April 04, 2007
Category: Hillary Clinton

Vilsack

When Tom Vilsack was running for president, and speaking to big hotel ballrooms full of Democratic activists, it was hard to understand his appeal. He somehow didn't quite project.

But on his home turf, he is one good surrogate. After a two minute standing ovation (for Vilsack) in Iowa City yesterday, he delivered what has become his standard Hillary introduction; and while it's hard to explain what about the direct, plainspoken, slightly corny approach made it so effective, you could see his connection with Iowa Democrats.

Not sure if the clip above captures it, but there's a taste.

By Ben Smith 10:45 AM

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January 26, 2007
Category: Tom Vilsack

Plagiarism or Platitudes?

Political Wire's Taegan Goddard has an interesting catch: A Sam Brownback speech that echoes, quite closely, a Dwight Eisenhower line (apocryphally) attributed to de Tocqueville.

Brownback: "We are a great nation because our greatness is built on the foundation of fundamental goodness. If ever we lose our goodness, we will surely lose our greatness."
 
Eisenhower: "America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.

Goddard thinks it's plagiarism. But maybe it's more just political cliche.

A reader with a long, midwestern memory recalls that Tom Vilsack, in his first inaugural in 1999, had something similar to say:

"Iowa is great because Iowa is good."
 
Vilsack got zinged for his trouble by David Yepsen.

"No one can disagree with that. But what does it mean?" Yepsen asked.

By Ben Smith 10:30 AM

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