Iowans to Vilsack: Don't Run

Iowans to Vilsack: Don't Run

The news goes from bad to worse for The Guv. Comming off Tuesday's double whammy defeats of Mike Blouin and Dusky Terry, the Register lands on the doorstep of Terrace Hill with the headline

Vilsack fourth in presidential poll

Which would be great if it was a national poll. But it's an IOWA poll. He's at 10 percent in his home state.

The most telling part of the story is the flashback to 15 years ago:

In June 1991, three months before Harkin entered the presidential race, the Register's Iowa Poll showed 39 percent of Iowans thought he should run, compared with 44 percent who opposed the idea.

Harkin, as an announced candidate in December of that year, was the dominant choice of Iowans planning to take part in the Democratic caucuses the following February, drawing support from 68 percent.

Harkin had the love back then and Vilsack simply does not.

An early early early poll like this mostly measures name ID, so there's no pain for the also rans who share 13% - Feingold, Warner, Bayh, etc. But eight years running the state gives you universal name ID so Vilsack loses that excuse. The poll is also extremely bad news for suddenly not so presumptve nominee Hillary Clinton (second at 26) and shopworn 2004 caucus champ and ticket topper John Kerry (at 12% and third).

The big winner is John Edwards, first with 30 points and conveniently visiting Iowa tomorrow.

No way to spin this as anything but a disaster for Vilsack. If he wants a ticket to Washington in 2008, he should be playing behind the scenes and angling for a cabinet slot. Not the vice presidency - 10 percent in your home state puts even that out of reach.