Gaskill Endorsement Makes a Baker's Dozen for Biden

Days Until Bush Leaves Office = 432

Iowa State Representative Mary A. Gaskill of Ottumwa today became the thirteenth Iowa elected official to endorse Joe Biden for president. For those keeping track at home, here's an endorsement scorecard:
Hillary Clinton: 16
Barack Obama: 15
Joe Biden: 13

It's never clear how much weight these types of endorsements carry on caucus night. The potential is certainly there for a candidate to tap into the endorser's network of financial backers, staff and past volunteers to enhance their showing in the caucus, but I suspect this potential is rarely realized to its full extent.

That said, Biden's endorsement tally is impressive nonetheless, and will come as something of a shock to those who believe poll numbers and fundraising totals tell the whole story in the Iowa race. Few would be surprised to learn that Hillary or Obama have enlisted the support of a good number of elected officials here, but finding that Joe Biden is right on their heels in that category is something few would have predicted six or nine months ago. So Biden's endorsements raise a question, one that has gone largely overlooked so far: why is it that Joe Biden is garnering so much support among Iowa elected officials? Put another way, what do they know that so many others appear to not know, or at least to not notice?

Support for Biden's policy proposals, particularly with regard to Iraq, and appreciation for his experience in the the U.S. Senate have a lot to do with it, based on the statements issued by the legislators who have endorsed Biden so far. But there must be something more, and here's my take on what that might be: Iowa legislators know what it takes to win in Iowa, and they see a winner in Joe Biden. Saying that candidates with the celebrity status and bank accounts of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are solid bets to do well in Iowa is a no-brainer. But to say that Joe Biden, with none of the name recognition or financial advantages of Clinton and Obama, has the same winning potential, which is the message these endorsements carry, requires either a deep understanding of the dynamics of this race in Iowa and what it takes to do well here, or, frankly, a total and utter departure from reality. Since these legislators got to be legislators by winning elections in Iowa, the evidence is heavily in favor of the former explanation, rather than the latter.


http://ipol-2008.blogspot.com/2007/11/gaskill-endorsement-makes-bakers-dozen.html

(For us Bidenites, every endorsement helps! :hi:)

EDIT to BOLD that very positive statement! :7

:hug:

I think that is where he shines...it is as though he is telling the interviewer or the listener the inside story...leveling with them. He's more believable when he just sits back and talks. Is it safe to say he's one you could sit down and have a beer with and go away believing everything he said?

He isn't going to have to "learn" about everyone in Congress or Washington, DC, as I think he is probably in the loop when it comes to those, "Hey, did you hear about so and so" moments, and is smart enough to know which are for real and which are nasty rumors. I would guess he has a few stories filed away in the back of his mind, too.

He seems to have kept his nose clean as far as getting in "debt" to the powers that be in that Washington scene, which would be a major plus. The other major plus is that he'd throw the Republicans on their butts. Imagine their exasperation when they find out he won the nomination. They know he isn't going to take any "swiftboating" crap from them, so what are they going to do? Rudy would quit the show five minutes after Biden was named. AND, if Biden picked a Feingold or Webb as his running mate, they'd either have to rig all the voting machines or throw up their hands and wait for 2012, because there is no way they could compete against them with all the dirty laundry they are bringing into the campaign.

Time to stock up on popcorn.

Go, Joe!

K&R on edit

in his 35 years in the senate. Can anyone verify this?

People are sick to death of all the corruption, and the people who stay away from the lobbyists' largesse should be commended. I'm sure the temptation is great, but look at what happened to all those poor Republicans who are in or are facing pokey time. You play, you pay!

Go, Joe!

Amazing, isn't it!

He also made a choice not to invest in the stock market so his holdings didn't influence his votes in any way.

gets no questions, no time to shine.

And the MSM still doesn't have a clue!

Last I heard he was in 2nd place (behind HRC)

Not the first time - no worries.

What about Edwards? How many does he have?

name and stuff. It's not until you asked that I went back and looked. So move over because I'm in the same boat.

Don't know about Edwards.