How Democrats Can Win Republican Seats in Iowa

I've got an idea for how Democrats can pick up Republican seats in Iowa. It was 2nd District Congressional Representative Dave Loebsack's (D-IA) idea and it worked. In his first election, he was unfailingly polite and nice to his opponent, then 2nd District Rep. Jim Leach (R-IA). Dave Loebsack and Jim Leach debated with mutual respect.

On Loebsack's website, however, he had an objective "Leach Watch," which listed Rep. Leach's votes on various issues, and I can still remember some of them. He voted against continuing the Civil Right Act's protection of black voters. He voted against raising the minimum wage. He voted to give oil companies huge subsidies to develop nuclear power. Leach voted for things that really didn't help his constituents at all unless they were oil companies or rich donors. You wouldn't necessarily know that if you didn't look at his voting record. He was oddly considered to be a distinguished public servant, and for the life of me I don't understand why, given his voting record. He went to Princeton, but so what? That didn't give him a moral compass, apparently, just good manners.

If I were Abby Finkenauer or anyone else running against 1st District Rep. Rod Blum (R-IA), a millionaire who voted for a Republican-backed tax plan that makes not only Blum richer but his Republican donors richer and Trump, as well, I would post a "Blum Watch" voting record on my website. Assuming Rod Blum is foolish enough to debate whoever the eventual Democratic nominee is to run against him, I would play nice but make sure that he deals in facts when he speaks, not Republican alternate facts. Regardless, Democrats have an 18-point lead over Blum in the polls.

The Not One Penny campaign changed their ads against Blum from saying he is worth $15 million to saying he's worth $8 million. Either way, he's a multi-millionaire and doesn't represent the bulk of his constituents, most of whom don't happen to be millionaires. He voted for permanent tax cuts for the richest of the rich, including himself, and a temporary tax cut for the middle class. His voting record should be listed on his opponent's website.

Republican voting records tend to astonish. You assume greed, but not Scrooge and Tiny Tim-like greed and selfishness. I remember reading in the Gazette that both Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst voted against making middle-class tax cuts permanent although they voted for making tax cuts for corporations and the richest of the rich permanent. Who would have guessed? Aren't most of their constituents middle class? Ah, but not their donors! That's who their real constituents are.

Senator Chuck Grassley lost 15 points in his favorability rating after his clueless comment about how the estate tax cut rewards people who don't blow their money on "booze, women, and movies." His approval rating dropped from 57% to 42%. A political cartoon by Duffy that I saw after Grassley's great-grandfather's comment pictured a sour-faced Grassley saying, "Tax cuts for working people? They would just spend every cent on booze, women or movies." In the next frame, ordinary working men and women are saying to a cranky Grassley, "Our paychecks go for food, student loans, and mortgages. The only money we've wasted has been on your salary."

Sen. Joni Ernst's approval rating is at 48%. List Grassley's and Ernst's voting records and they should be vulnerable when they're next up for reelection, assuming Grassley doesn't die in the harness. He's got his grandson Pat Grassley's name on his Senate post, but that's for the voters to decide.

Whoever runs against 3rd District Rep. David Young (R-IA) should list his voting record on Young Watch. His voting record is appalling. People should know just how Scrooge-like his votes have been.

J. Ann Selzer, a renowned Iowa pollster, says that Democrats are up in the first district by +18 points (she said so on David Yepsen's IPTV show 12/31/17). Democrats are up by a mere point over David Young in the third district. Democrats are behind by one point in the fourth district, Steve King country. This is pretty amazing, actually, considering how popular Steve King usually is. The Democrats, a Republican woman, and a Libertarian, all running against Steve King, should post a "King Watch" of King's appalling voting record on their websites and see if they can't jiggle loose a win over King, a showman like Trump -- all circus and no bread. He's got zingers of the bigoted, sexist variety, but no legislative accomplishments that I'm aware of.

At this point I don't care who beats Steve King as long as he gets beat. I'm tired of him embarrassing me and the rest of the state. He needs to go.

Speaking of who needs to go, Gov. Kim Reynolds' numbers aren't very favorable, according to the Iowa Poll. Even though her approval rating is 51%, thirty-five percent of Iowans polled would rather see someone else elected.