Get email updates from Western Democrat:

New? Start Here

The original idea that started it all: Let us look West, Democrats.

Also, learn more about Western Democrat and our contributors.

Topics

Politics & People

States

LEGAL STUFF

Copyright to and responsibility for all posts and comments are owned by their respective authors.

Obviously, the posts and comments here are the views of their authors, and not of anyone else.

While we're strong believers in free speech, we reserve the right to delete comment spam or other offensive material. Our contributors, however, reserve the right to embarass themselves in public.

GET YOUR FIX

WHOSE IDEA IS THIS?

This site is published by Kari Chisholm at Mandate Media, a political consulting and internet strategy firm in Portland, Oregon.

Vilsack matters, and why it could hurt the West
Governors, National Leadership, New Mexico, Presidential Politics, The Big Strategy

Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa, just like Bill Clinton did before he became President, has become chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council. This matters because it isn't an uncommon tactic for Democratic governors to take the lead of national organizations to try to raise their national profile.

It gives them the chance to travel and talk about national issues that most governors wouldn't be able to touch because of the constraints of local politics. Our man in New Mexico, Bill Richardson, is the chair of the Democratic Governor's Association, some say, because he is running for President. Vilsack isn't a Western Democrat, but like Western Dems, he is a politician that is geographically distant from cultural center of the John Kerry campaign.

So, this is basically a competition thing. Its good to see a non-DC Democrat in a leadership position (no matter what you think of the DLC), but its bad for the profile of Western Dems. Well, if you hate the DLC and love Western Dems, maybe its a good thing then.

Emmett O'Connell | July 15, 2005 | Comment on This Post (2 so far)
Permalink: Vilsack matters, and why it could hurt the West
Governors, National Leadership, New Mexico, Presidential Politics, The Big Strategy

E-mail to a Friend

Your Name:

Your Personal Note:

Your Email:

Friends' Emails*:

* Separate addresses with commas,
semicolons, tabs, or line breaks.

Comments

Vilsack would do better in the West than many of the better known names on the 2008 short list. He is not identified with the "Eastern elites." A candidate from Iowa naturally relates to rural voters. He would help with Catholic voters. Iowa has 7 EV's. Neighboring MO has 11. Kerry was 18 short. I have already posted on IA being a good opportunity for Democrats in 2008. Vilsack somewhere on the ticket? Not a bad idea.

Posted by: Leo Brown | Jul 15, 2005 5:37:59 PM

Vilsack and Richardson are both busy trying to look Presidential, for sure. I just don't see either of them having real attraction out of their immediate state.

Of course, it is early and money can change a lot of things.

XT

Posted by: Xpatriated Texan | Jul 16, 2005 7:54:30 PM

Ads by Google

(and yes, we know that sometimes they're very, very wrong. Other times, they're right on.)

Post a comment