Is Yepsen Right?
In pretty solid read about the future of the Iowa Caucuses. Following up on another solid read about the surging John McCain, Yepsen is having a good week. Sometimes we disagree with Iowa's senior political columnist, but in this case, he appears to be on the cutting edge.
McCain: we've wondered In Flyover Country whether McCain should even play in Iowa. He has a lot of hurdles here: 1) he hates ethanol subsidies, 2) he dissed the Iowa Caucuses not once, but really one and a half times, 3) he's on the wrong side of Iowa conservatives on a wide range of issues, and 4) he's never seemed like he could come here and talk to Iowans without sticking it to us on something (usually ethanol).
But the truth is, he's got a shot, for a lot of compelling reasons. 1) Iowans respect his service and know he loves his country more than himself. In deeply patriotic Iowa, McCain is the kind of selfless leader we Iowans know we can count on to put country first. 2) His opponent, Barry Obama, appears to have lost most of his magic. Sure, he'll get big crowds like the one in, ahem, Germany. But he's seemed tentative, halting, and uneven lately. 3) With the rise of a new potential Cold War, the country will turn to the ultimate Cold Warrior. We may be going global, but that doesn't mean we're living in an Obaman Olympic Village.
Yepsen's right. McCain is surging and he could win Iowa. Let's make sure we help him, and not worry about whether we got the right Veep pick.
Caucuses: Yepsen underscores the claim that the Iowa Caucuses cost the Democrats the 2004 election by selecting the liberal Kerry, and makes a comparison to the stumbling Obama.
Unfortunately for Iowa politicos, Yepsen is right again. First, if Obama loses, the Clintons will put a stake through the heart of the caucuses. It will be their party again. Second, and what he didn't write about, is that with Iowa Republicans giving the win to a fundamentalist Christian Leader, we've shit our Republican nest as well. Sorry all you Huckamaniacs, but the country will NEVER nominate or elect a candidate with a profile like Mike Huckabee.
Set aside how much McCain hates the Iowa Caucuses (and believe us, he does), when mainstream candidates drop out of our straw poll, and don't compete hard in the caucuses, it's for a reason. And the reason is, the fundamentalist Christians want to make our caucuses about who is most radically pro-life, or most radically anti-gay.
So either way you slice it, Republican or Democrat, Iowa might have taken a risk sending Obama and Huckabee out winners on January 3.
I'm sure I've started a shit-storm here, but we might as well have the talk now.
McCain: we've wondered In Flyover Country whether McCain should even play in Iowa. He has a lot of hurdles here: 1) he hates ethanol subsidies, 2) he dissed the Iowa Caucuses not once, but really one and a half times, 3) he's on the wrong side of Iowa conservatives on a wide range of issues, and 4) he's never seemed like he could come here and talk to Iowans without sticking it to us on something (usually ethanol).
But the truth is, he's got a shot, for a lot of compelling reasons. 1) Iowans respect his service and know he loves his country more than himself. In deeply patriotic Iowa, McCain is the kind of selfless leader we Iowans know we can count on to put country first. 2) His opponent, Barry Obama, appears to have lost most of his magic. Sure, he'll get big crowds like the one in, ahem, Germany. But he's seemed tentative, halting, and uneven lately. 3) With the rise of a new potential Cold War, the country will turn to the ultimate Cold Warrior. We may be going global, but that doesn't mean we're living in an Obaman Olympic Village.
Yepsen's right. McCain is surging and he could win Iowa. Let's make sure we help him, and not worry about whether we got the right Veep pick.
Caucuses: Yepsen underscores the claim that the Iowa Caucuses cost the Democrats the 2004 election by selecting the liberal Kerry, and makes a comparison to the stumbling Obama.
Unfortunately for Iowa politicos, Yepsen is right again. First, if Obama loses, the Clintons will put a stake through the heart of the caucuses. It will be their party again. Second, and what he didn't write about, is that with Iowa Republicans giving the win to a fundamentalist Christian Leader, we've shit our Republican nest as well. Sorry all you Huckamaniacs, but the country will NEVER nominate or elect a candidate with a profile like Mike Huckabee.
Set aside how much McCain hates the Iowa Caucuses (and believe us, he does), when mainstream candidates drop out of our straw poll, and don't compete hard in the caucuses, it's for a reason. And the reason is, the fundamentalist Christians want to make our caucuses about who is most radically pro-life, or most radically anti-gay.
So either way you slice it, Republican or Democrat, Iowa might have taken a risk sending Obama and Huckabee out winners on January 3.
I'm sure I've started a shit-storm here, but we might as well have the talk now.
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