Tom Vilsack Already Out for 2008

Tom Vilsack was the first Democrat to officially declare his candidacy for the 2008 presidential election. As former governor of Iowa he showed impressive credentials in leading a state that in some ways is considered a microcosm of America; Iowa just barely went Republican in the 2004 election, and has a history of both rural conservatism as well as union-related progressivism, with illegal immigration an issue of ever-increasing importance, as meat processing and farming industries become more reliant on migrant labor forces (both legal and illegal) to remain economically competitive. Being a Democrat from the Midwest also has its appeal from a national political standpoint, as critics of the party love to characterize it as being represented only by California and the Northeast (despite huge party gains in the "Mountain West" in the 2006 election cycle) so politicians like Vilsack, clearly capable of doing well in a solidly Midwestern state like Iowa could serve as a testament to the fact that there's more to the party than just the coasts.

However, despite these advantages the Vilsack campaing lacked two factors that are already featuring more and more prominently in the 2008 presidential race; star power and money. And the lack of those has already proven enough for him to remove himself from the running.

"This process has become to a great extent about money -- a lot of money," Vilsack said at a news conference in Des Moines yesterday. "And it is clear to me that we would not be able to continue to raise money in the amounts necessary to sustain not just a campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire but a campaign across this country. So it is money and only money that is the reason that we are leaving today."
Vilsack has had some seriously stiff competition on the fundraising front, squaring off against the likes of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, who have garnered far more media attention and popularity from their celebrity status than Vilsack could hope to achieve, barring some sort of scandal or incident to raise his own political and media profile.

Vilsack's dropping out of the race already is unfortunate, as he would have otherwise been a very strong candidate, and placating his supporters would be a reason for other candidates to pay attention to issues they might not otherwise have bothered addressing. Having multiple candidates allows each to highlight issues that are most important to them and has the potential to shift the focus of national debates so that they include more than just the one or two topics of interest that the leading candidates care about. With the incredible importance of money in what is already shaping up to be a bonanza of a political campaign voters are the ones who stand to lose by narrowing the field before candidates have a chance to even introduce themselves to the country. Still, Vilsack shouldn't be entirely discounted as a strong vice presidential pick for one of the more popular candidates, as he brings a lot to the table.

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