I was wondering how long it would take the GOP to start red-baiting (or green-baiting as the case may be) Denise O'Brien. Well, from the in-box, it seems the time is now:
Democratic Secretary of Agriculture candidate Denise O’Brien released a copy of a fundraising letter written by her opponent that attacks her, and expressed sadness that her opponent had turned to negativity and fear tactics so quickly...
The letter states that O’Brien works with “what some may call 'fringe' agricultural groups.” O’Brien responded, “My opponent is trying to attack me but put the blame for the attack on ‘someone else,’ Iowans are too smart to fall for that. He needs to either name the so-called ‘fringe groups’ himself, or admit he is misleading people and apologize.”
O’Brien also refuted Northey’s claim that the groups she works with are “fringe.” “I’m a member of Practical Farmers of Iowa, was President of the National Family Farm Coalition, and was President of the Iowa Association of County Conservation Boards. Those groups are well-respected mainstream organizations,” said O’Brien.
Sounds good to me...
O’Brien also stressed that, while she is an organic farmer, she wants to see full support for all kinds of agriculture in Iowa. “My husband and I chose to farm organically because we felt running a
smaller farm would make it easier for us to raise our three children as two full-time parents. Our family values led us to organic farming as much as anything else - we've always done everything as a family,” said O’Brien.
The strategy is clear: say nothing about yourself, try to paint O'Brien into a hippie-chick earthy crunchy corner with all the conscious and subconscious associations that implies. The fast reaction tells me she's too smart to take that lying down. Denise O'Brien has been underestimated ever since she got into this race. And I happen to like granola. (With a nice latte for David Yepsen on the side.)
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