Bob Vander Plaats Does Not Speak for Iowans

Bob Vander Plaats reminds me of Groundhog Day, the 1993 Bill Murray film.  No matter what we do, every time we turn around there is Vander Plaats asserting he speaks for Iowans and repeating the same thing we heard yesterday.

Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, 1993

Yesterday, Vander Plaats applauded statements that Gov.-elect Terry Branstad made to reporters this week indicating he would look for candidates with “more judicial restraint” in filling the three current Supreme Court vacancies, and for calling it “a tragic mistake” when the court last year struck down as unconstitutional a state law defining marriage in Iowa as only between one man and one woman.

“The people have spoken and demanded a change in leadership,” Vander Plaats said, saying a majority of Iowans have indicated they do not believe the unanimous court acted within their authority in making Iowa “a same-sex marriage state.”

It is mystifying how Bob Vander Plaats, a guy who has been personally rejected by voters in four different elections, can assert he understands what Iowans want, let alone imply he speaks for them.

The people have spoken clearly on four occasions and rejected Bob Vander Plaats.  Hopefully, soon they will find a way to stop his tiresome groundhog like reappearance on the Iowa political landscape.  A judicial retention vote on one judge does not mean other judges should resign, but a quadruple loss at the polls might be a signal that Vander Plaats is not a reliable source when it comes to interpreting what Iowans are thinking.

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Graham Gillette can be reached at grahamgillette@gmail.com
This entry was first published as a Des Moines Register blog entry.