Zaun is a Bulldog. Vander Plaats has yet to Exit.

Brad Zaun, the Bulldog

Brad Zaun proved he knows how to out-work and out-maneuver his opponents, yet again. Zaun owes his overwhelming victory to lopsided and huge Polk County numbers. This demonstrates he will have to work hard to win voters in the rest of the District when he faces Leonard Boswell. However, Boswell should be nervous about Zaun’s ability to run strong in the District’s largest county and to pick up support from Democrats and Independents who are tired of business as usual. Brad Zaun is about to give Leonard Boswell the race of his career. I give Zaun the edge. Boswell has never faced such a tenacious challenger.

The Race for Governor may turn out to be a Three-way Match-up

Bob Vander Plaats got the 40% I said he would need to consider an independent bid for Governor. His remarks from the podium last night indicate he is mulling it over.

Vander Plaats said he ran because “It’s been clear to us for some time that this state needs new leadership, that the leadership is failing this state…” As one who repeatedly painted former Governor Branstad as one of these failed leaders, Vander Plaats made no effort to say he no longer was lumping Branstad in this group.

The telltale signs Vander Plaats was keeping his candidacy alive for a while longer were in the next part of his remarks, “So, tonight, I called former Governor Branstad just a little while ago and I congratulated him on his victory. And, to be clear, Gov. Branstad and I both know that we had some differences in this primary. And, after a late night, it’s probably not right now where it’s just going to be raving endorsements, but what we’ve agreed to do is to sit down and to discuss our differences and get them all out on the table so that it is our hope and our goal to unify our party, but it is my hope and my goal beyond that to unify a state around leadership that the State of Iowa desperately needs.”

Vander Plaats conceded Branstad won the primary, but Vander Plaats stopped there. He set the stage for a meeting to discuss differences and said they have a shared purpose to unify the Republican Party. However, the next line is interesting. Vander Plaats drops the “we” and says it is his goal, “beyond that,” to unify a state around leadership desperately needed. If, in Vander Plaats view, Branstad is not able to be the great unifier, look for Vander Plaats to campaign on.

Branstad is a shrewd politician. He will meet with Vander Plaats. Vander Plaats will bring to the table a list of demands. If Vander Plaats is not appeased and he feels he can raise the funds to stay in the race, he will announce his independent campaign. Vander Plaats may run as the alternative to Culver and Branstad by painting them both as incumbents with failed records. This is a long shot strategy, but as a three time primary loser, Vander Plaats has shown an obstinacy to continue campaigning regardless of the fact the odds are long.

This entry was first published as a Des Moines Register blog entry.