V! Faithful reader Jim Miller writes: "I keep hoping that you will fill us in on Governor Vilsack. (He doesn't get a lot of space in most of the newspapers I read.)" Well, we here at ProgReacAlien Corn Productions are nothing if not pathetically eager to please, so of course nothing would make us happier than to fill you all in on Tom Vilsack, the Man, the Vision, etc.

But there is one great big problem, which is that though we've lived in The Prudent State* for over three years now, we don't really know beans about the guy. He was already in his last term when we got here, so we never had to evaluate a campaign of his – and to be quite honest, we haven't really noticed him doing much of anything over the past few years. (His wife, on the other hand...) This could be considered a Good Thing, and perhaps may win The Sack** a good portion of the King Log vote in the campaign ahead. I was frankly a bit surprised when he tossed his hat in the ring; it seemed like an un-Iowan bit of hubris.

Anyway, we can't tell you any more about him than you yourself can read at the blogs of those Iowans who actually pay attention to such things: Here is a good place to start.

UPDATE: Well, I guess I am behind the curve... The Sackman does seem to have gotten some attention in blogland, though I'm not sure it's the sort of attention I'd want to have. Still, what can you expect with a name like "___sack"?

Visiting his website, I'm struck that he doesn't seem to have much of a platform. The front and center (and, as far as I can tell, sole) issue on the site is the "Vilsack Resolution", which is all about declaring opposition to any escalation of the war in Iraq. His overall master plan appears to be a modified Murtha, i.e., pulling U.S. troops out of southern and central Iraq and redeploying into the Kurdish regions of the north.

There's definitely a conscious appeal to the netroots crowd. In fact, the website seems to be directed primarily at the young and well-wired. Vilsack (ok, some ghost writer) says, "Before launching my full campaign website, I've started using some of the most popular social networking sites to meet new supporters."

• YouTube
• Facebook
• MySpace
• Party Builder
• LinkedIn
• DailyKos
• MyDD

(Yes, on Vilsack's site, those are links.) He also touts an appearance on the Daily Show. It's almost like he's given up on us old farts. And damn, that Orwellian V logo...creepy. Makes me wonder - do the campaign word processors have a special typeface that allows the young, fresh-faced Vilsack campaigners to slap down that hard, cruel V in the midst of whatever they're typing?

Oldthinkers unbellyfeel Vilsack!

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*No, that's not the state nickname, but it probably should be. "Hawkeye State"; what the hell is that? Consider the state motto: "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain". How much more dishwater can you get? Not for Iowans the stubborn skepticism of "The Show-Me State", let alone the in-your-face belligerence of "Live Free or Die"; more like "mess with us and we will empanel a committee to present you with a petition of our grievances."

**Few people call him that – yet.

Posted by David Fleck at 22 January 2007 07:49 PM