Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
Word that the co-chairs of University of Iowa Students for Hillary Clinton are encouraging Clinton supporters to back Sen. John McCain in the fall presidential election has caused quite a stir, and nowhere more so than in the ranks of the group College and Young Democrats of Iowa.Originally just for members of the organization’s Facebook group, the note penned Wednesday by University of Iowa student and Students for Hillary Co-chair Cody Eliff and signed by fellow co-chair Nikki Dziuban has made its way across the blogosphere and into online versions of publications like The Nation, The Atlantic and Politico.
In a state where presidential contests have traditionally been decided by razor-thin margins, and at a time when Democrats are trying to preach the message of party unity, even a few Clinton supporters publicly backing McCain has caused emotions to run high.
“It’s incredibly frustrating,” said Maggie Abney, field director of the College and Young Democrats of Iowa and former Clinton volunteer who now supports Obama. “I just don’t understand where they are drawing the significant differences they cite as reasons to support McCain.”
In the note, Eliff gives many reasons why he will not support Obama, with talking points that could just as easily have come straight from the McCain campaign.
“We will put up someone who has been to Iraq once for a photo-op against someone who has a son serving in Iraq and has been there countless times, with Sen. Clinton in some instances,” the note said, adding later: “Sen. Obama was not nominated as we see it, but appointed by the Rules and Bylaws Committee of the DNC. He took his name off of the ballot in Michigan in order to pander to voters here in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.”
Eliff could not be reached for comment, but as it turns out, he is not alone. Jordan Levine, who served as co-president of the Grinnell College Students for Hillary, said he, too, may support McCain in the fall, but has not made up his mind. In addition to not liking where Obama stands on the issues, he also said the actions of his fellow Democrats are turning him off to their nominee.
“They are being belligerent and trying to push me into supporting Obama,” he said. “That should be a serious concern. I have every right to vote how I want.”
Levine said he has been contacted via e-mail numerous times by the McCain campaign seeking his support, but regardless of who he votes for in the fall, he will not actively participate in the presidential election.
“I’m really not comfortable with either candidate,” he said. “I’ll work for Democrats in local races, I’ll vote straight Democratic ticket, but I may not even cast a vote for president. I don’t know, and no one will know for sure but me.”
Atul Nakhasi, vice president of the College and Young Democrats of Iowa and former president of the University of Iowa Democrats, said the hard-fought primary campaign could have left some people bruised and upset.
“The primary just ended and emotions are running high,” he said. “I believe we can bring them back to the majority of College Democrats with time.”
Abney, who said she worked almost full-time for the Clinton campaign since May 2007, said so much emotion is put into these campaigns it is hard not to take the loss personally.
Levine said his indecision on Obama has nothing to do with emotion and everything to do with issues.
“I just don’t like where he stands,” he said. “One of my main issues is health care, and Obama’s plan has some very big differences with Clinton’s.”
Alec Schierenbeck, president of the College and Young Democrats of Iowa, said this endorsement represents an extremely small minority within college-aged Democrats.
“There really wasn’t much support for Clinton in student-heavy districts around the state,” he said. “I don’t think this will have much impact at all.”
Abney said there is no reason someone who supports Clinton’s agenda could possibly support McCain in full faith.
“There were differences, but at the end of the day, we were all Democrats and have the same goals,” she said. “You can’t say that for McCain. You can’t say he will support universal health care, upholding Roe v. Wade and ending the war in Iraq.”
There are bound to be hurt feelings within the College Democrats, Abney said, but she hopes they can work through the differences and make the organization even stronger.
“It will be a challenge to overcome [the McCain endorsements] and put them behind us,” she said. “But I think we will.”
Nakhasi agrees.
“The vast majority of Clinton supporters will embrace Barack Obama,” he said. “I have no doubts about that.”
Follow Jason Hancock on Twitter
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter