Branstad says world dangers require change in status quo

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad sought to rally Iowa Republicans in stops across the state on Tuesday, arguing the rise of the Islamic State and a more confrontational Vladimir Putin is endangering national security and a change in leadership is needed.

Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds have been traveling the state arguing for the GOP ticket, and on Tuesday, they met with about three dozen people at Scott County GOP headquarters in Davenport.

Branstad faulted the Obama administration on foreign policy and said for the nation's security, new leadership is needed.

'We can't afford the status quo,” he said.

He said Donald Trump and Mike Pence represent an opportunity for change and Trump's selection of Pence as a running mate and his list of possible Supreme Court nominees are reasons to back him.

Trump has been leading in polls in Iowa. The RealClearPolitics.com average in the state said Trump leads Clinton by 3.7 percentage points. There have been few polls conducted, however, and none reflected on the RealClearPolitics list, since a recording was released earlier this month in which the Republican nominee said lewd things about women.

In the aftermath of that incident, polls in key battleground states and national surveys have said momentum has shifted to Clinton.

Reynolds, while not mentioning Trump directly, told the people at GOP headquarters that despite what they may have heard, they should keep fighting.

Reynolds pointed to a large turnout for a similar rally she and the governor headlined in Clinton County on Monday as evidence Iowa Republicans are energized.

'The enthusiasm and the momentum is on our side,” she said. 'They're trying to tell you something different. Don't let it happen.”

Tuesday's rally was aimed at bolstering the entire GOP ticket. Branstad and Reynolds urged that attention be paid to Statehouse races, where Republicans are hoping to take control of the state Senate this year. Democrats currently hold a narrow margin.

Locally, the race between state Sen. Chris Brase, D-Muscatine, and Republican Mark Lofgren of Muscatine is one that is being closely watched statewide.

Branstad and Reynolds also were making a stop in Marion on Tuesday as part of their travels across the state to promote the GOP ticket. Reynolds also was going to Anamosa.

The Clinton campaign responded to Branstad's visit Tuesday by pointing to a statement that it released earlier in the week saying Trump lacks the temperament to be commander in chief and has praised Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.