Meidas Touch commenting on James Carville interview (6:50)

In the video above James Carville deservedly rails against the lousy job of governing done by Republican governors across the country. Republican governors are much more about culture wars and owning the libs. While much of the video centers on the more nationally known governors, Kim Reynolds’ lousy record could easily be slipped in to the narrative.

When we elect a governor we are looking more for someone we feel has the judgement, temperament and intelligence to understand and execute the law. We make our judgements based on a person’s performance in past endeavors. Reynolds’ past endeavors – her years as governor – have been far from impressive.

She has been instrumental in taking Iowa’s share of Medicaid money and moving it from patient care to billion dollar corporation executives to start with. Then we can add in her truly pathetic response to the corona virus in Iowa. Who can forget meat packing plant workers dying and Reynolds doing nothing? I sure can’t.

Packing plant workers were not the only ones who suffered from the Reynolds hands off policy. Who can forget the mess in nursing homes? 

Reynolds’ lack of leadership during the height of the covid pandemic – who knows if we are done yet? – was just a part of the picture. Do you remember when Reynolds sent members of the Iowa Highway Patrol to Texas? Can anyone explain why she did that? The only explanation I have heard is that Reynolds used state money and resources to try to embarrass the President.

She was in the terms used in the video engaging in cosplay – pretending she was some kind of a national hero. 

While she was wasting our time and money in Texas,  back here in Iowa she has been working extra hard at undermining Iowa’s public school system. She simply wants to do to the public school system what she did to Iowa’s Medicaid system – fork over huge dollars to private companies for what will probably be a much lesser and much less regulated school system. 

Teachers are leaving in droves in Iowa and Reynolds does nothing but fight to destroy our public school system while touting unproven privatized schools.

Iowa also has a real crisis looming with rural hospital closures. According to Beckers Hospital Review, Iowa has 44% of its rural hospitals under threat of closure. Blessing Hospital in Keokuk recently announced its upcoming closure. Given Reynolds’ response to other Iowa problems I think we can expect a bumbling, inept response to this looming crisis.

Iowa
Rural hospitals at risk of closing: 40 (44 percent)

And of course Iowa has the ongoing problems of water pollution around the state that Reynolds simply cares not to deal with. She is focused on destroying Iowa’s once proud school system.

And what’s this about wanting her own Attorney General? The AG is supposed to separate and independent from the governor. Does she want to be Iowa’s tin-horn dictator?

Let me add that when Reynolds is seeking the endorsement of a former leader who committed treason, that sends a really bad signal.

Finally there is her opposition to abortion. In order to stay in the pantheon of Republican heroes, Reynolds must take a hard line far right approach to abortion that is totally out of touch with the reality that women face. 

I don’t see how Deidre DeJear could be much worse. I can easily see how DeJear could be much better. For one thing, DeJear believes in fully funding Iowa schools. She has a history of stepping up and addressing problems. She will not be bought by business interests. A DeJear governorship could be a first step in returning Iowa to its reputation of being a state that makes its leaders prove their worthiness.

Kim Reynolds has certainly not proven her worthiness for office, She has proven her incompetence and unwillingness to address real world problems.