Iowa's Gridlock, Faith and Phone Calls

On Wednesday, Meghan Malloy of Iowa Independent reported that Governor Branstad's office received 204 calls over the budget gridlock in Des Moines. We are reporting on 204 phone calls? This is not to single out Iowa Independent, as the Des Moines Register picked up the story as well. My point is that according to the 2010 United States Census, Iowa had a population of 3,007,856, making the percent of population weighing in on the matter 0.007%. This is newsworthy? Seriously?

Blog for Iowa attempted to gin up a few calls, so we had our fingers in the tempest in a teapot as well. It became clear that this type of advocacy will have little impact on breaking the budget gridlock one way or the other. One anticipates the brinkmanship will continue up the the point of shutting the government down, the political blame game will intensify, the parties will back off and reach compromise, the legislature will adjourn Sine Die and life will go on. The 2012 session is likely to be a reprise of 2011.

In the meanwhile, on Thursday, a Republican Senator wrote, “Iowans should call Governor Branstad at 515-281-5211 and thank him for working to protect the family budget.” A Democratic Senator wrote “If you support efforts to protect education and job creation priorities, call Governor Branstad at 515-281-5211 and urge him to compromise.” *sigh*

Episodes such as the phone call campaign create doubt about the ability of our political leaders to bring change in Des Moines, or to break gridlock. There is no doubt our political leaders are talented, competent and courageous, just that they have apparently forgotten how to get things done.

This was evident during the 2010 campaign when there were too many cooks in the kitchen. Between the coordinated campaign, Organizing for America, the local Democratic party and individual candidate campaigns, our dance cards were full, all the time, and we took our eye off the ball of the fundamentals of political organizing. In their haphazard way, the GOP bested Democrats, creating a framework for the gridlock we are currently experiencing. Progressives let this happen by working without the faith and confidence of the electorate.

According to the Iowa Secretary of State, turnout in the 2010 election was 1,133,434 or 53% of registered voters and 38% of the population. Governor Branstad won with 592,494 votes or 28% of registered voters. This is hardly a mandate and the number suggests the electorate is much more evenly split than the posturing between the Senate Democrats and the Republican House and Executive branch indicates. It seems so much political bluster, coming from every camp, enough to service a wind farm.

In his book “Rules for Radicals,” Saul Alinsky said of community organizing, “It is not enough to persuade them of your competence, talents and courage – they must have faith in your competence and courage. They must believe in your capacity not just to provide the opportunity for action, power, change, adventure, a piece of the drama of life, but to give a very definite promise, almost an assurance of victory.” This is where Iowa Democrats have fallen short, there has been a shortage of faith in the party establishment.

As spring turns to summer, the Iowa legislature remains in session. If the measure of successful political organizing is an “assurance of victory,” Democrats have a long way to go. Thing is, the Republicans have not been doing much better and that is the opportunity for 2012.

~Paul Deaton is a native Iowan living in rural Johnson County and weekend editor of Blog for Iowa. E-mail Paul Deaton