Is Tom Daschle running for President?
It seems that South Dakota's Tom Daschle, the former Senate Democratic Leader, is everywhere these days.
Moments ago, I received an email from Daschle endorsing Tim Kaine (running for governor of Virginia). He's recently appeared in New York City, endorsing mayoral candidate Freddy Ferrer. He's also been to West Virginia to raise money for Senator Robert Byrd.
He's even been to Iowa, where he had to deny - but not entirely - the notion that he's running for president.
So, given all this presidential campaign-like behavior, I've gotta ask: Is Daschle running? And, given his South Dakota roots, will he be a Western Democrat -style candidate?
Talk to me, WD readers.
Kari Chisholm | October 13, 2005 | Comment on This Post (11 so far) |
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Comments
Strictly speaking, the Dakotas are east of the 100th parallel and wouldn't be considered "the West." But if I wasn't in the mood to split geographic hairs, I would still point out that even if Daschle did run that its hard to run for President when you lost your last election. Short of Lincoln, I can't remember that ever working.
Posted by: Emmett O'Connell | Oct 14, 2005 7:39:09 AM
Nixon.
Just sayin' is all.
Posted by: desmoulins | Oct 14, 2005 7:49:52 PM
Good point.
Posted by: Emmett O'Connell | Oct 16, 2005 6:53:16 PM
Good point. But, that's more of a case for Gore than Daschle though. Who was the last one to lose a Senatorial race and run for President?
Posted by: Emmett O'Connell | Oct 16, 2005 6:53:53 PM
But Nixon ran for governor of California and lost after losing in 1960, that's when he gave his famous 'You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore' speech. So, he was a two time loser before he won. Daschle's bigger problem is that he is uncharasmatic and viewed by many in the party as part of the failed congressional leadership of the late 90s and early 00s. Gephardt was hurt by the same image.
Posted by: Mitch | Oct 17, 2005 9:14:49 AM
Carol Moseley Braun, for one (probably not a model that Daschle would want to follow!). Don't forget, also, that Nixon lost a governor's race too after losing his first Pres race and before winning his second Pres race.
Posted by: paul h | Oct 17, 2005 9:16:36 AM
Mitch, you beat me to it on Nixon, and you're right about Daschle's weakness.
Posted by: paul h | Oct 17, 2005 9:18:05 AM
It would be wonderful for Tom to run!! He is definitly missed around here and it was a very sad day when he lost!!! He would have my vote 110%.
Posted by: JamieKern | Nov 5, 2005 7:36:33 AM
I'm with Emmett O'Connell. There is a much stronger case for Gore and if anyone is untainted by the refuse of the past five years it is Gore. Can he pull a lazarus and return to D.C.? I think it is possible. He is a strident critic of what has gone wrong in the capital and beyond and far more so than any potential Dem who will be seeking the nomination. Governor Warner can talk about his "NASCAR Dads" all he likes, but Gore has been on the record about a diverse number of issues, has foreign policy experience, was a senator and a Veep, and, best of all, can run as an outsider! Go figure. My vote is with Gore, frankly.
Posted by: J-Man | Nov 6, 2005 10:36:47 PM
Daschle is a lame has-been, now.
If he can raise money for good candidates, terrific.
If he can get back into the Senate, better still.
His best bet is to return to the limelight as a
Cabinet officer in a Democrat administration.
For President, give me Richardson, or Gore.
Gore has a huge war chest, can truthfully say
he won the popular vote once before,
and has good positions on many issues.
If GOP corruption becomes the top vote-getting
issue for 2008, Gore runs well on that, since many
believe he was cheated of his Presidency by
Kathleen Harris and JEB Bush.
Richardson puts the West in play,
draws Spanish-speaking constituencies without
scaring the quivering Anglos, and can run
on a strong record of good government.
Either pulls well from the middle of the Party without
alienating left-leaning donors like Warner would,
and without galvanizing the crazies in the GOP like
a ticket with Hillary Clinton at the top.
I want the Clintons and Kerry actively involved...
raising money for somebody else's Presidential
campaign, and supporting Democrat candidates
in their own pocket constituencies. Not at the top
of the ticket, thanks. Been there, done that,
buried the t-shirts in the bottom drawer of the dresser.
In an ideal world, Gore would use 2006 to
recapture the Senate seat Frist is vacating,
but he's supposedly ruled that out.
Posted by: Christopher Walker | Nov 11, 2005 9:00:20 AM
My analysis leads me to conclude that Tom Daschle's calm direct style of communication, and his proven ability to turn attacks and probing questions of reporters into positive statements of unity and cooperation with "the other side" will prove to be very attractive to American Voters accross the spectrum.
His decency to the persons of those launching verbal attacks and his refusal to rebut was remarkable to me. Daschles persitant return to the task of finding grounds for cooperation with opposing view points to 'get the job done that the American People expect "us" to do,' sic as he might have said, was a push for unity of purpose over winning battles against each other.
His willingness to sacrifice political total warfare strategies to achieve some level of cooperative differences of opinion operating with opponents demonstrates a point of view that America needs at the helm of the ship of state. The way he treated opponents was refreshing, and effective.
I sincerely hope he runs for president. His leadership style and his way of communicating will resonate well with the society that America has become.
His quiet strength and proven ability to work successfully with difficult opposition is a demonstration of his ability, preservence and gentle persistance. Daschles worked successfully with the opposition moderates while marshalling his independant minded fellow Democrat Senators to get things done.
America is hungry for a leader who can get things done. The bumbler will go in his time.
Never overbearing, Senator Daschle has shown key leadersdhip qualities that modern Americans are looking for in a national leader.
I see Daschle V. McCain in 2008.
Posted by: Roger Jolley | Nov 11, 2005 12:02:22 PM
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(and yes, we know that sometimes they're very, very wrong. Other times, they're right on.)
