Opinion: A Burgher bites the dust

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I had two reactions to the withdrawal of former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack from the 2008 Democratic presidential race. The first was the conventional observation that the field has been depopulated of once and present governors (Mark Warner of Virginia and Evan Bayh of Indiana pulled out earlier), leaving only New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson able to play the “I’ve actually run something” card.

My second reaction to the Vilsack withdrawal was more parochial: There goes my hometown’s bid to elect a president! My former colleagues at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had the same idea: The lead on their Vilsack story said: “Pittsburgh native Tom Vilsack’s run for the Democratic nomination for president never got out of the starting block.”

I have written before about the endearing inferiority complex of people in my native city, who, like Canadians, are known for piping up to friends from more cosmopolitan places that this celebrity or that is one of us. But Pittsburghers have been notably absent from even the most capacious lists of would-be presidents. The last Burgher whose name passed the lips of the Great Mentioner was the late Sen. John Heinz, who was killed in 1991 in a plane crash.

There were other might-have-beens. Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, a native Pittsburgher, briefly ran for the GOP nomination in 2000. Former Pennsylvania Govs. Dick Thornburgh (whose campaign slogan for Congress was ‘Thornburgh as in Pittsburgh’) and Tom Ridge (a native of the Pittsburgh area who grew up in Erie) achieved national prominence as Cabinet members. But no one talks about them as potential presidents anymore.

With the precedent of Arnold Schwarzenegger in mind, perhaps Pittsburghers should coalesce behind a show-biz celebrity from the Burgh. But should it be Dennis Miller, Michael Keaton or Jeff Goldblum? I know: Charles Grodin in 2008!