Vilsack to run in '08

Sorry for not posting this as soon as it broke this morning.

Iowa governor Tom Vilsack has launched his presidential run.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061109/NEWS09/611090409&lead=1

 

That was fast.
Hope he likes Manchester.

 

Bold prediction: Nobody with the word "sack" in his name will ever be elected president.

 

Do the Dems stay away from Iowa, like they did in 92, as a way of avoiding giving Vilsack the boost from winning his homestate?

 

Your Holiness --
Maybe some of them will, but John Edwards already is deeply committed there. He's stuck, I think.

 

So how has he been as governor?

 

Dixie, he's been kind of a mixed bag, but overall he has been a good manager over his two terms. He has gotten better during his second term. His first term was one to forget, with how Dept. of Human Services handled a high profile child abuse case, resulting in the death of the little girl, in which he had to step in and clean up. DHS still has some major problems today.

Vilsack has had some gaffes as well in-house. His office fought the Register over some email correspondence with how he hired his Econ Development director (who lost to Culver in the primaries). Register invoked the open record law, and Vilsack told them that he "didn't know how to use email." It was funny, but embarassing.

Overall, he's a decent guy and a good governor as long as he doesn't get flustered when pressed to put out some fires.

The big question with him throwing his hat in is 1992 when Harkin ran. I have friend who worked on Culver's campaign and he said that it's likely that the Dems will campaign in the caucus against him. If any candidate comes within 10 percentage points of him in the Iowa caucus, he could have problems, since everyone in his own state would rather take someone else than him.

Here is a synopsis of him, courtesy of the Register: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061109/NEWS09/311090004

 

Thank you. My exact thought. Presidents are named Bush and Clinton and Carter and Kennnedy and Buchanan; names that are authoritative. Not Vilsack.

President Vilsack. I don't think so.

 

Nothing says bland and middle of the road quite like a white guy from Iowa.

 

The one thing I can't find right now is the picture when he dressed up as Winnie the Pooh for the annual Spring Fling at Terrace Hill a few years ago. I get a good laugh out of it everytime I see it.

 

Sack up!

 

Obama?

Also, "Black people have names like Carl. White people have names like Lenny."