Why this past week matters so much
Wow! What a week it has been. A debate, a decision that is almost certain to lead to lawsuits, a significant court ruling in Iowa, as well as a federal ruling that puts voters at a disadvantage.
We have had some time to process what has happened. So, let’s discuss.
The image above seemed fitting for everything that has happened. The world of politics is exploding with implications that could be long-lasting.
(A warning: this column is a long one!)
THE GREAT DEBATE— President Joe Biden did about as poorly as he could have done in his debate with Donald Trump. He looked lost and confused. Democratic optimists point out that Barack Obama also had a bad first debate against Mitt Romney in 2012. This performance should be overlooked, they say. I’m not so sure.
Obama wasn’t an octogenarian who had visibly slowed since taking office. Did anyone who had questions pre-debate about Biden’s ability to do the job well for another 4+ years feel good about what they saw?
Biden would turn 86 in a second term in office. After watching his debate performance, how do you envision he will be by then?
Because of Biden’s frailty in the debate, he overshadowed the torrent of untruths Trump unleashed. Serious question: Does Trump believe the things that he says or does he say falsities on purpose?
Biden claimed several things that weren’t true in that debate, too. Not nearly as many as Trump. Here is PolitiFact’s breakdown.
—Questions: Will Biden overcome this debate and get re-elected? That may have just become more challenging.
Will he actually step aside and let convention delegates nominate someone else during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August? That seems doubtful.
As Julie Gammack included in her “Iowa Potluck” column, former longtime Iowa Democratic senator Tom Harkin does not believe that Biden should run again.
“…a disaster from which Biden cannot recover,” Harkin emailed friends about the president’s debate debacle.
“He stood there with his mouth hanging open, head bowed down much of the time; it looked like someone put flour on his face for makeup.”
“This is a perilous time and is more important than Joe Biden's ego or desire to stay president.”
Read Julie’s full column with Harkin’s remarks to friends here.
Politico has a story that Biden’s family blames the president’s staff and CNN for the terrible night. No blame for the president. The story includes the new CBS/YouGov poll that shows that 72% of Americans don’t think that Biden is fit for the job. Nearly half of Democrats polled say that he shouldn’t run for re-election.
That’s a problem.
EMINENT DOMAIN — Unless courts or the legislature intervenes, property owners in parts of Iowa in the path where Summit Carbon Solutions wants to build a carbon sequestration pipeline may have no choice but to grant access. (The company says that 75% of Iowans along the route of the pipeline have already given permission.)
The Iowa Utilities Board, a three-person entity appointed by Iowa’s governor, gave the company permission to move forward with the pipeline, as well as the ability to seek eminent domain authority to force unwilling landowners to permit the pipeline to tunnel underneath their land.
Some Republican legislators are looking to block the pipeline company’s ability to use eminent domain (despite the fact that the board has already approved it) in the upcoming session.
I talked to one of the key lawmakers involved for this week’s “Inside Iowa Politics.” You can watch that conversation here.
I wrote about the pipeline decision for American Farmland Owner. You can read that here.
(Related note: Jess and Marcus Gray also explained in the AFO podcast why they are now solar grazers. Technically, I guess their sheep are actually the grazers. Either way, it’s a fascinating conversation about how they combine solar panels and sheep to become a more sustainable operation, both for the environment and their bottom line. Listen to that here.)
—QUESTIONS: Will the legislative retroactively ban a private company like Summit Carbon Solutions from using eminent domain to build their pipeline? That would mark a significant change in the Iowa senate.
Are they willing to cross Governor Kim Reynolds to do that? Some house members seemed determined. But, again…the senate.
Will other private companies also now try to use eminent domain in new ways? This IUB ruling could open the door to that, doesn’t it?
SUPREME DECISION— The Iowa Supreme Court just effectively banned nearly all abortions. The court lifted the temporary block on Republicans’ legislation that forbids abortions after about six weeks of gestation (whenever medical staff can detect a fetal heartbeat), except in cases of rape, incest, fetal abnormality and when the mother’s life is in danger.
Barring some unexpected legal intervention, this allows the legislation to go into effect next month.
Economic matters may still be a primary driver for voters this November. Perhaps immigration, too. However, if the economy continues to improve — as it has steadily been doing for several years now — then I wonder if abortion becomes a more significant driver?
The issue of abortion is a complicated one for our communities. There are those who morally believe that we must protect the unborn in every situation. There are those who believe that there should be limited exceptions where we allow the abortion option (similar to Iowa’s new law). There are those who want Roe v. Wade restored, which essentially permits abortions until about 20 weeks. And there are others who want abortion limited to 12 or 15 weeks.
Just looking at the politics of this, I have not seen any polls that show a majority of adults want something like Iowa’s new law. It restricts abortion too much for them. Will they accept the new law or try to elect other politicians this November who will work to change it?
I think Democratic candidates will try hard to use this ruling as a motivator.
—QUESTIONS: Where does the issue of reproduction go next? There are those in the Iowa Republican caucus who have blocked efforts to allow women to get contraceptives (oral birth control, vaginal rings and patches) at a pharmacy without a prescription. Some of the legislators don’t believe in contraception. If they can expand their numbers this November in the legislature, can they try to ban certain forms of contraception? (Morning after pills? IUD’s?)
What about life begins at conception legislation?
What about the future of IVF?
Or perhaps none of these efforts become serious at the Statehouse next year. But voters will have plenty to think about until then.
Thank You! It has been a year since I started writing this column. I was nervous to do it. I still am sometimes. I have never done a regular column before. What should I write about? Will anyone want to read it?
I couldn’t have envisioned how rewarding this has been to engage in this conversation with you. Even when you disagree with what I have written or pointed out another angle that I should have mentioned, you do it thoughtfully. No name-calling. No ranting. Just civility. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
CIVILITY IS NOT DEAD!
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What about that yuuuuuggggeee U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding presidential immunity?