Here’s your weekend open thread: all topics welcome.
I’d like to hear views from the Bleeding Heartland community on a question that’s been on my mind lately, as the “Liberty” movement ceases to be the dominant force in the Republican Party of Iowa. Why haven’t more people from the large contingent of Ron Paul/Rand Paul admirers stepped up to run in this year’s Iowa Republican primaries?
Despite plenty of speculation, no one associated with Ron Paul’s presidential campaign went for Iowa’s first open U.S. Senate seat in 40 years. Why not? This opportunity won’t come around again soon, not with Senator Chuck Grassley already planning to seek a seventh term in 2016. Did fundraising concerns or some other factor keep Drew Ivers, David Fischer, or others from believing they could run a strong Senate campaign?
In Iowa’s open third Congressional district, none of the six Republican candidates publicly endorsed Ron Paul for president, as far as I know. Nor did any of the three Republicans running against Representative Dave Loebsack in IA-02.
Iowa’s most prominent “Liberty” candidate is Rod Blum in the open first Congressional district. There are a few Paulinistas running in GOP primaries for the Iowa House and Senate, but not as many as I would have expected, given the Liberty movement’s takeover of the Iowa GOP apparatus in 2012.
1 Comment
Many reasons
I think Big Liberty can win in pockets of the state, but the true Libertarian message on immigration reform that would cater to big business doesn’t really play well amongst Iowa populists.
Then you have their views on social issues which don’t really appeal to either base on a consistent basis. Social conservatives attack true Libertarians for hating God and then Dems/liberals act like most Libertarians are really going to enforce a view of the 10th Amendment that was acceptable to Barry Goldwater in 1964.
It is a smart tactic by Dems, but I think Libertarians realize they can’t reserve the progress of the civil rights movement, nor would they want to.
There is a whole host of other issues that simply wouldn’t play well here in a statewide general election for a Paulist candidate.
moderateiadem Mon 31 Mar 2:22 PM