IA-SEN 2022: Grassley vs Franken

[Koharu]

I went to college in Sioux County. Franken was born there, but now lives in Sioux City, which is extremely different from Sioux County. Even though it's not a big city by any stretch of the imagination, it is very city-like vs Sioux County. So his being a Dem is not all that shocking.

Also, partly due to the two liberal arts colleges in Sioux County, there is a very active Democratic party in the county, though I would say a majority are from elsewhere who have made the county their home for various reasons (not all are faculty), so a current Sioux County Democrat running for office wouldn't be completely unbelievable, either.

[walleye26]

I went to college in Sioux County. Franken was born there, but now lives in Sioux City, which is extremely different from Sioux County. Even though it's not a big city by any stretch of the imagination, it is very city-like vs Sioux County. So his being a Dem is not all that shocking.

Also, partly due to the two liberal arts colleges in Sioux County, there is a very active Democratic party in the county, though I would say a majority are from elsewhere who have made the county their home for various reasons (not all are faculty), so a current Sioux County Democrat running for office wouldn't be completely unbelievable, either.

Do you think Franken could narrow the massive GOP edge in the area just a little bit?

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

Is Franken any good at retail politics ? his upset victory in the primary makes me suspect he's good at it.

[Koharu]

Do you think Franken could narrow the massive GOP edge in the area just a little bit?

No, not really, unfortunately.

[Hope For A New Era]

Do you think Franken could narrow the massive GOP edge in the area just a little bit?

No, not really, unfortunately.

I mean, Scholten did. I guess that was purely anti-King though?

[GeorgiaModerate]

Do you think Franken could narrow the massive GOP edge in the area just a little bit?

No, not really, unfortunately.

I mean, Scholten did. I guess that was purely anti-King though?

Yeah, it's difficult to see Grassley generating the same level of antipathy as King.

[SCNCmod]

Is Franken any good at retail politics ? his upset victory in the primary makes me suspect he's good at it.

I don't think he is necessarily great at what we generally think of as retail politics.  But i think he is good if her has the time to let voters get to know him/ and his sort of professorial disposition (then I think his sheer competence comes through and impresses voters...Iowa is one of the few states where this is possible.

But overall he has sort if a perfect storm-
1) the race has been under the radar- giving him space to run a grassroots campaign
2) Grassley turning 90 and having his 1st under water approval rating- have both provided the first opening to a possible Grassley defeat.
3) Franken is the perfect foil to take advantage of Grassley's weakness (bc for ppl who think Grassley is finally too old- Franken has the Gravitas to win those voters).

[SCNCmod]

https://twitter.com/frankenforiowa/status/1587423422954577921

This is Franken's latest ad- which i assume may be his closing ad:

[morgieb]

ooooofff

https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1588292228962693120

Grassley would probably lose in an R midterm at this point.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

ooooofff

https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1588292228962693120

Grassley would probably lose in an R midterm at this point.

Next, we’ll be hearing about how the Underground Railroad was the greatest infrastructure program of all time.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I just realized that Grassley was already 52 when emo was created. Holy sh!t.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I went to college in Sioux County.

Are you familiar with this band?

[Koharu]

Are you familiar with this band?

No, but that's definitely not my type of music & I can't really make out anything about the band members.

[Hope For A New Era]

Franken actually seems to have a really solid campaign now that I've looked properly. He won't win this year, but I could definitely see him having a future in state politics. The one thing I'd change in his current campaign is: I'd change him from not attacking Grassley much to almost not attacking him at all - go full Peltola. No attacks except the occasional vague "it's time for a new generation to represent Iowa/time for something new/etc" kind of stuff, which is so indirect that it only barely even counts as an attack, and wouldn't count at all if not for Grassley's age. Somehow attacking Grassley directly feels "tasteless" even in our hyperpolarized times, and I suspect Iowa voters are more sensitive to that sort of thing than most.

Thoughts from our resident Atlas Iowans?

[SCNCmod]

I'm not an Iowian.. and I too would be curious to see if they think either campaign has been seen as negative...

my guess is they would say that Franken has not been viewed as negative towards Grassley (any more so than the accepted amount that any campaign has to point out differences/ faults). And probably most would say the same about Grassley to Franken.  Overall it seems civil- focusing on different policies, not overly negative ad campaign (at least by the candidates) etc.

[SCNCmod]

https://twitter.com/scj/status/1589060759555801095


Sioux City Journal decides for the first time... to not endorse Chuck Grassley. (Endorsing Mike Franken Instead).

[ProgressiveModerate]

Yeah Grassley will win pretty comfortably but his days of massive overperformances are over.

[Calthrina950]

https://twitter.com/scj/status/1589060759555801095


Sioux City Journal decides for the first time... to not endorse Chuck Grassley. (Endorsing Mike Franken Instead).

They still endorsed Reynolds and Feenstra, so I'm assuming it's a rebuke of Grassley due to his age. Moreover, Franken is from that region of the state, if I'm not mistaken, so it may also be a reflection of support for the "native son".

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

https://twitter.com/scj/status/1589060759555801095


Sioux City Journal decides for the first time... to not endorse Chuck Grassley. (Endorsing Mike Franken Instead).

Gross

[walleye26]

I really wonder if Franken can narrow the margins in places like Sioux County and Northwestern Iowa then this could get interesting, since that was like 85% Trump in 2020.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I really wonder if Franken can narrow the margins in places like Sioux County and Northwestern Iowa then this could get interesting, since that was like 85% Trump in 2020.

I doubt it. More likely is he'll just pull Biden numbers in the urban areas.