Saturday Scraps

Marco Rubio, is saying too many people are getting degrees in fields that have no jobs. The press is not picking up on the joke:

Degrees w/o jobs-such as journalism? @IAStartingLine @KObradovich on GOPers discouraging certain college degrees: http://t.co/dglAxkL9tM …

— John Deeth (@johndeeth) July 9, 2015

Rubio DID pick up a key area endorsement this week from State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann. He's a good get in his own right - and people will make whatever assumptions they want about where this positions Dad, the scrupulously neutral state party chair Jeff Kaufmann.  Kaufmann The Younger also picked up some $ at the Wilton fundraiser with Rubio, but near as we can tell has not yet picked up an opponent for next year.

In signs of de-evolution, the hardcore Know Nothing constituency that has been waiting to get tapped in an Iowa caucus since at least Tom Tancredo's brief abortive 2007 run (he dropped out before caucus night) may finally have their candidate, but I never would have guessed it would be Donald Trump of all people. That, more than his larger than life blowhard personality, is why Trump needs to get taken at least a little seriously.

Prediction: One of the asterisk candidates will, sometime next week, in a desperation Hail Mary move, take on Trump directly. It might kill them - but it might break them out of the also rand - also RANS but the typo is too good to delete - and into the top ten and first debate.

(Also Rands: Can't say enough how Bernie Sanders has stomped on Paul's Young People Strategy. Young lefty-libertarians who would have been drawn to cross over for Paul if the Democrats had a yawner, are now looking at Sanders and a Democratic race that is at least a little competitive. National and state readers, think issues like drones, domestic spying, etc. Locals, think about the three courthouse/justice center elections.)

But in signs of human advancement, we have a spaceship at Pluto. PLUTO, people, Pluto. But not without a last minute scare - it really does take a rocket scientist.




In other human advancement, the Confederate flag went down this week. NOW can we talk about guns, please?

Speaking of former confederates, our county supervisors are WAY less powerful than Boss Hogg:

Not only is @SenatorRobHogg no relation to the late Jefferson Davis "Boss" Hogg - not even pronounced the same pic.twitter.com/kw8tUGYIiE

— John Deeth (@johndeeth) July 8, 2015

Yes, the worst kept secret in Iowa politics is out if the bag and Rob Hogg is officially "exploring" next year's US Senate race. This is a VERY very good thing. For reasons I explained in November, it is extremely important to have a credible Chuck Grassley challenger next year, and Tom Fiegen and Bob Krause did not fit the bill.

Hogg does: Youngish and on his way up, identified with environmental issues that will keep the Democratic base interested, and in the middle of his legislative term so a loss doesn't kill the career. A Democrat who can break into the 40s against Grassley will be seen as having won a moral victory, winning by losing, and earning a lot of chips in the process. (See how much goodwill Monica Vernon earned last year, despite losing TWO elections.)

And breaking into the 40s will be easier than you think in a presidential year. The state - indeed, the national electorate - is now so polarized that even a Republican as personally popular as Grassley would have trouble reaching 70% in a presidential year like he did in 2004.

As for the other Senate candidates, Tom Fiegen happens to live in Bobby Kaufmann's district. Just a suggestion. Something more appropriately scaled.