So much attention is paid to November’s general elections that the casual political observer often loses sight of the importance of June’s primary election. But for Republicans frustrated by inaction on the part of the Iowa legislature — particularly the Iowa House — when it comes to the Protect Life Amendment (killed in 2020), Big Tech Censorship bill (killed in 2021), removing gender identity from the civil right code (killed multiple years) and Education Savings Accounts (killed multiple years), November means nothing.
Nothing.
Because there isn’t one single thing Democrats can do or have done to stop any of those things from becoming law.
No. Every time something conservative has failed in the legislature it has been due to lack of support among Republicans.
The reason Iowans don’t have a say in 2022 on whether their state constitution contains a right to an abortion? House Republicans — specifically Lee Hein, Dave Maxwell and Jane Bloomingdale.
The reason Iowans don’t have any protection from Big Tech censorship? House Republicans.
The reason Iowa moms and dads and families don’t have Education Savings Accounts? House Republicans.
The list could go on, but I believe the point has been made.
And GOP leadership doesn’t want change — because it means they would have to take up some topics that the donor class would rather the GOP avoid. The donor class and the voter class have very different priorities. And, unfortunately, the donor class’s money matters much more to GOP leadership than your vote.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Not at all.
That’s because many of the squishy Republicans in the House have primary opponents. And The Iowa Standard will continue rolling out endorsements next week.
You know who else doesn’t mind squishy Republicans? The mainstream media. How often has the mainstream media provided names of the Republicans holding up the conservative agenda in Iowa?
Rarely.
Why? Because they don’t mind the squishy Republicans holding up the conservative agenda because — at the end of the day — they don’t want the conservative agenda in Iowa either.
And Republican leadership is all about protecting the caucus. Keeping power. Maintaining the majority. Yada. Yada. Yada.
But this cautious fake conservatism cannot stand forever. It has to end. Republicans need to demand more of their elected officials in Iowa. Rather than protecting and defending the caucus, individual legislators should be accountable to their constituents first.
November matters. But so too does June. The wrong Republican for 10 or 20 years can be just as bad — if not worse — than a Democrat for two.
We must become mature voters and quit treating politics like it is an Iowa-Iowa State football game where, yeah, there’s a rivalry, but we’ll always root for the Hawks or always root for the Cyclones just because that’s the way it is.
This matters way more than that. This isn’t a rivalry. This isn’t a game. This is real world crap. The moderate Republicans must go — either in June or November.
June would be ideal. That way conservative Iowans have a chance in November. If the moderates survive their primary races, then there won’t be much choice come November.
