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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 5 2008, 5:36 PM EDT (current) | 787683656 | 672 words deleted, 1 photo deleted |
| Mar 13 2006, 9:33 PM EST | Anonymous | 146 words added, 50 words deleted, 1 photo added, 1 photo deleted |
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Full Name: Mark Robert Warner
Current Office: None
Born: Indianapolis, Indiana, on December 15, 1954
Education: George Washington University (1977); Harvard Law School (1980)Family: Married to Lisa Collis; they have three daughters (Madison, Gillian and Eliza)Significant Career Experience:Honorary Chairman, Forward Together PAC, 2005-presentGovernor of Virginia, 2002-2006Chairman, National Governors Association, 2004-2005Chairman, Education Commission for the States, 2003-2004Chairman, Southern Governors Association, 2004Co-founder, NextelRecent history shines brightly on successful moderate Democratic governors who seek the presidency, especially those with relative youth and charisma on their side. In 2008, look for Mark Warner to do what former Governors Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter did before him: ride a record of successful executive experience from outside Washington DC to the presidency.Warner brings a unique set of assets to the presidential primaries: First, he appeals to rural, traditionally Republican voters. In his unsuccessful campaign against Senator John Warner (no relation), Mark Warner ran surprisingly well in rural areas. Five years later, while running for Governor, Warner appealed to rural demographics with such tactics as forming “Sportsmen for Warner,” sponsoring a racing truck, and cutting NASCAR-specific campaign commercials for race day. But his real strength came in talking about bringing knowledge-based jobs to rural Virginia, and preparing the workforce to succeed.Second, he worked with a strongly Republican legislature to take Virginia to what Governing magazine in 2005 identified as the best managed state in the union. To make this feat more extraordinary, Warner accomplished it while sacrificing little of his party principles—a fact that will play very well for him with primary voters who want a strongly Democratic nominee. He's known in Virginia for restoring fiscal discipline -- a trait the Democratic party ought to wrap itself around.Third, and perhaps one of the more overlooked strengths benefiting Warner, is his outsider status. Rocked by lobbying scandals and other betrayals of public trust, voters may look for a candidate who has nothing to do with the current crowd on Capitol Hill. Both Carter and Clinton ran as outside-the-beltway reform candidates and defeated better known office holders. His record as a reformer and solutions-oriented leader is cemented. TIME Magazine put him at the front of its spread on "America's 5 Best Governors" in 2005. All of Warner’s strengths and current buzz (see NYT Magazine cover story on 03/12/2006) have not escaped the notice of party donors. IForward Together PAC has raised over $4 million since it started fundraising in December 2005, putting Warner near the top of future presidential contenders in terms of money raised. And since his 80% final job approval rating in a Washington Post poll helped hand over the governorship to fellow Democrat Tim Kaine in January 2006, Warner has been a fixture at Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina Democratic functions, making the connections he’ll need to launch a presidential campaign.For all his positives, Warner faces several obstacles leading up to 2008. For starters, despite the buzz, with no elective office, Warner lacks the media platform he once had to increase his visibility, leaving him several years to get creative in finding ways to stay in the public’s eye—no easy feat. Warner will also have to beef up his credibility on national security and foreign policy issues. While he can point to homeland security accomplishments in his state that includes suburban Washington, DC, it would benefit him to gain more visibility on these issues.It is debatable how much of an impact Warner’s relatively short career in public office will have his chances. On the one hand, he has only four years in elective office, but on the other, he left that office with record-breaking approval ratings (according to Mason-Dixon, the highest ever for a departing governor) and a series of significant policy accomplishments, including leading a national high school reform movement. Given the success of John Edwards, who ran on only one Senate term’s worth of experience, Warner should be fine with his limited record in office.
Current Office: None
Born: Indianapolis, Indiana, on December 15, 1954
Education: George Washington University (1977); Harvard Law School (1980)Family: Married to Lisa Collis; they have three daughters (Madison, Gillian and Eliza)Significant Career Experience:Honorary Chairman, Forward Together PAC, 2005-presentGovernor of Virginia, 2002-2006Chairman, National Governors Association, 2004-2005Chairman, Education Commission for the States, 2003-2004Chairman, Southern Governors Association, 2004Co-founder, NextelRecent history shines brightly on successful moderate Democratic governors who seek the presidency, especially those with relative youth and charisma on their side. In 2008, look for Mark Warner to do what former Governors Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter did before him: ride a record of successful executive experience from outside Washington DC to the presidency.Warner brings a unique set of assets to the presidential primaries: First, he appeals to rural, traditionally Republican voters. In his unsuccessful campaign against Senator John Warner (no relation), Mark Warner ran surprisingly well in rural areas. Five years later, while running for Governor, Warner appealed to rural demographics with such tactics as forming “Sportsmen for Warner,” sponsoring a racing truck, and cutting NASCAR-specific campaign commercials for race day. But his real strength came in talking about bringing knowledge-based jobs to rural Virginia, and preparing the workforce to succeed.Second, he worked with a strongly Republican legislature to take Virginia to what Governing magazine in 2005 identified as the best managed state in the union. To make this feat more extraordinary, Warner accomplished it while sacrificing little of his party principles—a fact that will play very well for him with primary voters who want a strongly Democratic nominee. He's known in Virginia for restoring fiscal discipline -- a trait the Democratic party ought to wrap itself around.Third, and perhaps one of the more overlooked strengths benefiting Warner, is his outsider status. Rocked by lobbying scandals and other betrayals of public trust, voters may look for a candidate who has nothing to do with the current crowd on Capitol Hill. Both Carter and Clinton ran as outside-the-beltway reform candidates and defeated better known office holders. His record as a reformer and solutions-oriented leader is cemented. TIME Magazine put him at the front of its spread on "America's 5 Best Governors" in 2005. All of Warner’s strengths and current buzz (see NYT Magazine cover story on 03/12/2006) have not escaped the notice of party donors. IForward Together PAC has raised over $4 million since it started fundraising in December 2005, putting Warner near the top of future presidential contenders in terms of money raised. And since his 80% final job approval rating in a Washington Post poll helped hand over the governorship to fellow Democrat Tim Kaine in January 2006, Warner has been a fixture at Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina Democratic functions, making the connections he’ll need to launch a presidential campaign.For all his positives, Warner faces several obstacles leading up to 2008. For starters, despite the buzz, with no elective office, Warner lacks the media platform he once had to increase his visibility, leaving him several years to get creative in finding ways to stay in the public’s eye—no easy feat. Warner will also have to beef up his credibility on national security and foreign policy issues. While he can point to homeland security accomplishments in his state that includes suburban Washington, DC, it would benefit him to gain more visibility on these issues.It is debatable how much of an impact Warner’s relatively short career in public office will have his chances. On the one hand, he has only four years in elective office, but on the other, he left that office with record-breaking approval ratings (according to Mason-Dixon, the highest ever for a departing governor) and a series of significant policy accomplishments, including leading a national high school reform movement. Given the success of John Edwards, who ran on only one Senate term’s worth of experience, Warner should be fine with his limited record in office.
