Roxanne Conlin was the first woman in Iowa history to serve as a U.S. Attorney, and now she is poised to give Iowa woman another first. Conlin wants to be the first Iowa woman elected to serve in Congress.
In order to complete that task, she'll first have to battle in a Democratic Primary against at least three other contenders. Then she'll need to take on Chuck Grassley, who has served Iowans in the U.S. Senate for nearly three decades, but has recently seen his worth decline in the eyes of some voters.
Grassley is probably most known nationally, at least of late, for his political maneuvering in terms of health care reform. And it also safe to say that such incidents, which can only be described as bad-faith negotiations on Grassley's part, raised a few eyebrows among residents of the Hawkeye State who would have previously summed up Grassley as more of a straight shooter. In short, Iowans may not have always agreed with Grassley's positions on an issue, but prior to the health care reform fiasco, most would have told you that at least they always knew where he stood.
While national pundits take a look over Grassley's shoulder and wonder what happened to the moderate they came to know and admire, Iowa Republican pundits take in the same view and are proclaiming him still to be too close to the political middle.
He angered the social conservative base back home when he launched an investigation against several television evangelists. He was threatened with a primary if he didn't tow the party line on issues seen as key to bring about a (social conservative) Republican Rising in the next election cycle. And, now armed with his own mobile device that allows him to present his unfiltered thoughts to Iowans,Grassley's down-home dialogue on national issues isn't necessarily causing the people to stand up and cheer for more.
Despite all of this, however, Iowans aren't completely ready to push Grassley out. If nothing else, Iowans have learned from their caucus experiences how important it is to maintain their voice in national affairs, and they know that in the U.S. Senate longevity goes a long way toward committee assignments, dialogue and setting the national tone on topics viewed as key here in flyover country.
Iowans across the state -- and this is especially true of women in our state -- are also keenly aware that they are in a race for last place. That is, there are only two states in the union that have not elected a woman to Congress or to the governor's office: Iowa and Mississippi. Iowans don't want to come in last. The sentiment, which has previously only been bubbling about in women's circles, is becoming more prominent, and has already prompted some who support Grassley to start defending him in a manner of, "Sure, we want a woman, but we don't want *this* woman."
Conlin will need to overcome 30-years worth of name recognition in order to best Grassley. But she has on her side the ever-present rumors of a young grandson by the same last name being groomed for the position. Iowans may be loyal, mind you, but they aren't necessarily loyal to a point of family political dynasties.
Social conservative Iowans, who denied Grassley a voting voice at the last Republican National Convention, may have been acting out of spite, but they actually ended up doing the senior senator a small favor. When the party came out nationally against ethanol -- calling for an end to mandates for the corn-based fuel in their national platform -- it was advantageous for Grassley's name not to be directly connected. While leaders from other heavy ag states spoke out against the platform, Grassley provided, at best, lukewarm opposition. He stated that maybe the mandates weren't needed.
Consistency tossed aside, Grassley's own actions have some wondering what he might do next, and, more importantly, not liking the possibilities. Once considered a Teflon-coated man on the Iowa political landscape, Grassley is now viewed as more of an unknown and a potential liability. For instance, will his bad-faith negotiations come back to roost in the form of a climate bill that doesn't take the needs and realities of Iowa ag interests into account?
If Grassley continues to try to walk the line between what his political history says he is and what social conservatives in Iowa want him to be, there is little doubt that the small glimmer of hope for those who wish to oppose him will brighten. The closer he moves to Iowa politics in an order to bolster his support at home, the further he moves away from being someone with respect and clout in the U.S. Senate.
Conlin, on the other hand, is presented with an Iowa quite different than one she had in previous campaigns. Marriage equality, while still being hammered by those on the right-most fringes of the social conservative base, has not developed into the statewide boogie-man that was predicted. For the first time in a very long time, Democratic voters outnumber Republican voters in all but one Congressional District. (Readers can guess which one.)
Her introductory attempt, embedded above, goes straight for the kitchen table issues that are forefront in Iowan's minds. It's a good start, but it's only a start. She needs to embark on an unprecedented campaign that will take her to every school district in the state, every Chamber of Commerce and every family farm. She needs to be well-versed on both the immigration fears that plague Iowa factory workers, and the reality of the immigration needs in small-town Iowa. She has to look fourth generation dairy farmers and pork producers in the eye and understand why they are so fearful of losing what their family has built, and why they are so angry that large ag corporations are rolling in wealth. She needs to understand and be able to convey that even a government-issued health insurance card isn't enough for rural Iowans, and that federal policies must change if we are to maintain vibrant small towns here and elsewhere.
While recognizing that the "first woman" aspect of her campaign is appealing to many, she must know that alone isn't enough to earn her victory. Pulling comments from Grassley that can be viewed as sexist won't be difficult, but also will not garner the victory. She needs to stand out as an individual, someone who is worthy of trust and, regardless of gender, the absolute best person for the job.
There is no doubt that Conlin has a hard campaign before her, but it is not an insurmountable task.
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