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."

[The_Victor]

Little Dick is toast!

[Sloth]

"Iowa knows and likes Dick Gephardt, but I think they are looking for a fresh face and new energy,"

Is that the way you would describe Joh Kerry's face? "Fresh"?

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

You realize that John F'ing Kerry served in Vietnam, don't you? ;^)

[OldFriend]

Little Dick now finds HIS face beside the definition of MISERABLE FAILURE

[barker]

Watching his speech, for a few brief seconds, I almost felt sorry for him. Then I slapped myself back to reality. His speech did show some class. At least Missouri is rid of him for the most part. Like Gore he will hang around on the sidelines looking for attention.

[cynicom]

Gephardt was riding a one legged horse, big unions, that will not work.

[Sloth]

He's a veteran? Wow! He sure must not talk about it much.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Is that the way you would describe Joh Kerry's face? "Fresh"?

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

[The_Victor]

... almost felt sorry for him. Then I slapped myself back to reality.

He's spent his entire national political carreer as an "also ran." You kinda have to feel sorry for him. Well, OK, maybe its pity.

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

Maybe he can get a job from his imaginary friend, the billionaire who he claimed wanted Dickie to raise his taxes.

[Sloth]

And even some of the big unions backstabbed him & endorsed Dean.

[over3Owithabrain]

I don't feel one bit sorry for the goonion shill. Did quite a bit of damage for an also-ran. Never forget him "celebrating" Clinton's impeachment as a supporter of the felon. Good riddance.

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

He's a veteran? Wow! He sure must not talk about it much.

I know! It was a complete stunner to me when I found out. I can't seem to ever remember hearing him bring it up.

[steve8714]

You can bet that if we get another Dem in the White House he will get a Fed bench position...ecchhhhh

[Sunshine Sister]

Last I heard his address in MO was an empty apartment. He will never go home. They never do. Look at Dan Glickman, Jim Slattery, Bob Dole, and so on. They stay in Washington because that's where the power is.

[steve8714]

I remember the courageous moment when he threw away medals for which other men bled.
Oh, I'm sorry, I was only in the Reserves during Nam...does this make me a deserter? Do any of us from that era have a perfect attendance record at meetings?

[Rummyfan]

Anyone else notice the changes in Kerry's face lately? Much smoother. I would swear he has had some cosmetic surgery done.

[genefromjersey]

I'm...bemused seems as good a word as any...over the media attention to a caucus involving less than 3000 voters,which is being treated as earth-shaking in its significance.

I guess the media can barely contain themselves as they prepare to tell us which Democrat to vote for.

[Alberta's Child]

. . . many of them from 21 international unions that had endorsed his populist bid.

It just occurred to me that organized labor may have been the biggest loser of them all in Iowa.

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

Oh, I'm sorry, I was only in the Reserves during Nam...does this make me a deserter?

If you're a Republican, then yes it does. However, if you're a RAT, you'll get an amnesty and glowing write-up in the New York Times.