Gephardt's Poor Iowa Showing Ends White House Bid

Yahoo (Reuters) ^ | Tue Jan 20,12:42 AM ET | Thomas Ferraro

[The_Victor]

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Richard Gephardt's poor showing in the Iowa caucuses on Monday brought an abrupt end to his White House bid and pushed the longtime U.S. lawmaker toward an earlier-than-hoped political retirement.

"Well, this didn't come out like we wanted," Gephardt, who finished fourth with just 11 percent of the vote, told a tearful gathering of about 200 supporters, many of them from 21 international unions that had endorsed his populist bid.

"Tonight I congratulate the other candidates for their strong campaigns here in Iowa," Gephardt said. "One of them will wind up carrying the banner of the great Democratic Party in this election, and they will have earned it, and I will support that candidate in any way that I can."

Gephardt, 62, a 14-term U.S. congressman and former Democratic leader of the U.S. House of Representatives from neighboring Missouri, won the Iowa caucuses in 1988 at the start of his first White House bid, which soon fizzled out.

Gephardt has gone for political broke this time. He stepped aside as House Democratic leader last year and announced he would not seek reelection to the House this year.

"This is his last campaign," an aide said. "And it is over."

Iowa's Democratic caucuses -- public meetings across the state where residents publicly declared who they favored to be the party's nominee to challenge Republican President Bush (news - web sites) in November -- seemed perfectly fitted for Gephardt, who boasted a large get-out-the-vote operation aided by labor.

"You can't blame labor. If it wasn't for labor he would have done worse," said Jeff Berry, a political science professor at Tufts University. "I think there is just a sense that Dick Gephardt (news - web sites)'s time has come and gone."

Gephardt and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (news - web sites) had been running out front for months in Iowa, but U.S. Sens. John Kerry (news - web sites) of Massachusetts and John Edwards (news - web sites) of North Carolina caught them in the polls last week and passed them in Monday's caucuses.

FRESH FACE, NEW ENERGY

"Iowa knows and likes Dick Gephardt, but I think they are looking for a fresh face and new energy," said Stu Rothenberg of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report.

Gephardt had hoped to win Iowa, the first battle for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, and then go on to New Hampshire, which will hold the second contest next week.

Yet with initial returns showing Gephardt losing big, he canceled the trip to New Hampshire and decided instead to head home to St. Louis where he plans to hold a news conference on Tuesday.

Gephardt, the son of a Teamster truck driver, had adopted a turtle as the mascot for his second White House bid -- slow and steady wins the race.

So do bold ideas. So he offered sweeping proposals to expand health care, upgrade education, move toward energy independence and protect American jobs from unfair trade.

Gephardt campaigned largely on his Washington experience, saying he was ready and able to serve. But traditionally Americans do not turn to members of Congress to be president.

In fact, the last sitting member of the U.S. House elected to the White House was James Garfield in 1880. The last sitting Senate member was John F. Kennedy in 1960.

In addressing backers on Monday night, Gephardt said: "Life will go on because this campaign was never about me. It was about all of us. It was about our future, and it was about our children, and the America ahead of us."

[BluSky]

"The leadership of the AFL-CIO is living in the thirties. I guess they will never realize that times change! The dwindling number of industrial unionized folks should be proof that something is dractically wrong in labor. . . These Democrats are living in the past! Times have changed, our country is in great peril, and these idiots don't have a clue!"

Shhhhhh! Quiet! It's our little secret now . . . !

[OldFriend]

The unions backed Dean and Gephardt......interesting that their power is totally diminished.

Heard the governor of Iowa say that their future is in high tech.

Hope that means that Harken's days in the senate are numbered too.

[Sunshine Sister]

I understand Bill Federer is running for Tricky's seat. He isn't a lib is he?

[barker]

I understand Bill Federer is running for Tricky's seat. He isn't a lib is he?

Hmmmm. Hadn't heard this. Will have to check it out. Have met one person running for McCarthy's seat. Steve Dennis (R) from Grandview. Very conservative but my KC area is very liberal.

[MainFrame65]

In a "Sealed in plastic wrap in the meat cooler past it's pull date" kinda way, sure!

Pork loin, lemon-pepper marinated. The lemon is responsible for the sour look.

[Ryan Bailey]

The demise of Rep. Gephardt in Iowa has nothing but positive re-affirmation for our President and nothing but the portent of doom and irrelavence for the ultra-liberal leftists currently suffocating the message and hope of the oldest political party.

As for my own early favoritism and predictions of victory for Dick Gephardt, there is a most valuable lesson to be had. If Dick Gephardt walks away from this campaign, so in my mind does the only viable candidate the Democrats have. As a Republican, my only comment on this occurrence is; "so be it".

I cannot wait for the not so great debate where our President will entertain criticism from his opponent. As it looks now the primary attacking point of the democratic party and the anti-Bush world will be rendered useless by the fact that Kerry and Edwards both voted to approve empowering the President to execute Opn. Iraqi Freedom. In a very real sense the "war" as it has come to be mis-labelled is actually their responsibility more than the President's. Anyone who has read our Constitution knows that the Congress has the power of the sword not the President.

The best argument of past supporters of aggression against Iraq, who include Dean and Clark, is that they were too stupid to realize what was actually happening until it was all over. I'm certain this is just the type of situational awareness we need in the white house.

[eeriegeno]

"Iowa knows and likes Dick Gephardt, but I think they are looking for a fresh face and new energy," said Stu Rothenberg of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report.

So then, in Mr Rothenberg's mind, Iowa voted for a fresh face and new energy by picking Kerry??? Kerry? A fresh face???? and new energy????? Hahahaha

[Squantos]

international unions ...............speaks volumes for that keepin jobs in the USA thang IMO.

Stay Safe !

[Marysecretary]

They have makeup now that you can put on your face that sort of erases lines. It's sticky and like glue. It holds your wrinkles back a bit.

[Marysecretary]

And if you went to Canada during the Vietnam War, you are a true hero to the RATS!

[5by5]

No, they get another shot.

I'm guessing that labor had their back covered with their Gephardt endorsement. Were I them, I'd say "we'll endorse you on the condition that your drop out if you don't do well in Iowa." That way they get a second chance.

Gephardt figures that if he can't get anything going with the unions behind him in Iowa, he won't go far anyway.

Smells like a deal to me.

[Paulus Invictus]

What does Kerry's victory in Iowa mean for the Klintoons? Did they mastermind Dean's route to oblivion and key onto Kerry to win? Kinda hard to believe. How could Kerry, the super-wealthy war vet, anti-war medal thrower and trasher of all things conservative ever win the presidency? Seems impossible, especially if vet's and military votes are counted this time. But remember that IGore nearly pulled it off after his wonderful Nam service ducking behing his bodyguards while esconced safely in Saigon bars smoking pot and drinking beer.

[Alberta's Child]

You're right about that -- I should have been more clear. That wasn't exactly what I meant when I said organized labor was the biggest loser in Iowa -- I just wanted to point out that their influence in elections appears to have been reduced to picking fourth-place candidates.

[Democratshavenobrains]

The final coup-de-grace will be a Republican getting Dick's House seat.

[MattinNJ]

I thought he had a big house in NC's Outer Banks. Must be some other socialist.

[Pagey]

Dick Gephardt is and has been a weasel in the 'House' for well over 25 years. (For gosh sake, go get a real job!)I will not let it go unnoticed that this partisan hack backed the "Earned Legalization and Family Unification Act of 2002, which would allow undocumented immigrants who have been in the United States for five years and worked for two years to legalize their status..." among other things. Go away Dick, we don't need anymore speeches from you standing at the Council on Foreign Relations,espousing your views to the world. I watched it on C-Span, he was beyond pompous and was vividly imitating Hillary Rodhams holier-than-thou attitude.

[RightWhale]

Gephardt, 62, a

All this time I thought he was old. Maybe it's the lack of eyebrows and lips that makes that impression.