The 2008 presidential campaign of Evan Bayh, Democratic Senator and 46th Governor of Indiana, began shortly after the 2004 presidential election.
Although he was frequently mentioned as a possible challenger to frontrunner Hillary Clinton due to his status as a Senator from a traditionally red state who could appeal to moderates in a general election, Bayh stopped short of a full-fledged candidacy, withdrawing from the race in December 2006 despite accumulating approximately $10.4 million for the campaign. His withdrawal was tied to his public image, which characterized the candidate as "dependable" but "dull".
Bayh spent a considerable amount of time campaigning throughout the early primary states (particularly Iowa and New Hampshire) for most of 2005 and 2006. The staff from his All America Political Action Committee (PAC) worked as his campaign team.
Two weeks prior to his withdrawal, Bayh filed his organization with the Federal Elections Commission as an exploratory committee, under the header Friends of Evan Bayh. Following his exit from the race, Bayh endorsed and campaigned for Hillary Clinton for president, switching his support to Democratic nominee Barack Obama following Clinton's withdrawal. He was a finalist to become Obama's running mate, losing, in a close decision, to Delaware Senator Joe Biden.
Early stages
Following the re-election of President George W. Bush and Bayh's re-election as a Senator from Indiana, Bayh considered the possibility of running for president in 2008. Although Bush carried Bayh's home state by 20 points, Bayh won 61% of the vote, solidifying the Senator's appeal to moderate and Republican voters. After serving four years as the chair of the Democratic Leadership Council, Bayh hoped to even further demonstrate his position as a moderate by helping to found the Third Way Political Action Committee in January 2005.
As word increased of Bayh's intentions, political scientists opined on the detractions of a run. Citing the fact that his eight years as governor may be nullified by its distance in time and that his visibility in the Senate was low, critics pondered whether moderate voters may be more inclined to line with possible candidate Mark Warner of Virginia. However, this criticism subsided once Warner decided against a run in October 2006.
On the campaign trail
2005
Bayh traveled to the first primary state of New Hampshire on July 10, 2005 on his first campaign trip since the 2004 election. He held a "meet and greet" at Democratic headquarters in Manchester, and visited Concord the following day to meet with Governor John Lynch and environmental leaders. The next month he traveled to the first caucus state of Iowa, meeting with Congressman Leonard Boswell to discuss methamphetamine use. He also attended party fundraisers and met with activists during his three-day stay. While in Des Moines, Bayh stated that Democrats must gain credibility on national security, and commented that he would begin a full-fledged presidential campaign if he felt he had the means to win the Democratic nomination. Throughout the month, he visited Iowa and reflected similar rhetoric to the 2004 Kerry campaign, advocating energy independence, fair trade, lowering the federal deficit and an improved handling of the war in Iraq. He explained to reporters that his visits to Iowa were "the beginning of a longer conversation".
The following month, Bayh decided to vote against the confirmation of John Roberts as Chief Justice of the United States. This move was judged by some political commentators as "posturing" for the 2008 race. Detractors stated that Bayh voted against the judge to appeal to the liberals of the party, as other possible candidates voted in a similar manner. The next month, Bayh attended the annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner in New Hampshire. At the event he accused President Bush of dividing the nation and stated that he believed Democrats could win in red states (traditional Republican states) if they stood up for "American values".