Suppose a reporter from, say, the Washington bureau of The Dallas Morning News were to have walked into a coffee shop in Dubuque the day before the Nov. 4 election.
And then suppose that reporter were to ask the shop's customers about the city's political leaning.
Can you imagine any resident with even the most basic understanding of this town describing it as "a conservative stronghold in a solidly Democratic state"? Me neither.
Yet, that's the conclusion drawn by Carl Leubsdorf, the Morning News' Washington bureau chief, in a post-election column about the 2012 presidential prospects.
Leubsdorf cited some Republican pollster as concluding that Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin was third in the running for Republicans' next nominee, behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
The race for the Republican's 2012 nomination is already under way, Leubsdorf said, citing Palin's series of TV interviews in the days following the election, "... after her last pre-election stop Nov. 3 in Dubuque ..."
Which is the point where he describes Dubuque as quoted above.
Granted, if an outsider had attended the Palin rally and witnessed 3,500 hooting and hollering people cheering Palin's presentation, he might have concluded this town is a "conservative stronghold," particularly if he thought the city's population was, say, 5,000.
And I'm betting the Iowa Democratic Party would gladly be willing to give up Dubuque County to the Republicans in exchange for seeing the rest of the state become "solidly Democratic."
But, sorry Mr. Leubsdorf, neither one of your observations about Dubuque or Iowa is anywhere near true.
At last count (Nov. 1), Dubuque County's active voter registration was 12,925 Republicans, 26,478 Democrats, 21,210 independents. A further indication of local politics is the number of Republicans holding elected county positions. That would be zero. And the number of times a Republican presidential nominee carried the county since, say, 1992? That would also be zero.
As for the state's voting habits, Democrat Barack Obama may have whopped Republican John McCain this year, but in 2004 Iowa went for Republican George W. Bush by 10,000 votes. That's after favoring Democrat Al Gore by an even slimmer 4,000-vote margin in 2000. That may constitute a "solidly Democratic state" in Texas, but not in the real world.
Leubsdorf's evaluation of Iowa came to our attention through TH reader Michael May who, after taking a quick look at recent election figures, correctly concluded it would be more accurate to say Dubuque is a Democratic stronghold in a moderately conservative state.
"Since we do play an important role," May wrote, "it is up to us to set the record straight about who we are as a community, and to not let others, candidates or journalists, define us."
As long as reporters have been covering Iowa's caucus process, one would think our political inclinations would be somewhat better known, but judging from Leubsdorf's comment, apparently not.
It brings to mind the fable about the blind men who determined what an elephant looks like by the part of the elephant they touched.
Anyone looking to define Iowan's political views -- especially someone who works at a Washington news bureau -- need look no further than the state's U.S. senators, senior Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican farmer from New Hartford, and junior Sen. Tom Harkin, a Democratic lawyer from Corning, two men who have each represented the state for decades.
Obviously, Iowa is a strongly conservative, staunchly liberal state. Or is it strongly liberal, staunchly conservative? Guess it depends upon whether it's Grassley's or Harkin's time to run.
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State Rep.-elect Chuck Isenhart, D-Dubuque, and State Sen.-elect Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, are planning a series of chat sessions with their constituents throughout December at One Mean Bean, the coffee shop in Fountain Park, 2728 Asbury Road.
Isenhart will be available from 3:30 to 5 p.m., on Mondays, Dec. 1, 8 and 15. Both Isenhart and Jochum will be on hand from 8 to 9:30 a.m., on Thursdays, Dec. 4, 11 and 18.
The lawmakers would like the get-togethers to be one-to-one or with small groups of no more than three people who want to speak with them about issues and ideas relevant to state government. The 2009 session of the Iowa General Assembly opens Jan. 12.
No appointments are necessary, although Isenhart encourages groups to call ahead.
Bragg has been covering politics for the TH since 1996. Her e-mail address is mbragg@wcinet.com.
