Vander Platts to drop from governor's race

[leQ]

DES MOINES – The Republican race for governor will become a one-man contest this week, according to GOP sources.

Bob Vander Plaats is expected to drop out of the race and endorse his rival, U.S. Rep. Jim Nussle. Nussle is then expected to make Vander Plaats his running mate.

Former Gov. Terry Branstad, a Nussle advisor, confirmed that the announcement will come Wednesday.

“It’s true,” Branstad said, saying he was informed through a phone call from Nussle this morning. “This will give the Republicans a unified front.”

Source

is that good news or what?

[Rambis]

1. I remember the good ole days, Before the dark times, before the empire

YIKES!

[Debi]

2. Ohhhhh (big-time swear word in here) this sucks.....

Man, that's just about the worst news I ever heard.

[IADEMO2004]

3. Pure Republican, We will decide for you

voters don't need to worry about anything it's all done for you.

"Here's your sign" Jeff Foxworthy

[tom2]

4. They need more than Republicans

Branstad is probably right, uniting the western Iowa ideologues with Nussle's eastern Iowa Republicans should unify their party, and it may also improve their voter turnout. Still, with all the scandals, they may not get all of their base to the polls, and their base is not enough anyway.

The Democrats also should be unified (hopefully the bickering will be minimal, and none of the primary contenders runs as an independent). With a good GOTV campaign (eg, absentee ballots) the Dem turnout should be as strong as the Republican turnout.

Per usual, the independents will be the key. The two parties are about equal in registration, and whoever gets the majority of independents will win. Having a woman on the ticket should help (I would assume Blouin or Fallon would also choose a woman for the Lt. Gov. spot), and I think Nussle should have found a woman to run with.

Tarring Nussle with the big government and federal debt mess that he made in Washington may be our strongest weapon. Vander Plaats can't help Nussle with that albatross.

I still like our chances, no matter who wins our primary.

[Debi]

5. Agreed, I still think the Democrat team will prevail in the General

I just REALLY wanted to see Nussle bloodied in the primary.

Now the one person who could have opened that door and shine light on Nussle's skeletons will be putting a damn padlock on the door instead.

I just hope the registered independents in the state are paying close attention to their pocketbooks right now, none of us are rolling in the dough. We have Jim Nussle and the GOP to thank for that.

[Counciltucky]

13. It'll be easy to point out the GOP as ultra-right-wing now.

Nussle and Vander Plaats?! Wow -- that'll be easy as hell to show this ticket as far out of the mainstream. Now we just have to make sure that we can demonstrate Culver (and Judge) as the mainstream candidates.

Add that to the fact that Culver's campaign logos, signs, etc., are simply more attractive than Nussle's, and I'm very optimistic...

[tom2]

6. Nussle's real running mate

Gordon Fischer had a great comment on the Sunday morning channel 13 (WHO?) politics show the week before last. When Doug Gross said what a great running mate Vander Plaats would be for Nussle, Gordon came back that no matter who Nussle picks, his running mate was going to be George W. Bush.

[amesdem]

7. Watch Blouin.....

With Nussle's addition and Culver's announcement last week watch Blouin to add a pro-life female to the ticket, I'm predicting that before March.

Anyone want to take bets? I'll give you 3-1 odds!!!

This is also another problem with Democrats. We fail to see the big picture, republicans like Nussle and Vander Platts, join together and watch us self implode. It's ridiculous, instead of killing eachother in the Primary and wasting all that money, the Democratic Party needs to unify!!!!


If Fallon doesn't drop out now, he's a selfish prick! If he drops out, then he understands politics and will be deemed in my book to be called a democrat again. (after the Nader endorsement in 2000)

[tom2]

8. Unify????

I don't think name-calling helps. What you are doing is exactly what we should not do. You are turning people off from Culver by such remarks. I doubt Chet wants you saying these things. I know Fallon supporters are not happy with what you are saying.

A civil primary can be a real boost, giving considerable publicity to all the candidates. You can't buy the type of media coverage you can get with a contested primary. Local reporters want to do interviews, county soup suppers can become media events, and you can have several debates.

It is ridiculous for a supporter of one candidate to declare the others should drop out in the name of unity.

So, show some respect for the other candidates, and may the best man win!

[pstans]

11. Fallon should not drop out?

There is a reason for primaries. I think if Fallon dropped out it would make it worse. Blouin and Culver would then be throwing mud all over the place and over after the primary. With Fallon in there, some of the mud will be spread around.

I am a Fallon supporter and I admit that he is an underdog. He doesn't have the money that Culver has or the party backing that Blouin has. However, Fallon speaks about the issues that affect the average Iowan. I basically consider Blouin a Republican with his pro-corporate, anti-choice stances and I know that I am not the only Democrat who feels that way.

[Debi]

15. Why do you think the Party isn't unified? Because we're not spoon-fed

our candidates? We get to choose who will be the nominee through a Democratic process called VOTING??? The last thing I want from my party is back-room pushing and shoving and being told who I will support for Governor before I even get to have my say. It's one thing to go through the primary process and then rally behind the winner of the majority of votes. It's another thing to be told by the Party Bosses that I WILL support THEIR candidate of choice.

As for your advice to Fallon. He believes in what he is doing (just like all the other candidates). Who are we to tell him whether or not he can run? If he doesn't win the primary his question of whether or not to run is answered. Where will you be standing if he wins the primary? On the sidelines screaming that Fallon isn't a Democrat? Please.

[DU9598]

9. Not all bad

Hey, the biggest thing here is that Nussle feared VP so much that he added him to the ticket to stop the bloody fight that he obviously expected. This means there is a lot there to draw blood from Nussle. It also keeps Nussle from having to campaign statewide and have a test in the primary. Most importantly, the R ticket is now two pro-life (crazy pro-life) white male, conservatives. I don't see that ticket playing with moderate voters at all. It's time to start painting/framing them as the corrupt, zealot team that is out of step with Iowa. Their ticket ignores Iowa women and ignores rural Iowa. I don't see that dog hunting as the race goes along. This really makes Culver's teaming up with Patty look brilliant.

[Debi]

17. I believe the term, dear, is batshitcrazy!!! n/t

[pstans]

10. I think Vander Plaats was running for this

It is one thing to run against Doug Gross and another thing to run against a Congressman. Vander Plaats realized this from the get go and played it safe. My mother-in-law was the county chair here for Vander Plaats, I talked to a lot about Nussle's failures in terms of the budget, scandal, and family values (all Conservative issues). She said that Vander Plaats is running a positive campaign and isn't going to stoop to that level. After hearing that he is dropping out and endorsing Nussle, I think that was his plan all along. He didn't want to bloody Nussle up, piss him off, and not have a shot at Lt. Governor.

I heard Vander Plaats speak 2 weeks ago and had a chance to speak to him. He is a conservative, but I felt that he is an outsider candidate. Teaming up with the Washington insider doesn't make sense.

As someone on Iowa Underground said, though, a Nussle-Vander Plaats ticket locks up all the votes in Pella.

[ISUGRADIA]

12. first election since 1982 without a woman on the Republican ticket

[Hardrada]

14. I knew this would happen since Yepsen mentioned this

in his opinion piece in the DMR some weeks ago. Damn, and I was going to help the VP campaign too just so Nussle would sweat a bit for a change.

[IA_Seth]

16. Dammmmmmmmn

I don't think this kills any Dem candidate's chances of being elected, but it certainly will make things a bit more difficult. Not only will Nussle and VP have a few extra months of formulating a message, piling in uncontested fund raising, and rallying their troops...but they will also not spend a dime bloodying each other the way I had hoped.

That makes Nussle's war chest that much more formidable!

I guess that just means we know who our enemy is, and can concentrate on the ticket NOW instead of later.

[CornField]

18. I heard that Vander Platts will be joining the Nussle ticket

.

[Hardrada]

19. Rats, my plan was to vote for him in the primary

to weaken Nussle. Now I will have to vote Democratic and pick someone who is the most antiwar among out three congessional possibles. (Gluba probably).

[Debi]

20. Gluba's not running for Govenor

Your choice are Culver/Judge, Blouin and Fallon - also Sal Mohammad and Vernon Weems. Did I leave anyone out?


Gluba is running for Congress against Bruce Braley and Rick Dickinson and Denny Heath. I would agree, Gluba has been the most vocal about Iraq of the candidates.

[IA_Seth]

21. Lol

I think he was probably saying that since he won't be voting repub for VanderPutzen he will now be voting Dem. And since he is voting Dem, he will now vote for Gluba for Congress.

Maybe I am wrong, but that's what I got from it!

[Hardrada]

25. Yah, that is what I meant.

Dickinson was not explicit to us about his no timetable bit but Gluba was forthright. Now I must forget about Vandersnatch.

[Debi]

26. Sorry

:blush: I got all caught up in the moment.

[Debi]

27. So you laugh at me? Ass

:kick:

[IA_Seth]

31. ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

I was laughin WITH you, and all that.

Hee hee.

[Debi]

33. Lets take this outside

:grr:

:hi:

I know I'm going to have to swear off of DU for a week or two or I'm gonna go batty!

[IA_Seth]

35. oh come on now....

You know I'm just playin.

I about ready to hit the road (25 minutes...woo hoo)...have a good night!

[CornField]

23. Debi...

I haven't heard of this Vernon Weems. Does he have a website?

[pstans]

24. Weems dropped out this week

[Debi]

29. I didn't know that....now who should I vote for

:7

[Hardrada]

32. What issues are your top priority?

Or was that a rhetorical question?

[Debi]

34. Actually is was a facetious question

Weems wasn't going anywhere in the race and Seth_IA and I had joked about my being a caucus supporter of Weems as a joke.

My husband and I endorsed Culver long time ago and I've been a VERY vocal supporter of his.

But I do believe that everyone has the right to run if they want to and if they can get the adequate amount of support to get on the ballot.

Sometimes people think that once they announce that they are a candidate support and money will just come rushing in. Not so, running for office is tough and it takes over a person's life. Raising money is hard and, in a primary, friendships can get split up and long running relationships can get frayed. I don't know if people understand it until they actually do it. :shrug:

[Hardrada]

37. I know.

I ran for State Rep once and had a primary too. I still don't like to remember it very much since nearly all Dems lost that year (1980). BUT I am glad I participated and did not just sit around and complain.

[IA_Seth]

30. I didn't know that either...

The news reports this morning were still reporting him as a candidate....

Are you SURE you aren't just spreading that so his legions of voters will support Fallon now, cheater?

just kiddin.

edited for grammar error...his/him...boy i need to go home.

[Debi]

36. !!

:rofl:

We want Weems :bounce:
We want Weems :bounce:
We Want Weems :bounce:
We Want Weems :bounce:

[Debi]

28. Article from the W/CF Courier when Weems entered the race

http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2005/11/09/news/politics/a64c629b759a2442862570b40055218e.txt

[pstans]

22. Here is a good writeup

Thanks to the blog, Patriot Skull Face...
http://patriotskullface.blogspot.com/2006/02/nussle-and-vander-platts-in-one.html

"It was a huge surprise. It took me a good 24 hours, but I now believe they have united the Republican Party in Iowa,' said De Byerly , a Mason City Republican and top adviser to Vander Plaats. 'The ultraconservative wing of the Republican Party is very happy, because we have two men with the same beliefs on the ticket'."

And the Democrats say thank you as well. Once the large number of independents see their ultraconservative views and Nussle gets pinned as bringing Washington values to Iowa, I think the Democrats will win.