David Barton, a self-styled constitutional expert who founded the socially conservative WallBuilders organization, has endorsed Bob Vander Plaats for governor:
“Bob Vander Plaats epitomizes the leadership our Founding Fathers envisioned when they stood up for our individual liberties,” Barton said in a prepared statement. “He knows that it’s the hard work and unfettered creative spirit of individuals made this country and states like Iowa great. He knows that more bureaucracies, more government employees, higher taxes and increased government spending will crush Iowa. And, he’ll articulate that message in winning fashion.”
Here’s some background on Barton’s vision for America, chock full of Biblical interpretations supporting right-wing public policies. Barton spoke to the Iowa Christian Alliance this fall (click that link to watch videos). His organization hosts a large annual “ProFamily Legislators Conference.”
Barton’s endorsement may help Vander Plaats raise money from around the country as well as recruit volunteers in Iowa. Vander Plaats will particularly need financial support from out of state in order to compete with Terry Branstad, who built relationships with many major donors and local activists during his four terms as governor.
I’ll be curious to see whether conservative activists looking to “take back the Republican Party” through primaries will focus on Iowa’s gubernatorial race in the winter and spring. Vander Plaats already has the backing of former presidential candidate and current Fox TV host Mike Huckabee as well as pop culture icon Chuck Norris. Vander Plaats also was featured on the cover of Focus on the Family’s national magazine in November.
9 Comments
I doubt it
Florida, California, Texas….these are all higher profile than the Iowa gubernatorial primary.
Plus, Marco Rubio, Michael Williams, and Chuck Devore have become darlings of the conservative movement over last 5 months. Vander Plaats has no such love behind him. It’s not not that folks over at Redstate don’t care about Bob, but they have bigger fish to fry, i.e. Carly Fiorina and Charlie Crist.
We’ll see what happens.
ghbraves Fri 18 Dec 4:53 PM
in the next 2-3 months
Rubio may take the lead over Crist, so the movement may look elsewhere for a cause.
They went to the mat in an upstate NY Congressional district–why not in Iowa?
desmoinesdem Sat 19 Dec 7:56 AM
Timing, I suppose
If NY-23 was in the midst of the 2010 elections, with 434 other House races, 36 Senate races, and 35 gubernatorial races to compete with, no one would have cared. However, it was one of the only shows in town. As such, twas’ a much higher profile.
The Iowa gubernatorial election hasn’t garnered much uber-conservative activism over the last 2 months, I just don’t know if that will change over the next four months.
Plus, BVP is a darling of social conservatives. BVP is defined by social conservatism. Note, that Rubio, Williams, and Devore are not defined (exclusively) by their social conservatism. It’s their fiscal/small government conservatism that’s exciting for those on the right, regardless of whether or not you believe this excitement is well placed.
Plus, 2010 is not going to be the year of the social conservative. It’s going to be the year of the anti-Obama, small government, fiscal conservative, and deficit hawk voter (as it stands right now).
Now, if health care gets passed, then the possibility for an interesting 2010 election increases, because more liberals will head out to the polls.
ghbraves Sat 19 Dec 9:25 AM
Vander Platts just keeps running
One of these days he thinks he will break through, but it isn’t happening.
Not to get off topic, but where did Carly Fiorina stray from conservative orthodoxy? The fact that she supports abortion rights in cases of rape and incest? She supports their tax cuts, shipping jobs overseas. I suppose it could be immigration, or is it the fact that she’s a successful woman that secretly bothers them?
moderateiadem Sat 19 Dec 7:17 AM
I think without Branstad in the race
BVP would have won the primary, which is why the establishment panicked and drafted Branstad.
I know little about Carly Fiorina and nothing about why wingnuts don’t like her.
desmoinesdem Sat 19 Dec 7:55 AM
I noticed that you used the term wingnut
Out of curiosity, at what point does someone leave mainstream conservatism and enter the territory of the “wingnut?”
Who is a wingnut?
Chuck Grassley? Charlie Crist? Judd Gregg? Tom Coburn? Mitch McConnell?
ghbraves Sat 19 Dec 9:29 AM
in that sense
I meant the people who are so “conservative” that they think someone like Grassley is too “moderate.”
desmoinesdem Sat 19 Dec 12:32 PM
Wingnut: (n.)
I think the definition of “wingnut” is sort of like the old definition of pornography; hard to define, but you know it when you see it.
🙂
american007 Sat 19 Dec 6:00 PM
I think that tea-party goers
are offended that Carly Fiorina is the establishment choice of the GOP for the CA Senate race. She seems conservative, but people are angry (as they were in NY-23) that the GOP chose the front-runner, rather then letting the people choose in a primary.
ghbraves Sat 19 Dec 9:31 AM