Mark Warner will not be elected president in 2008

[jk]

NY Times

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October 12, 2006
Warner Rules Out Run for White House in 2008

By JEFF ZELENY and DAVID STOUT

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 — Former Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia, who has been traveling across the country for more than a year exploring a bid for the White House, said today that, after “a lot of reflection, prayer and soul-searching,” he had decided not to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.

“I have decided not to run for president,” Mr. Warner said in a statement, issued at a Richmond news conference, that immediately set off a scramble among other Democrats with presidential aspirations. He said his decision was based on family considerations, but he pointedly did not rule out another try for public office later on.

A centrist Democrat who has embraced some positions more commonly associated with Republicans, Mr. Warner has been widely regarded as an attractive presidential candidate, one who might run stronger in the South and other Republican regions than other Democrats. (For example, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the 2004 Democratic nominee, did not carry any of the 11 states of the old Confederacy.)

Mr. Warner said the decision, which he described as one of the most difficult of his life, crystallized in the past several days.

“This past weekend, my family and I went to Connecticut to celebrate my dad’s 81st birthday, and then we took my oldest daughter, Madison, to start looking at colleges,” Mr. Warner said. “I know these moments are never going to come again. This weekend made clear what I’d been thinking about for many weeks — that while politically this appears to be the right time for me to take the plunge, at this point I want to have a real life.”

[EJ]

Re: mark warner will not be elected president in 2008

NY Times

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October 12, 2006
Warner Rules Out Run for White House in 2008

By JEFF ZELENY and DAVID STOUT

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 — Former Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia, who has been traveling across the country for more than a year exploring a bid for the White House, said today that, after “a lot of reflection, prayer and soul-searching,” he had decided not to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.

“I have decided not to run for president,” Mr. Warner said in a statement, issued at a Richmond news conference, that immediately set off a scramble among other Democrats with presidential aspirations. He said his decision was based on family considerations, but he pointedly did not rule out another try for public office later on.

A centrist Democrat who has embraced some positions more commonly associated with Republicans, Mr. Warner has been widely regarded as an attractive presidential candidate, one who might run stronger in the South and other Republican regions than other Democrats. (For example, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the 2004 Democratic nominee, did not carry any of the 11 states of the old Confederacy.)

Mr. Warner said the decision, which he described as one of the most difficult of his life, crystallized in the past several days.

“This past weekend, my family and I went to Connecticut to celebrate my dad’s 81st birthday, and then we took my oldest daughter, Madison, to start looking at colleges,” Mr. Warner said. “I know these moments are never going to come again. This weekend made clear what I’d been thinking about for many weeks — that while politically this appears to be the right time for me to take the plunge, at this point I want to have a real life.”

When I met Warner in March 2006 and made my prediction that he'd win the 2008 presidential election that month, I asked him one-on-one why on God's earth he'd want to be President of the U.S. during what was likely to be one of the worst periods of American history. I compared the challenges that are likely to face him to those that faced FDR in the 1930s. He'd have to deal with the result of more than 30 years of errors compounded by administrations of both parties.

He did not argue. He agreed that 2008 - 2012 was likely to be a period of great turmoil. He looked me in the eye and said, "I need to do it for my kids. If I don't do it, who will?"

I am certain when he said it that he was sincere. I saw it as classic entrepreneurial sentiment: "I can do it." Entrepreneurism is all about doing. I also believe he is just as sincere about the reasons he is giving to bow out now – although you will hear plenty of rumors otherwise.

I see in Warner the kind of statesman America needs, a man who is willing to make extreme personal sacrifices – one look at the man will tell you he is very hard working – who will demand personal sacrifices from the American people, to take us the Hard Way toward becoming once again a nation we are all proud of, that strives to fulfill the ideals on which it was founded. Perhaps Warner bowed out because he sensed that the people of the U.S. are not ready for that.

This is a nation whose leaders claim it is at war, but fails to meet the most basic standard of fairness in the prosecution of that war: it sends the children of its rural towns and inner cities to be injured and die in foreign lands, while demanding no sacrifice from the majority of American people at home in return.

A nation that fails to comply with established treaties, such as the Geneva Conventions, in the process both endangering its troops and giving up moral ground that so many died for in wars past.

A nation that fails to live up to its own constitution, suspending habeas corpus for suspects in its undefined war.

This and so much more, and most Americans stand silent.

I am sorry about Warner's decision, but respect it. It is wise. The American people are not ready. First they need to experience the full impact of these failures.

America will continue to get the politicians it deserves instead of the statesmen it needs. We will not see a statesman take the helm of this great nation until after the full brunt of the crisis hits American families. When there is widespread despair, then we will be ready for true leadership, not before.

I confess to hopefulness in my prediction about Warner. In the future I'll stick to economic and market forecasting where I have a better track record. Markets don't care what you hope for, dream of, think, want, or feel. Analysis and discipline have yielded positive results for me on balance. I'll stick to my knitting.

The markets will soon deliver what they have been keeping in store for us for years. Politics will follow as they may.

[DemonD]

Re: mark warner will not be elected president in 2008

Eric, it is difficult to predict presidential winners nowadays. Who would have thought a hillbilly arkansas horny-ass governor who likes big booty's would have been our president for 8 years? Who would have thought a b-list actor would have become president for 8 years? Who would have thought that Ann Richards would get wasted in a televised debate with George W Bush and lose the governorship of Texas? Who could have predicted that extreme political right-winged Christians would take hostage over our government, with words on our side now basically echoing words on the Islamist extremist side?

There are some people I believe to be truly good for our country, and Mr. Warner isn't the only one out there.

Wait till it shakes out... the 2008 election isn't for another 25 months, that's still quite a bit of time. And also remember, although this is a simplistic part, an issue of the Great Depression was an agricultural one. Technology and methods are such that nowadays if another Dust Bowl type event happened, it wouldn't have nearly the effect that it did in the 1930's.

Just trying to put a stainless-steel lining on that dark cloud today

[WDCRob]

Re: mark warner will not be elected president in 2008

I wish I shared your optimism that crisis will bring us great leaders. I think it's far more likely we'll get xenophobic demagogues who only make matters worse.

[EJ]

Re: mark warner will not be elected president in 2008

I didn't say economic crisis is a forcing function that will bring about true leadership, rather that it is the only one that can. It is as just as likely to bring about extremely bad leadership. The possibility of a popular fascist leader can't be excluded, given the tolerant attitude of most Americans toward attacks on their liberties by their government on false pretexts, and contemptuous disregard for basic principles of honor and fairness. A population that is complacent about the loss of consitutional rights while the economy is doing relatively very well cannot be reasonably expected to make great material sacrifices to protect those liberties that remain when the economic conditions I foresee come to pass.

[Slimprofits]

Re: mark warner will not be elected president in 2008

mark warner will not be elected president in 2008

He was elected as a Senator from Virginia.

Sen. Warner tells NAM of vision for raising competitiveness

...an address to more than 100 manufacturers at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Leadership Luncheon...

Warner said there is a great worldwide race “on for the future” to determine who will lead the 21st century, and that “America has no national plan to get in, and win, that race during a time of transformative change.”

“As Governor of Virginia,” said NAM president John Engler, “Senator Warner was a champion of economic growth, education reform and investment in infrastructure. His focus on advanced technology, research and development, balanced energy policy and international trade are issues that resonate with manufacturers. We look forward to working with him in the years ahead to strengthen manufacturing and make our country more prosperous.”

Warner told the NAM assembly that as Governor he was amazed to see how leaders from different fields of education “rarely talked to each other.” The major education programs – Head Start, No Child Left Behind, the Higher Ed Act, the Perkins Act – are not coordinated. “Imagine if these funding streams were lined up to achieve clear policy goals,” Warner said. “Imagine if we could get our higher ed people engaged in the future of the American high school. Imagine if we streamlined our education efforts instead of stove-piping them.” Senator Warner said also “we have to get serious about workforce training.”

Warner said everyone can point to a single school or program they support, “but in the corporate and non-profit world, there’s a sense that if it’s not invented here, it’s not worth pursuing.” In government, he said, “there is a lack of courage, and dollars, to try the model, to move beyond the tired and entrenched ways of doing things.”

“It’s time to make innovation a national priority again,” Senator Warner said. “It makes no sense that at a time when science is shaping more and more of our economy and daily lives, we’ve spent the last several years debating the merits of science itself. It makes no sense that a time when technology and innovation have never been more important, America R&D as a percentage of our GDP has fallen to sixth in the world.”

Finally, Warner called for recognition of the critical need to develop human capital across the board – assuring opportunity for everyone, attracting the “best and brightest” from around the world to the U.S., developing human talents in rural America, and training a new generation of workers for jobs in the workplaces of the 21st century.

“It’s time to see a little farther down the road because success is not an American birthright,” Warner said. “Each generation is charged with earning success through innovation and good old-fashioned hard work. Each generation is charged with understanding the consequences of its actions, or its failure to act. Each generation is charged with protecting that quintessential American value; a fair shake and a fair shot at the American dream.

“It’s time for America to get in the race,” Warner concluded. “It’s time to get to work.”