Bruce’s Backing Band
With it becoming increasingly clear that both Terry Branstad and Jim Gibbons are Bruce Rastetter’s boys in the GOP Primaries for Governor and in the 3rd District (and both receiving the requisite support from Bruce’s little buddy, Nick Ryan), the question is how religious conservatives react to Gibbons and Branstad receiving the support of Iowa’s big business GOP establishment. It’s clear that the people backing Gibbons and Branstad are not real social conservatives and that issues like gay marriage are secondary to implementing goofy tax programs.
This offers opportunities for opponents of both Gibbons and Branstad as George W. Bush Republicans enthralled with big business and government spending rather than committed to limited government and moral values. Clearly if Branstad or Gibbons have to pick between Wells Fargo and constitutional amendment to define marriage, they’re picking the former.
In Branstad’s race, he’s clearly become the most moderate candidate and this offers another line of attack for his opponents, besides painting him as a retread or a hypocrite. For Gibbons, it allows Dave Funk in particular, to eat into his support and gives Brad Zaun, as the only candidate running with any political experience an added advantage.
7 comments December 17th, 2009
