He's Got the Goods – But, Will They Bayh?

WASHINGTON – Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) is likely to announce his bid for the 2008 presidential nomination next week. The popular ex-governor and son of thrice-elected Indiana senator Birch Bayh, Senator Bayh is known for his starkly centrist positioning – and his "Republicrat" branding, which served him well in two terms as governor and eight years in the Senate.

Bayh's impending announcement has been anticipated for some time. He's a strong fundraiser, with tremendous geographic diversity in his contributor base. And his super-centrist street cred should help him garner significant media attention, especially with the success of conservative Democrats this November becoming the vogue.

What Bayh lacks, in the moment, is national recognition – and a passionate base of Democratic primary supporters – and a group that rarely shows a great deal of love to true centrists. While Bayh already differentiates himself through his conservative visage, he might want to amplify his "fair" stance on trade in order to rally both the Democratic primary base and the independent-minded Dems whose communities have paid the price for post-NAFTA, post-MFN globalization.

However, the Political Brandwagon has a deeper question. Why are the super-centrists Bayh and Tom Vilsack (D-IA) rushing to challenge fellow centrist, and theoretical front-runner, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)? Could the cost of Clinton's "cakewalk" reelection campaign have donors some major donors seeking other options? Or, does the Democratic establishment have deeper reservations abou the power of Clinton to win electoral votes between the coasts?

Potluck: Vilsack Spins a Homespun Brand – But, Where's the Beef?

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa – Governor Tom Vilsack (D-Iowa) became the first pol to pony up to the 2008 Presidential Potluck. Unfortunately, we can't make out what dish he brought. The two-term governor is relatively well-liked in his home state, enjoying a 58 percent approval rating in Survey USA's most recent poll. But the numbers of the past year are hardly stratospheric in comparison with his gubernatorial cohort. In fact, Vilsack ranks 24th in the November 20th edition, far behind popular Red State Democratic governors such as Wyoming's Dave Freudenthal, Oklahoma's Brad Henry, Arizona's Janet Napolitano, Montana's Brian Schweitzer, and potential primary rival Bill Richardson of New Mexico.

Clearly, Vilsack has a great deal of work to do in his home state, before he can even consider becoming a serious contender in Nevada, New Hampshire, or South Carolina.

From a branding perspective, Vilsack's team needs to build a strategy that defines who he is, what he's planning to do, how he's different, and why this should matter to Democratic primary voters. His announcement speech offered us no clue beyond the an amorphous trope about "The courage to create change," a few ethanol-tinged nods to the technology of energy independence, a more thoughtful brand of foreign policy – and allusions to America as the land of opportunity. As potluck dishes go, Vilsack's announcement was one of those casseroles that looks okay, but needs a few dollops of salt, pepper, and four dashes of Lawry's seasoning to make up for a lack of any identifiable meat.

If Vilsack wants to be a contender, he should make sure that his kick-off events in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Nevada are big, old-fashioned country barbecues with enough gut-busting protein to build some muscle on his campaign, enough red-hot chili to make the voters need an ice-cold brew, and enough apple pie to make supporters out of the staunchest naysayers. Potlucks that leave voters asking, "Where's the beef?" aren't going to cut it in what will certainly be a crowded Democratic picnic.

To The Brandwagon, Vilsack's inaugural website is the best metaphor for his announcement day – lots of links to Internet "communities," surrounding a blurry YouTube screenshot – and not a single issue stance to be found for miles. When two-term governors show up to a potluck, they ought to bring more than a side dish.