An Election without campaigning

What does an election year without campaigning look like? 

The Des Moines Register covered this as a front page Sunday article, with the revelation that the Democrats were campaigning virtually and the Republicans using a hybrid of traditional in-person campaigning and digital campaigning. 

 Of note, Trump won Iowa fairly easily in 2016 by a 51-42, but polls put him in a tighter race with Biden 44-43. Also of note, there were 31 counties in the state (mostly Eastern Iowa) that had voted for Obama twice and voted for Trump. A big mistake for Hillary who more than anyone should have known “It’s the economy, stupid”. 

 Dems have played a virtual game. That has been my experience. Much of the pre-caucus ground game seems intact and the Register lists Rep Ruben Gallego (AZ), Sen Amy Klobuchar and former Gov Terry McAullife as some Dems who have been actively campaigning for Biden. 

On the Republican side, it is hard not to look at what’s going on without a bit of an eye to 2024. Vice President Mike Pence has been to Iowa four times now- visiting with ag leaders, farmers and manufacturers. While Pence seems like a perfect fit for Iowa Republicans, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke in front of the Family Leader, the influential Evangelical group. 

 Both Democrats and Republicans have tried to emphasize ‘vote by mail’. Last weekend, I drove by roadside booths for both about two blocks apart. 

 Another aspect of Campaign 2020 is the Trump Boat Rallies. 

The boat rallies in Iowa are part of a National social media movement across the country.

There have been a couple in Northwestern Iowa in what is called the ‘Iowa Great Lakes’. One rally is purported to have drawn over 1000 boats. Another article said a rally captured 200 boats. I tried to make heads and tails of the different claims and certainly the video I saw looked closer to hundreds than thousands. In any case, I am not here to disparage these rallies. 

Western Iowa surely has to be as solid as Trump’s base gets. He carried 66-69% in most counties in this area and in Osceola County which hasn’t voted for a Democrat since LBJ, Trump beat Hillary 79-17. It is interesting that although these Trump rallies are generally championed by local Republicans, they seem to be solely rallies for Trump. It is hard not to look at these and imagine the personality gap that will be left in a post-Donald environment. 

While over the years, politicians like Rand Paul, Allen West and Trey Gowdy have been championed by the Right over the years, it’s hard to imagine any of them, Pence, Ben Carson, Marco Rubio, or even, any member of the Trump family to be able to emulate the rock star devotion to Ol’ 45. 

Boat Rally fans will also tell you that they aren’t getting media coverage, but do rallies without candidates or big name speakers tend to get coverage, and what would you say about them? 

 Iowa did see the appearance of another candidate at the top of the ballot, Libertarian Jeremy "Spike" Cohen running with Jo Jorgensen. 

Cohen spoke in Des Moines as him and Dr Jorgensen cross the country on bus. As far as I can tell, the Register did not cover the trip, though local tv news sites and NPR have covered the Midwestern trip as it came through neighboring towns, and the Cedar Rapids Gazette did make mention of the stop. 

Cohen has otherwise had to rely on Libertarian-friendly websites and YouTube to get his message across for otherwise news items like saying his ticket would pardon Leonard Peltier, cut taxes and reform the criminal justice system.