Posted on 05/25/2010 12:55:28 AM PDT by iowamark
Republican hopeful brings primary bid for governor's seat to southeast Iowa.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Rod Roberts plans to spend the next couple weeks leading up to the Iowa primary election the same way he has spent the past 10 months — shaking hands, answering questions and convincing his fellow Republicans he is the best choice to unite the party against incumbent Democratic Gov. Chet Culver
"We're burning up Iowa," Roberts said. "It's good. Ten months of this and you build to a crescendo. In politics, timing, movement, momentum, all those streams cross at just the right time and you want to peak at the right moment."
A five-term state representative from Carroll, Roberts spoke at a meet-and-greet event attended by about 63 people Sunday evening at Big Muddy's. After giving a 20-minute stump speech, the 52-year-old spent the next hour answering questions, then even more time personally shaking the hands of as many supporters and potential supporters as possible.
"Change is coming. But this change is not like the change promised two years ago by our current president. This change is different because it is coming from the grass roots up. Change is coming, but it's coming from the people. This is going to be powerful change," said Roberts, an ordained minister.
Roberts plans to spend today giving interviews and meeting with people throughout the region, including Mount Pleasant, Oakville and Albia. He has a public event scheduled from 1 to 2 p.m. today at the Cafe Olde World, 527 Main St. Mediapolis; as well as an appearance at the Monroe County GOP's candidate forum at Skean Block Restaurant, 11 Benton Avenue East in Albia. Roberts' wife, Trish, and son, Brett, have joined him on the campaign trail.
As has been his style throughout the primary campaign, Roberts Sunday declined to outright attack or even mention his opponents by name.
On the June ballot, Roberts will face former Gov. Terry Branstad, 63, and Bob Vander Plaats, 47, a Sioux City businessman and perennial gubernatorial candidate striving for the third time to capture the state's top elected position.
The men face off June 8. The winner of the primary election will face Culver in the Nov. 2 general election.
Considered the titan of the primary election, Branstad previously served 16 years as Iowa's 39th governor, stepping down in 1999.
Roberts, a self-described conservative, said he believes in limited government and personal responsibility. He said he supports repealing the state corporate income tax, keeping Iowa a right-to-work state and tightening the budget to make ends meet.
Roberts Sunday convinced at least one uncommitted local Republican to support him.
Burlington resident Jim Carter said before the event he remained on the fence on whether to vote for Vander Plaats or Roberts. But he left as a solid Roberts supporter.
"I like his values," Carter said, "I like where he stands on everything, and I think I'm going to support him now."
During the event, Carter asked Roberts to explain an answer he gave during a recent debate when he was asked about whether he would push for the death penalty in Iowa.
Roberts said he would not push for the death penalty because the state can't guarantee an innocent person will not be put to death.
Both Vander Plaats and Branstad said they would push for the death penalty for certain crimes.
Carter joins a group of grassroots supporters, which includes Rep. Tom Sands, R-Wapello, who also attended the event.
"(Roberts) is the one the state needs (as governor) and would do a great job leading the entire state forward," Sands said. "I know he would do a good job because working along side him I have seen what he is capable of in unifying people."
Roberts has operated on a shoestring budget since officially beginning his campaign in July. A May 20 filing with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board shows Roberts with $32,615 cash on hand as of May 14. His campaign has spent $123,330 so far this year and brought in contributions of $54,087.
In contrast, Branstad has shown himself to be the financial behemoth of the race reporting $1.2 million cash on hand, $1.79 million spent in 2010 and contributions of $1.6 million. Since entering the race, he has raised nearly $3.18 million, according to his campaign website.
Vander Plaats reported $247,613 cash on hand, $239,880 spent and $284,383 raised since January. In 2009, his campaign reported cash contributions of $595,740 and in-kind contributions of $61,999 for a total of $657,740 in contributions.
Culver reported $3.25 million on hand at of May 14 and having raised almost $1.5 million in the past four and a half months and having spent only $809,363.
I lived in Iowa during the time Branstad was governor and was very unimpressed with his leadership. He is no conservative and both spending and taxes went up. Besides he was governor for almost 20 years and the state could sorely use new ideas.
Most of the time, he had a Democrat legislature to contend with but when he left office, Iowa had a $900,000 surplus. Bring back Branstad.
Right now Branstad has the momentum. BVP is fading as it is discovered he is less than he has represented himself. Branstad is conservative. He signed the Defense of Marriage Act and also signed all pro-life legislation brought to him.
The BVP/Deace/IFPC group has teamed up with Democrats and even a radical homosexual group to try to destroy Branstad but it is not happening.
Back to Roberts--he has he respect of almost everyone. He is a very good man and BVP/Deace/IFPC is doing their best to destroy him, too, as they see him as sucking away votes from BVP. Maybe it could be said that BVP is sucking away votes from Roberts.
You left off a few zeroes. It was a $900,000,000 surplus and, while that might represent sound fiscal policy to some, others might see it as proof that Iowans were overtaxed. Either way, it was a huge pile of our money for the incoming Democrats to play with and promptly fritter away. (Rainy day funds, aka reserves, seemed like such a fine idea until the foxes got control of the hen house.)
Have you seen that that phony conservative group, "Iowans for Responsible Government" forgot to buy their own domain name and someone on the Gov. Branstad campaign noticed it and registered it. The group is a group of Democrats trying to keep Branstad from getting the nomination which means they fear him the most.
I wonder how many Republicans fail to see through the phony (but good) ads. I actually enjoy the ads.
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