Branstad energizes Democrats

Iowa Democrats gave out their Hall of Fame awards in Cedar Rapids Friday night, honoring officeholders and activists who have done great service to their party over the years.

But I think they should have given out one more award. Maybe a 'Motivator of the Year” plaque. And they could have presented it to Republican Gov. Terry Branstad.

Because if you found yourself at the lectern Friday night, and needed a surefire way to get the room rocking, just mention the governor. Toss out a few lines about Bran- stad's recent blindside veto of a bipartisan education funding package, or a bill applying the brakes to closing a pair of mental health institutes.

And it wasn't just the usual suspects among Iowa Democrats, such as Senate President Pam Jochum, who declared to cheers that 'the emperor has no clothes.” Presidential candidates took an Iowa detour from national issues to pile on.

'I'm adding my voice to yours. Gov. Branstad, put down your veto pen,” said Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, drawing a standing ovation from the crowd of 1,300. It was, arguably, the most well-received line in a speech that drew applause 30 times. She panned trickle- down economics, New Coke, shoulder pads and big hair. But it was Crystal Pepsi clear which stale brand Democrats were itching to scrap most. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley also called out the governor by name.

It's no wonder the crowd ate up these localized shoutouts. This sort of thing used to be a lot more common before the caucuses became largely a national campaign with hay bales. Judging by the response, more candidates should take note. Clinton did her homework and reaped rave reviews.

So a Democratic Party that took it on the chin, hard, in 2014, whose highest ranking official is now some guy named Loebsack, that squandered a U.S. Senate seat and is just a one-vote state Senate majority away from Statehouse oblivion, now has the makings of some mojo. And they have the governor to thank for putting a tiger back in their tank.

Of course, if I were a Democrat in that cheering crowd, I might have turned to one of my prominent party poobahs and asked where the heck they were last year when Branstad was on the ballot and nobody, save one little-known state lawmaker, had the guts to take him on. Where were the clever lines, fiery rhetoric and standing Os when the governorship actually was on the line?

I know Branstad is all powerful, but, until 2014, I didn't know he could make an entire political party disappear.

See, this is why I don't get invited to parties.

But here we are in 2015. And with each day, we find fresh evidence that Branstad's one-man-Legislature schtick was a costly blunder growing more costly. He's poisoned prospects for the 2016 legislative session, undercut his own party's leaders in the Iowa House and is emboldening and energizing his political rivals.

The vetoes are prompting more questions about Statehouse Republicans' true education agenda, and voters who still value public education, for all its flaws, may not like the answers. For all his savvy, the emperor should have had more sense.

l Comments: (319) 398-8452; todd.dorman@thegazette.com