By Jeff Jorgensen
With the 2010 Iowa Republican State Convention just one week away, soon-to-be five term Governor Terry Branstad has a critical decision to make—who will be his choice for Lt Governor? If I may, I’d like to make a suggestion. I’d like to suggest the Governor choose State Representative Rod Roberts for his running mate, and here’s the reason why.
My reasoning has two facets. Starting with the logical facet; three Republican gubernatorial candidates spent many months crisscrossing the state, introducing themselves to voters and hearing their concerns. This has allowed thousands of Iowa voters the chance to get to know these three candidates and hear their message. The cost in money and man-hours to accomplish this is enormous. One of the three candidates is now the Republican nominee for Governor. The logical choice for Lt. Governor would be a choice between one of the other two, since they too have been vetted through the primary process and have gained a measure of voter acceptance. Anyone else the Governor would choose would be starting from scratch. Now the question becomes, which of the other two candidates should Brandstad choose?
This is where the emotional facet comes in. The results of the 2010 Republican primary showed Iowa Republicans three things. First, it showed that Governor Branstad was the strongest candidate. The Governor won with 50% of the vote, while Bob Vander Plaats and Rod Roberts garnered 41% and 9% of the vote respectively. Second, it showed that the 2010 primary campaign was a harder fought campaign then many thought, inflicting many wounds and causing hard feelings on several fronts. These wounds and wounded egos will not heal easily. Third, it showed that if we as Republicans are to take back the Governorship and gain a majority of seats in the state legislature in November, we need all hands on deck working together for the same goal. As conservatives, we need someone who will inspire us and help us heal quickly.
When I combine these two facets of reason, I come up with one name—Rod Roberts. As a candidate, Rod has shown himself to be a reasoned conservative Republican. I feel he’s the one best suited to reach out to Iowa’s social and fiscal conservatives of all stripes—Republicans, Independents, and Democrats. As I call on Republicans all across Iowa to solicit their help for our cause, I get that same message from many of them—I’m learning I’m not alone.