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The Conservative Reader:
Iowa

3 Links To Make You Think (Week of 6/10 – 6/17)

3 Links To Make You Think (Week of 6/10 – 6/17)

Preparing for the Supreme Court Fallout

With the Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Health Care Act expected within the next two weeks, both sides of the isle are busy making contingency plans.  Two things of specific note here are:

  1. This decision will directly affect the next session of the Iowa Legislature.  As of this moment the General Assembly has delayed setting up the insurance exchanges that are required in the health care law.  If the law is upheld there will be mounting pressure on Iowa Republicans to begin this process quickly, and they will be forced to decide to either design the exchanges in order to have a say in how they are built, or take no action and risk having Iowa being governed by the exchange that the Federal government constructs.
  2. The decision’s details will have a great impact on our health care system as it pertains to the expansion of Medicaid.  The working theory is that, as long as the whole law is not thrown out, the expansion of Medicaid that would put at least 16 million new people on the Medicaid roles would remain in effect.  In this scenario action by Congress would be required to reverse this new reality.  This highlights the importance of Republicans winning both the Senate and the Oval Office in November, regardless of the Supreme Court ruling.

     New York Times: With Justices Set to Rule on Health Law, Two Parties Strategize

 

 

An Early Analysis of Iowa in November

Take a look at the infrastructure the Obama and Romney campaigns are building in Iowa, and some of the factors at play in a crucial swing state.

Among some of the interesting things dealt with here are how having Steve King and the judicial retention elections on the November ballot will affect the Presidential race.

Slate: The Psychological State of Iowa 

 

A Disturbing Sign of the Times

One wonders how long our Country can prosper while producing citizens capable of the following behavior–and having a social safety net that makes it possible.

Unbelievable and Despicable:  News Channel 3 (Memphis): Memphis Man Owes Child Support to 15 Women

Even More Unbelievable and Despicable:  News Channel 3 (Memphis):  Tenn. Man “Fathers” 30 Kids But Can’t Support Any 

Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places

Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places

As a life-long Iowan, I can tell you the ridiculous National stereo-type that we are all corn growers or hog farmers is bad enough without adding an even worse one…that we are a bunch of babies.

With the political season heating up and the eyes of the Nation beginning to turn toward us, now should be our time to shine—not to whine. Unfortunately, too much whining is what I have heard from some of my fellow Iowa Republicans lately.

Before this week the running gripe was over the likelihood that Mitt Romney and his campaign wouldn’t be “all in” with their Iowa effort. News reports and blogs have been filled with comments and insinuations that if he doesn’t fully participate in the State he will be punished for it by voters. This was followed by the reaction to Michelle Bachmann’s unfortunate cancellation as the featured speaker at a Polk County GOP fundraiser last Thursday.

I was in attendance at this event and saw at least 30 people walk-out during her, admittedly technically challenged, appearance via Skype. She chose the video feed as a last second alternative to missing the event all together due to a delayed House vote on The Patriot Act. In addition to the walk-outs, the fallout from this was loud grumblings by event organizers that she “dissed” Iowa, and claims from others that her potential campaign for President was over even before it got started.

Though by no means an endorsement of her or how the dinner went, these sentiments were both a hyper-sensitive reaction and grossly unfair. The reality is that scheduling problems, especially for a member of Congress, happen. Though it was not a great night for her, the event, or the Polk GOP, an important vote simply, and unexpectedly, ran long. It should also be noted that she was as contrite about it as her image on the screen was blurry…and it was very blurry.

In general, the reaction to both the Romney and Bachmann situations have made Iowa Republicans look and sound more like scorned lovers than serious judges of Presidential candidates. While I fully understand the disappointment of the Bachmann cancellation and the desire to have a bona fide contender like Romney spend time here, I shudder at a mind-set that would allow either to be a factor.

Though it certainly applies to a small minority of Iowa voters, anyone who makes their decision on the “emotional” grounds of not getting enough personal attention, in my view, is guilty of a dereliction of duty. After all, how can one argue that it is not what they say, but where they say it that matters?

With our State’s great influence in the process comes great responsibility. Considering that an Obama re-election would mean he could possibly appoint two more Supreme Court judges, a full implementation of “Obama-Care” would be certain, and that there would be four more years of a liberal president politically unconstrained to spend freely, the stakes couldn’t be higher. This makes it even more unsettling that a sect of informed Republicans are concerned about completely irrelevant things such as how much time a candidate personally spends fawning over us.

The last time I checked we are supposed to be selecting our Country’s next president—not dating. Furthermore, if we were dating we likely wouldn’t have much luck acting in this manner anyways. The word on the street would spread through the singles community like wildfire─WARNING…HIGH MAINTENANCE!

In running the ironic risk of whining too much about whining, let me quickly close by saying that I hope this attention-craving neediness is not a harbinger of things to come. Not only is it un-Iowan, it is un-American (at least it used to be anyways). The sooner we stop the bed wetting and start the vetting the better. Whether or not we are getting the attention of this or that candidate, we certainly have the Country’s attention.

Besides the fact that focusing on petty, inconsequential things will likely not lead us to the best nominee, it just plain looks bad.

I tell you this, if I have to be incorrectly typecast by the rest of the Country, I’d gladly take bib overalls and a tractor over a pacifier.

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