkin did not help him much because his campaign was already in the process of imploding. If a candidate stays steady endorsements and organization can help which is why every 2008 candidate is trying to get as many endorsements as they can.

BlueSunbelt.Com Netroots for the Sunbelt states robwire.com My personal blog

by robliberal on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 12:23:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: how many times (none / 0)

How was Dean's campaign already imploding when Gore endorsed him?

Join us at Show Me Progress!

by clarkent on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 12:38:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: how many times (none / 0)

Voters in both IA and NH were already starting to gravitate toward other candidates and endorsements did not stop that trend. Iowa voters were looking at Kerry and Edwards and New Hampshire voters were looking at Clark.

BlueSunbelt.Com Netroots for the Sunbelt states robwire.com My personal blog

by robliberal on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 12:49:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: how many times (none / 0)

Not sure what you're talking about. Dean surged in the polls (nationally, in Iowa, AND in New Hampshire) after the Gore endorsement in early December of 2003.

If your point is that Gore's endorsement should have made a difference in the outcome, but ultimately didn't because of reasons unrelated to the relative value of endorsements, I generally agree with you.

Join us at Show Me Progress!

by clarkent on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 01:27:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: how many times (none / 0)

Dean got a temporary bounce in the polls but Kerry in IA and Clark in NH were already gaining traction with voters. Voters were moving toward resume candidates with national security focus.

BlueSunbelt.Com Netroots for the Sunbelt states robwire.com My personal blog

by robliberal on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 01:54:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: how many times (none / 0)

The campaign did "implode" because the media absolutely destroyed Dean in Iowa right before the caucuses. (And inflated Edwards and Kerry.)

by justinh on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 03:55:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: An quote from the article: (none / 0)

..."Of greater value to Clinton may be the endorsement of Vilsack's wife, Christie. She is a better campaigner than her husband and could prove helpful to Clinton in convincing women who have never participated in caucuses to turn out on caucus night for the senator."

I think the quote speak for itself.

by meliou2 on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 12:27:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A quote from the same article: (none / 0)

I think the quote speak for itself.

by meliou2 on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 12:30:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Really good point by Yepsen about expectations (none / 0)

After pointing out that there isn't much of an upside to Vilsack's endorsement of Clinton (he couldn't even convince many Iowans to support HIM, let alone anyone else), the Des Moines Register's David Yepsen says:

The downside to Vilsack's endorsement is it raises expectations about Clinton.

Winning caucuses is always a process of doing better than the political community "expects." When media and political people hear Vilsack has endorsed Clinton, they'll think she must be doing quite well in Iowa. After all, if she's got the endorsement of the former governor, how can she lose, right?

Easy. Since he can't deliver anyone but himself, she'll have to earn the rest on her own. Yet by endorsing her, he just raises the informal threshold the political community sets for what constitutes a Clinton "win."

If she fails to meet it, you'll hear comments like "she had Vilsack's endorsement and finished only third? That's pretty weak."

Should that happen, her national status as the front-runner will take a hit.

John Edwards 2008

by MeanBoneII on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 12:31:15 PM EST

Re: Tom Vilsack's Endorsement Of Hillary Clinton (none / 0)

Vilsack and his wife will work hard for Hillary. I also think Hillary was really smart to hire
former Harkin Chief of Staff, Jodee Winterhof, to lead her Iowa operation.

Click link to see the President and First Ambassador in 2009.
http://photos.signonsandiego.com/gallery 1.5/albums/bushinaug/clintons.jpg

by marasaud on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 01:02:56 PM EST

Re: Tom Vilsack's Endorsement Of Hillary Clinton (none / 0)

one word to describe Vilsack's presidential run (3+ / 0-)

FRAUD

His entire run was as a stalking horse for Hillary,
here was his assignment

If possable take Iowa off the table,circa 1992,
Hillary was a huge favorite before Obama and one main worry was Iowa and an Edwards win, Vilsack would win Iowa and no one would care, Hillary would have one less obstacle to her steamroller.

When no 1 looked like it wasn't going to happen
his mission was to go overtly anti-war and split Hillary's anti-war vote, in disgusting display he becomes the most anit-war candidate of all, althe while knowing he was going to back the most pro-war of the 3 main contenders for the nomination,

When 1 and 2 fail, just endorse Hillary in Iowa and help out that way adding a few more establiishment types to the Hillary machine, I don't
begrudge anyone for running for president but Vilsack upon further anylasis looks like a real scumbag in retrospect

Obama! because 51% isn't enough!

by nevadadem on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 02:06:07 PM EST

Re: Tom Vilsack's Endorsement Of Hillary Clinton (none / 0)

He will prove irrelevent if Hillary Clinton doesn't become the winner.

by olawakandi on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 02:10:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Tom Vilsack's Endorsement Of Hillary Clinton (none / 0)

Vilsack had built by far the best organization in Iowa, ahead of all other candidates. He will be bringing that along with him, as well as his very popular wife. The endorsement itself is not that big of a deal, but the lasting organizational effect and the high-profile campaigning both Vilsack and his wife will engage in in the state. She was already moving slightly ahead in the state, this should further that trend.

If someone is afraid of "expectations" being high, they should not get into a presidential race. A true leader aspires to high expectations of him/her.

by georgep on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 02:48:48 PM EST

Re: Tom Vilsack's Endorsement Of Hillary Clinton (none / 0)

The "best organization in Iowa"? Not so sure about that. Maybe the "expected to have best organization in Iowa" would be more accurate. His campaign never really took off though and he ended it a mere 3 months after announcing.

From all indications such as how most of county chairs are leaning to Edwards and Obama and Edwards listing of former Vilsack supporters endorsing him, its hard to see that much of his support will follow him due to his endorsement alone.

by okamichan13 on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 03:09:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Tom Vilsack's Endorsement Of Hillary Clinton (none / 0)

I went with the information in this article:

http://www.nysun.com/article/51145

Mr. Vilsack, who dropped out of the Democratic presidential field last month, may not be a household name outside Iowa, but he has strong political support in his home state.

One of Mr. Vilsack's biggest backers, Gordon Fischer, a one-time chairman of the state Democratic Party, said if the governor's grassroots organization gets behind Mrs. Clinton, her ground operation will see an instantaneous boost.

" Governor Vilsack has a significant organization, having run for governor twice before and having started to run for president," Mr. Fischer said. "I think he can really help a candidate by loaning or lending his organization. That may be the main benefit."

Mr. Fischer added: "We have 2,000 precincts in Iowa, and there's a caucus in every single precinct. [b]He was way ahead of any other candidate in terms of lining up county chairs and precinct chairs."[/b]

by georgep on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 10:27:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Tom Vilsack's Endorsement Of Hillary Clinton (none / 0)

Rob Liberal:

Do you work for the Clinton Campaighn?

You are always posting everything you can to promote her candidacy.

by BDM on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 04:31:27 PM EST

Re: Tom Vilsack's Endorsement Of Hillary Clinton (none / 0)

I do not work for the Clinton campaign.

BlueSunbelt.Com Netroots for the Sunbelt states robwire.com My personal blog

by robliberal on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 04:51:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

rssrai wrote: (none / 0)

"Hillary has doomed herself"
__________