Even though Kim Weaver was defeated by Congressman Steve King (R-IA) by 22 points in 2016 she wants another go at him in 2018. She announced her bid on MSNBC and has filed her paperwork in 2018.
The Des Moines RegisterĀ dropped a bombshell today. Weaver was formerly an internet psychic, experience that was kept from voters in 2016 and is *strangely* absent from her website. Jason NobleĀ wrote:
Weaver, a Democrat from Sheldon who lost to Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve King in 2016 and plans to challenge him again in 2018, operated an array of psychic services websites, hosted an internet radio show and participated in online discussions of the supernatural, records reviewed by The Des Moines RegisterĀ show.
Known as āKimberAnneā ā a portmanteau of her first and middle names ā and āthe Spirit Weaver,ā Weaver charged customers as much as $3.99 per minute for readings online and over the phone and dispensed advice on matters ranging from romance to careers to real estate.
In one recording obtained by the Register, Weaver performed a tarot card reading to reassure a distraught woman that her missing husband was not dead.
In an interview, Weaver, 52, did not deny dabbling in psychic services, but described her activities as “life coaching” and said they never amounted to more than a “hobby.”
āI didnāt really actually do anything,” Weaver said.Ā “It was all for entertainment purposes. Did I make a living from it? No, definitely not.ā
Weaver’s campaign responded…
In a statement provided to the Register on Monday, Weaver’s political director, Todd Prieb,Ā suggested that information about her psychic activities originated with Republican campaign groups concerned that she could unseat King in 2018.
“Frankly, the idea that people would care about something Kim did 10 years ago on an entertainment website more than Steve King’s horrendous voting record isĀ insulting to the voters of this district,” Prieb said in the statement. “Kim does not actually believe she has psychic abilities, but she does foresee Steve King being unemployed after 2018.”
Oh let’s not pretend Democrats don’t dump opposition research to media. Also, this didn’t come out in 2016 because nobody really knew who she was and nobody paid attention to this race.
As far as unseating Congressman King, that is a fantasy. The most likely scenario for that to happen is in a contested primary and I have not heard of any serious challengers. The math just doesn’t work out in Weaver’s (or any Democrat’s favor). As of April 3, Republicans hold a voter registration edge just shy of 72,000. Independent voters in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District outnumber registered Democrats by almost 55,000. Regardless of the negative media King is still pretty popular.
Also, “King’s horrendous voting record” doesn’t look horrendous to people who vote for him. It’s pretty tone deaf to point to his voting record.
Now she claims not to have psychic abilities, but I wonder did she tell those who spent money to solicit her advice that? I think those who claim to be psychic are full of baloney, but those who spent money on her (whether or not it was enough to make a living on is irrelevant) probably didn’t think that.
Weaver’s prediction about Congressman King can be added to the list of false predictions and advice she gave during her past career.
I would love to be a fly on the wall at Iowa Democratic Party HQ when this news broke. Running a former internet psychic in Iowa’s 4th Congressionald District isn’t exactly a winning strategy. If the former First Lady of Iowa, Christie Vilsack, couldn’t beat King, I don’t think “the Spirit Weaver” has much of a chance in her second go either.
