The once, but not future, King

There could be no clearer indication of the immense power of Sioux County Republicans than the fact that Governor Kim Reynolds came to Sioux County, to Sioux Center, on the day before the election. Most of the state of Iowa, the populace of the east central area—Des Moines, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, etc.— could normally care less what happens out in the faraway wild west.

Gov. Reynolds, in her first open race for the office, chose to end her campaign events here because nowhere else is the populace so defiantly Republican. Sioux County is her base--shore it up, get ‘em to the polls, fill ‘em with spit and vinegar, and they’ll take you on home to victory—that’s what her people must have determined.

The old jokes are just that: “Sioux County Democrats are meeting next week in the Main Street telephone booth—public invited.” Even though the Democratic party is showing some muscle as of late, Sioux County has always been blood red. Why?—that’s a good question, but most anyone who thinks about the region starts that answer with just one word—“abortion.” “Republicans are agin’ it. Democrats are baby killers.” You know. That one.

Abortion is first, but another reason for the huge Republican crowd is that the GOP is old-time religion—pure, unsullied tradition. What’s good for Granddad is good enough for me.

For those of us who take a path a bit farther left, it can be disconcerting to feel surrounded by so many right-wingers; but most of us, especially if we’ve lived here for some time, understand the first answer. If wanting Roe v Wade shipwrecked is an absolute, Sioux County Democrats will continue to be a minority, even though they’re outgrowing telephone booths.

Maybe—just maybe—all of that helps some of us understand what on earth happened in the last election, when Steve King smacked down J.D. Schouten here in the county, the same Rep. King whose ideas are considered suspect (at best) by everyone from Gov. Reynolds to Liz Cheney, Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise, numbers one and two and three in the Republican Congress. This same Steve King brutalized Sioux County like some huge Alton freight—73.4% voted for a man widely considered--and now officially called--a bigot. Lyon county came in second at 72 percent. Throughout the district, shockingly J.D. just about won.

That hefty support horrifies farther-left types like me. That so many of our friends and families and neighbors support someone just about everyone, including Republican leadership, considered not only out of touch but out-and-out racist—well, that seemed impossible the day before the election. But it wasn’t. Steve King won here. He won big. Really big. Huge. He swept Sioux County as if the county were his sweetheart.

So, lots of people from all sides of the political spectrum are anxious to see what difference Rep. Randy Feenstra makes in the next primary go-round, if King is around. Feenstra got himself in this week. His conservative credentials are impeccable, despite the cheap shots King is already taking at him. Feenstra is just as adamantly pro-life, wants to support the Trump agenda, hits all the right Republican keys—or so it seems to me. Not only that, he’s local, grew up here, educated here, is employed here, goes to church here.

I’d like to think that in the next Republican primary. Rep. Randy Feenstra will entirely clean Steve King’s clock, wail on him, smash him like a corn borer. I’d like to think that next time around, Feenstra will take 75 percent of the vote in Sioux County, at a minimum.

That’s what I’d like to think.

I’ve been wrong before. Oh, my word, have I been wrong.