IowaPolitics.com BlogWatch

Is Christopher "Not Tom Harkin" Reed looking for a new nickname: Not
Dave Loebsack? Reed, the Republican's 2008 Senate nominee, is telling
his Facebook friends that he's running for Loebsack's 2nd District
seat. Reed sparked a fair amount of controversy late in the campaign
in the Iowa rightosphere, charging that the Iowa Republican Party was
undercutting his campaign. The most attention he got in the
traditional media was after his one debate with Harkin, when he called
the senator "the Tokyo Rose of Al-Qaida." It turned out to be Harkin's
easiest re-elect by far. Reed did manage to carry five western Iowa
counties. But none of that turf is in the 2nd District, where Loebsack
beat Mariannette Miller-Meeks (who the rightosphere really, really
REALLY thought would pull an upset despite any objective evidence) by
nearly 20 points.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Dave Loebsack

Last night, listening to Bill Salier sub for Steve Deace, I was astonished at the point he made about electoral success in comparing "moderates" to "conservatives." First, I've watched Salier's fascinating career for quite a while now. He's a talented speaker with an interesting story, and his race against Greg Ganske had a certain Bob Roberts quality to it that was mesmerizing. However, last night he showed that he's swimming in a gene pool that's about two inches deep. He ranted about the candidates we've put up in the past against Harkin: "Tom Tauke - how'd that work out for ya? Jim Ross Lightfoot - how'd that work out for ya? Greg Ganske - how'd that work out for ya?" Well, I was no math major, but here's how it worked out according to the voters...

Labels: Christopher_Reed

For those of you who caught Flyover Country's blog post today about Christopher Reed's losing margin you probably had about the same reaction as I did. You may click on their link to the right. They try to say that Reed lost because he had an outdated right-wing message. They don't mention the fact that he had no money. Most people have more money in their couch cushions than he ran a campaign on. He came from nowhere and in the primary beat a two time loser and a guy that was running for two years named Rathjcke or something - Last I heard he was going to primary Grassley next. Anyway - Flyover - you guys have lost a ton of credibility in my book. You try to compare Lightfoot, Ganske, and Reed without mentioning money at all? How dumb do you think we are?

Labels: Christopher_Reed

In case you missed it, fireworks could be seen over the city of Johnston yesterday afternoon. They were coming from the IPTV studios where GOP challenger Christopher Reed was taking on loooooongtime incumbent U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin. To say that Reed was feisty would be an understatement. It's all over the news today some of the things Reed said about Harkin. The thing people need to remember is that everything Reed said is true. ... I was proud of Reed for having the courage to tell the truth, even if some don't want to hear it. While Reed still probably wouldn't qualify as a super-polished candidate, his overall performance was a vast improvement from the primary debate.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Tom_Harkin

When you step up to challenge a safe and popular incumbent, you have two options. You can make a straightforward case for your party and against your opponent's record. Doing so will earn you the goodwill of your political allies who are grateful to have someone on the ballot they can feel proud voting for (like David Osterberg, who ran against Chuck Grassley in 1998). If you are young, running a hopeless race with dignity will increase your name recognition and bring useful campaign experience for a future bid for public office. Alternatively, a candidate with no chance of winning can lash out at his popular opponent in an over-the-top way, while bitterly complaining about his own party not helping him enough. This path will energize partisans who hate the incumbent but will probably limit future political options. Christopher Reed chose door number 2 in a joint forum with Senator Tom Harkin yesterday. Iowa Public Television will broadcast the debate tonight at 7 pm. Judging from initial reports, I don't think we need to worry about Reed becoming a rising star for Iowa Republicans.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Tom_Harkin

I know that you have all heard by now about the Iowa GOP's lack of
support for US Senate Candidate Christopher Reed. If you don't know
who Chris is, then the Republican Party of Iowa has done an adequate
job of snuffing out a 100% conservative candidate. And by the way, he
is challenging the ultra liberal, sell-out, kind of lives in Iowa man
by the name of Tom Harkin. Caleb Hunter of the RPI even went as far as
telling supporters not to support Reed, but to instead support the
more winnable races. The Iowa GOP fought back by saying money is tight
and that they don't have much wealth to spread around so they are
focusing on key Iowa House candidates. Okay, I can understand that.
We need to take our government back from the grips of Mike Gronstal
someday, so lets start building.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, RPI

To snub… to treat with scorn or disdain. Sounds like here in Iowa,
there is more than enough snubbing to go around! First Christopher
Reed and David Hartsuch and now other candidates. Listening to David
Hartsuch (Rep. Candidate for US House of Representatives, District 1)
on Jan Mickelson this A.M. really got me going on the 'snubbing' part
of politics. A Google search of "McCain snubs" revealed 250,000, so I
tried "Obama snubs" - 313,000, and finally "Iowa GOP snubs" ... 15, 700. I
was starting to get the picture. Then I happened upon the article that
I am sharing about Kathy Potts and her snubbing experience. My
inclination to believe that there is snubbing going on in the Iowa GOP
has been confirmed.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, RPI

... GOP U.S. Senate candidate Christopher Reed went on Steve Deace's show yesterday and unloaded on the Republican Party of Iowa for "not supporting" his campaign. The fireworks were hard to hear over the sound of the black helicopters. Let's look at some things. 1) The party has tens of thousands of absentee ballots in, as well as satellite voters that they recruited - all Republicans. 2) They have more field offices and staff in the state than they've ever had - all getting votes for Reed. 3) Reed says 35,000 voted for him in the primary, yet he can't even raise ONE DOLLAR for every vote he got - newsflash, YOU have to do that, the party never has. 4) If you use all your money to purchase suits for yourself, you're not going to have a very sympathetic audience. Sorry fella.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, RPI

... Just now on WHO with Steve Deace, Reed had a firm, strong, articulate voice. He is out hitting the road, going it on his own and you STAB HIM IN THE BACK! Reed sees the road America is on to Socialism. He gets it! My already high opinion of Christopher Reed has just been elevated even more because he brought out into the open what the Iowa Brigade has already been posting about. The GOP leadership is not working FOR him! Now Iowa voters - where is your outrage, where is your financial support? Not only is Christopher at war with Tom Harkin, now he must battle with the GOP! On WHO/Deace Christopher Reed said he was being treated like he was running for dog catcher, that the GOP is out putting holes in his bucket. Disgusting.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Iowa GOP, Tom_Harkin

Something's missing on Iowa's political landscape this year: Tom
Harkin's perennial red-hot race. Yet despite the low to invisible
profile of Harkin's Republican opponent, Chris "Who?" Reed, a recent
Research 2000 poll showed the Marion businessman and first-time
candidate with 40 percent of the vote, to the four term incumbent's
54. The two week old Des Moines Register Iowa Poll shows Harkin with a
bit bigger lead, 53 percent to 34 percent. That might not sound like
much, but remember, John McCain only got 40 percent in that same
Register poll. So how the heck does Reed, who's raised almost no
money, has a campaign website that looks like a homemade nightmare
straight out of 1996, and has Republicans openly talking about writing
in one of the primary losers, even get to the mid-30s to low 40s in a
poll? Who IS this guy?

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Tom_Harkin

This blog correctly predicted that Ed Fallon was going to lose in his
attempt to wrestle the Democratic nomination away from Leonard
Boswell. Funny how you don't hear any Democrats waxing on about how
being against the war is a political advantage. After all, Fallon is
against all wars and Boswell voted for the war in Iraq. Now, it seems,
Fallon is begging other Democrats to bail him out of $35,000 worth of
campaign debt. I don't know why the Republican Party of Iowa doesn't
approach Fallon and promise to pay off his debt in exchange for
running as a hardcore, anti-war, left-wing independent candidate
against Democrat Tom Harkin in November. That might look a little
weird, seeing how the RPI has to throw money at yet another lousy
Senate candidate (some loser name Christopher Reed).

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Ed_Fallon, RPI

Are you going to call for a recount or not? Yesterday after the
kanvass Christopher Reed, had 24,916 votes, Eichhorn had 24,392 votes
and marathon kampaigner Steve Rathje of finished with 21,106 votes.
The question now is will Eichhorn call for a recount and prevent Reed
from using the State Convention this Saturday to rally support for his
campaign. Also of note I have received a handful of emails claiming
that Christopher Reed is not on the agenda to speak at the state
convention, I'm sure it's a typo, especially if Eichhorn doesn't ask
for a recount. While I respect that Eichhorn has every right to ask
for the recount the best outcome that he kould get would be for it to
go to konvention, another battle that he would lose.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, RPI

County canvasses on Monday and Tuesday changed few votes in two close
Republican contests from last week's primary. Christopher Reed held
both his lead in the U.S. Senate race over George Eichhhorn and, more
importantly, his percentage above the required 35 percent. Canvass
numbers had Reed at 24,916 votes, for 35.26 percent. Eichhorn had
24,392 votes, for 34.52 percent. Third place candidate Steve Rathje
won 21,106 votes, for 29.87 percent. The 249 write-ins keep those
percentages from adding to 100. News reports on election night had
Reed with 25,159 votes and 35.29 percent, with Eichhorn at 24,756 and
34.71 percent.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Iowa GOP

U.S. Senate Candidate Christopher Reed was on Iowa Press this weekend
despite the threats of legal action against IPTV from George Eichhorn
who claims the race for the Republican nomination is still in
progress. Since I have yet to hear from the Eichhorn campaign, I guess
it's OK with them that I write this article. If you are looking for a
smooth polished politician, then you are probably disappointed in
Reed's performance. If you are looking for a sincere, thoughtful,
non-politician, then it's pretty clear you have your guy. What most
people need to understand is that you can't have it both ways. Reed
looked great with his ivory coat, white shirt and no tie. It screamed
youth, and anti-Washington.

Labels: Christopher_Reed

By tomorrow we'll likely know if the Iowa Republican Party state
convention will have some conflict or it will be a point-to-the-fall
lovefest. Still not settled is the U.S. Senate primary, in which three
candidates got at least 29.8 percent of the vote. Today and tomorrow
county boards of supervisors are canvassing votes, which will provide
the official vote totals, including absentee ballots that weren't
received by the June 3 primary. The voting had Christopher Reed of
Marion with 35.2 percent, George Eichhorn of Stratford with 34.65
percent and Steve Rathje of Cedar Rapids with 29.8 percent. If the
lower placers get a few more votes, they could bring Reed's percentage
below 35 percent, which would mean the nomination would be decided at
the state convention on June 14.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Iowa GOP, U.S. Senate

Wonders never cease. It appears that the Iowa GOP might actually send
in a true conservative to take on liberal icon Tom Harkin for U.S.
Senate. Christopher Reed (apparently a conservative) squeaked into the
GOP nomination by about 400 votes over his nearest challenger. In the
last go-round six years ago, GOP primary voters narrowly chose
moderate Greg Ganske over conservative ex-Marine Bill Salier. Ganske
now serves as a rug in Harkin's Bahama beach home. Reed got my
attention by earning the endorsement of Gun Owners of America. Since
they don't endorse a candidate in every race, when they do it means
the candidate is a true Second Amendment leader.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Iowa GOP

Congratulations are in order for Christopher Reed, who secured the GOP
Senate nomination, pending a possible recount at the request of George
Eichhorn. Many are complaining about this, but it is certainly within
Mr. Eichhorn's rights to do so according to Iowa election law should
he choose, due to the closeness of the race. Where do we go from here?
No matter what happens in regards to a recount, Reed needs to look
straight ahead and not give it a whole lot of thought. The guy has
some serious catch-up to do. Now between you and me and the wall, I
think we all know that Reed will never catch up to the dollar amount
in Harkin's war chest. That doesn't mean though that he shouldn't go
out there and at least act like he can.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Tom_Harkin

Talk about tiny margins - Chris Reed finished last night with a 413
vote lead over George Eichhorn in the GOP Senate primary. Steve Rathje
is about 3800 votes behind the two leaders. Chris is sitting with
35.29% of the vote so a recount and challenges could very well send
this race to the GOP State Convention on June 14. Now that will be
wild. Given the current mood of the Republican rank and file it would
appear that Chris' outsider status will be popular in a state
delegation that is longing for party reform and regeneration. However,
George is well liked by almost everyone who knows him and is likely to
have dozens if not a hundred or more good friends in the delegation to
work the floor on his behalf.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Tom_Harkin