GOP Peace Terms

Beth Dalbey at The Iowa Independent has a very good post on the awkward post-primary dance between winner Terry Branstad and runner-up Bob Vander Plaats.

Because Vander Plaats got 40 percent of the vote, there's lot of talk about whether he'll now back Branstad or run as an independent or issue an executive order nullifying the primary. Speculation runs amok.

“To be clear, Gov. Branstad and I both know there were differences in this primary, but we have agreed to sit down and discuss these differences and get them all on the table to unify the party around leadership the state of Iowa desperately needs,” (Vander Plaats) said.

Vander Plaats declined to reveal the exact nature of the conversations, or what position changes Branstad would have to make to appeal to social conservatives who made up Vander Plaats' base.

“That's a private conversation,” Vander Plaats said.

He said the issues that resonated strongly with his supporters haven't disappeared.

“There are very loyal people out there and they are not going anywhere,” he said. “They are staying in the fight.”

So what were these differences?

Branstad's corporate tax cut is half of what Vander Plaats proposed. Vander Plaats wants to adopt Arizona's immigration law while Branstad contends that Iowa should adopt a law that fits our own state's situation.

Vander Plaats assailed parts of Branstad's record and his past associations (Ben Nelson, Joy Corning), but barring the invention of a time machine, that's not going to change.

Let's see, was there anything else....oh yeah, Branstad wouldn't sign off on Vander Plaats' judicial veto scheme to stop gay marriage. The once and future governor called it an "illegal" plan that would damage the office. I don't think that's the kind of stuff you can take back.

I think this negotiation at Appomatox will be mostly theatrical, and frankly, it happens after almost every contested primary. Hard feelings die hard. Ed Fallon was quite sure Chet Culver would make serious concessions after Fallon's leftward-marching supporters exceeded expectations. Didn't really happen.

Despite the residual heat of the campaign, Branstad and Vander Plaats probably agree on 99 percent of issues. So, for all the bluster, I'm pretty sure there's going to be Republican peace in our time.

On the marriage issue, the executive order idea nonsense will fade away. The focus will turn to getting a legislative majority elected to wage the (misguided) fight against civil rights for gays and lesbians. Branstad and Culver won't spend much time talking about it.

Branstad's strategy all along was to attract independents and some disgruntled Democrats into a big-tent coalition. He's not going to jeopardize that by going overboard to save face for a vanquished foe.

Some disgruntled culture crusaders will shun TB, but most will swallow hard and vote for him.

Vander Plaats is too smart a guy to run as an independent. He's never going to be governor, but he's still got a future in public life.  He knows the damage he could do. He's said before he won't do it and I believe him.

The only "but" I'll add is that I'm basing this on past experience and my belief that sanity usually rules in the end. But these are strange times in politics.