Wink and Nod Endorsements
I repeated here last week something we’ve always been clear about…neither this station, nor me individually, will endorse candidates directly or indirectly.
It’s a stance also taken by many elected officials in Iowa, from the governor to members of Congress. The idea is that they want Iowa’s first-in-the-nation status to remain in place, so by being neutral, it encourages all possible candidates to come here and feel they have a fair shot.
All well and good…so long as they either stick to it, or come clean about allegiances.
I’m aware of at least two members of current Iowa congressional staffs who either left to work for Ron DeSantis, or are working for DeSantis on the side. Two members of Congress featured DeSantis as the speaker at their annual events. The attorney general held a new, perhaps annual, event this year…with DeSantis as the guest.
The governor has announced the date for her annual harvest festival, with a special guest to be named later. Anyone want to take odds on who that might be? Especially after the joint appearance at this past Saturday’s Iowa/Iowa State game in Ames, and after the governor conceded that she’s publicly neutral for now, but may endorse a candidate prior to the caucuses?
Neutrality is neutrality. But claiming to be neutral when in fact working behind the scenes for one candidate or another doesn’t feel right to me. The elected officials can and will do what they want, and certainly don’t need advice from me. But actions need to be in sync with words.
