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.
If Bob Vander Plaats doesn’t step up to challenge the record of former Gov. Terry Branstad the Republican gubernatorial primary won’t even be close, a leading voice in the state’s social conservative movement said Tuesday on the show of Christian radio host Steve Deace.
Bill Salier, who ran unsuccessfully for the right to challenge U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin in 2002 and who remains an influential voice in conservative politics, said Vander Plaats had all the momentum he needed after last April’s Iowa Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. But his inability to articulate positions on other issues of importance to Iowans has surrendered that momentum to Branstad.
Bill Salier
“It’s Branstad’s race to win,” he said, adding: “You’re on the 10 yard line. Just don’t fumble the ball.”
Vander Plaats’ focus on the marriage issue has caused many voters, as well as the media, to pigeon hole him as a one-issue candidate, Salier said. It has also allowed Branstad to avoid talking about his record and instead campaign “based on nostalgia and ‘things were better back then.’”
“If he continues to do that he will be successful, but he can only do that if the other campaigns allow him to do it,” Salier said.
If Vander Plaats is going to be a threat to Branstad he is going to have to understand that the other half of the campaign still exists, Salier said, and he will have to demonstrate he has ideas about taxes, the budget and other key interests to Republican primary voters, such as “the Second Amendment and illegal immigration.”
“If he understands these issues I think he really makes a run at Branstad,” he said. “If he doesn’t, well, whether [state Rep.] Rod Roberts is in the race and they split a small percentage of the vote is inconsequential.”
Deace pointed to the Republican Party of Iowa’s fundraiser last November as another example of an opportunity lost for the Vander Plaats campaign. At the fundraiser, Branstad delivered a speech that was not well received. He read his remarks from note cards and at times stumbled over his words.
Vander Plaats spoke after the former governor but did not take the opportunity to attack him, Deace said.
“He should have put him down like a horse with a broken leg,” he said. When your opponent is down you should “drive a stake through the heart, cut the head off and stuff it with garlic.”
If Branstad’s record as governor does not come under attack in the primary it will be ammunition for Democrats in the fall. Conservatives will have to chose between the lesser of two evils, Deace said.
“The Democrats win and… the first people they’re going to blame for the loss won’t be there sell out candidate, it will be people like you and I ,” he said, adding: “Nero will blame us for the fire he started yet again.”
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