Political party chairs agree on caucuses, little else

DES MOINES – The leaders of Iowa's two major political parties agreed Tuesday the state's precinct caucuses likely will remain the nation's first presidential test and next be held on Feb. 6, 2012, but found common ground on little else.

Sue Dvorsky, who took over as chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party last month, and Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Matt Strawn said they expect their national party leaders to adopt a 2012 calendar later this summer that will keep Iowa in the lead-off position of the four states granted exemptions to begin earlier than March 1. The other states are New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.

“I'm confident they'll move forward with that plan,” Strawn said during a joint appearance with Dvorsky at an hour-long forum sponsored by IowaPolitics.com, Mediacom and Drake University.

“It is remarkably important for Iowa to remain first in the nation,” added Dvorsky, noting that Iowans are politically engaged and literate on issues and provide an affordable venue for presidential hopefuls to directly address the people, showcase themselves and their positions and “become better candidates.”

The two political party leaders squared off for the first time on a range of issues that included Gov. Chet Culver's I-JOBS program and the contrast of leadership records between Culver and 2010 opponent former Gov. Terry Branstad, GOP gains in voter registration numbers, prospects for voter turnout in November, and whether Roxanne Conlin – Democrats' challenger to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa – or Mariannette Miller-Meeks, the GOP challenger to 2

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District U.S. Rep. David Loebsack, D-Mount Vernon, can become Iowa's first woman to be elected to Congress.

Strawn said he believes Republicans had cut into a 115,000 voter registration disadvantage to Democrats by half in Iowa because there is “an enthusiasm gap” that will propel GOP candidates to victory in the Nov. 2 general election. He contended Democrats in Iowa have “a dispirited base” while Republicans have momentum to score significant gains in state and federal elective offices.

“I do not believe for a minute that we have an enthusiasm gap,” countered Dvorsky, who noted that Republicans were aided by a competitive primary election season but Democrats have a strong ground organization that will mobilize voters and a message that will attract independent voters “in the middle” who will be turned off by GOP candidates who had to tilt far to the conservative side to secure their party's nominations.

Strawn said the trends show he is “not trying to conjure up an enthusiasm gap. It's been evident in voter registration shifts, crowd turnouts at events, and fundraising numbers, he added, “they've already started to vote with their registrations, they've already started to vote with their pocket books and in November they're going to vote with their votes and usher in a new Republican majority in this state.”

Dvorsky said much of the early campaigning in the governor's race has featured Branstad mischaracterizing Culver's record and offering “pie in the sky” promises of job creation, income increases and tax cuts that “don't mesh” with the reality of Branstad's previous 16 years as governor from 1983 to 1999. Strawn countered that Democrats released “the attack dogs” even before the GOP primary was over and Culver has yet to run a positive advertisement or offer his future plans for improving Iowa.

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