Is the “straw poll” supposed to be a Big Ethanol, Big Wind, Chamber of Commerce event?
The Iowa Republican (TIR) website provides a straight report on the decision this week by the Republican Party of Iowa State Central Committee to hold the (formerly Ames) Straw Poll in Boone, Iowa.
Why RPI Feels Boone is the Best Site for the Iowa Straw Poll (excerpts)
“We wanted to pick the one that’s going to put the Party in the best light, our candidates in the best light and with our First-in-the-Nation Caucus status, those are all important. So, adding those all up, it was the Boone venue,” said RNC National Committeeman Steve Scheffler.
The committee was struck by the rural setting of the Central Iowa Expo. Returning to Ames would have been the safe choice. Moving the event to the Iowa Speedway would have been perhaps the most unique one. However, the distinct Iowaness of the Boone location offset all the positive aspects of the other sites.
“We want to have the best Iowa Straw Poll ever,” said RPI Co-Chair Cody Hoefert. “We made the decision with that in mind. It needs to be new, it needs to be fresh, it needs to be different and it needs to be Iowa. Well, it didn’t take very long for us to look at the site of the Farm Progress Show. This site is Iowa.”
“I voted for the Boone site because the wide open space is like a blank canvas,” added Straw Poll Committee member Chelle Adkins. “We have the room to shape and mold the Straw Poll into something uniquely Iowan. The corn in the background, the train and the surrounding farms gives us the chance to show the country why we are proud to be Iowans. I also like the opportunity to try new things and I think this site is a good start.”
Cost wise and logistically Boone may have merits that control, although we are not privy to the bids. Logistically it would seem a stretch to say it is more accessible than the Iowa Speedway in Newton or simpler to set up if tents are the presumption. The latter we will not argue. But we wonder if the Iowa aura thing figuring so heavily in the comments above might be “over strategized” as if there are no countervailing implications.
As a TIR commenter wrote, tweaking the decision:
BobDole • a day ago
“it didn’t take very long for us to look at the site of the Farm Progress Show. This site is Iowa.”
Just what we need the national media to focus on – corn and straw bales. Is the dress code going to be dirty jeans, blue work shirts, and seed corn caps?
The tweak brought the typical hyper farm chauvinist response from “Timmy”:
“Bob”, dirty jeans & blue work shirts not only built this country but they continue to feed your sorry a$$……. Maybe you should think about that the next time you stuff(or open) your pie hole!!!
Our views:
We think “Bob” had a point or at least one that we would elaborate on. The straw poll is presumably not a tourist event per se. It is for people who are already here and love the state, and have a vision for the country beyond it. If someone is interested in the great plains and corn they can drive I-80 and see plenty, including the state’s wind energy boondoggle, with their tax dollars at useless work. The optics of the event should be something more than paying homage to corn and painting the event as if that is what Iowa Republican principles revolve around. Oh, and all hail the RFS.
Too much corn (and Big Wind) arguably increases the opportunity for other states to be dismissive, because it creates an aura that the event is more parochial than it is supposed to be. And do we want that opinion of Iowa’s judgement to carry over to the caucuses? We are not sure promoting Iowa per se, or special interests in Iowa is what the Republican Party is about or are good for the caucuses.
Having said that, maybe having it as parochial as can be is desired. It depends on the goal. Is it to promote Iowa Republicans’ good objective judgement or special interests? If the latter maybe those wind towers all those out-of- staters will see driving to the event should have painted on them “‘thank you tax payers for the subsidies and mandates, otherwise this makes no sense.’ signed Warren Buffet“.
We remember the last “Ames” Straw Poll. It was dominated (well the energy lobbying part) by shills for taxpayer subsidies and mandates for corn ethanol and wind. So we have assembled this little graphic response in anticipation of the buttons they push.
cartoon courtesy netrightdaily.com
cartoon courtesy netrightdaily.com
R Mall
