Tom Vilsack Drops out of Presidential Race

Former Tom Vilsack Iowa governor has dropped his bid for the White House before anyone knew he was running.

Democrat Tom Vilsack, the former Iowa governor who built a centrist image, abandoned his bid for the presidency on Friday after struggling against better-known, better-financed rivals. “It is money and only money that is the reason we are leaving today,” Vilsack told reporters at a news conference, later adding, “We have a debt we’re going to have to work our way through.”

He couldn’t raise money because he was a non-factor, not vice-versa. Serious candidates simply don’t have trouble raising money.

via Bill Jempty

FILED UNDER: 2008 Election, Blogosphere, The Presidency, US Politics, ,
James Joyner
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Comments

  1. Sometimes I wonder whether politicians have a more difficult time telling the truth or seeing it to begin with.

  2. Michael says:

    Sometimes I wonder whether politicians have a more difficult time telling the truth or seeing it to begin with.

    I think the trouble is in believing the truth. Nobody wants to believe they are a non-factor.

  3. James Joyner says:

    It’s got to be incredibly hard for Senators and Governors–genuinely accomplished people used to a substantial amount of deference–to be greeted with yawns when they announce they’re ready to move up to the next level. These are not people used to rejection or failure and they’re probably simply flabbergasted by it all.

  4. Director Mitch says:

    I think Americans would have had a hard time voting for someone whose name reminded them of a pickel.

  5. This is almost a zen like moment.

    Q: What is the sound of one democratic presidential hopeful falling before the primary?

    A:

  6. Maybe Vilsack should contact the Guinness folks. He had to have set a world record by dropping out of an election contest more than 20 months before the election occurred.

  7. Eneils Bailey says:

    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%

    Latest poll from Strategic Vision on the Democrat primary in Iowa. If these numbers are reliable, who will get Vilsack’s supporters? I think this is entirely too early to talk about anyone’s support, but it is fun to speculate. Vilsack through Undecided represents 40 percent of the Democrats polled.