On October 1st, while the rest of the political world watched JD Vance clobber Tim Walz in the vice presidential debate, I was in Indianola listening to local candidates discuss the issues that directly affect the people of Warren County. I thought all the conservatives performed very well. In particular, I thought Rep. Brooke Boden stood out with an excellent performance. I left the forum encouraged by the political process in this county and prospects of key victories in November.
General Thoughts
First off, I want to thank the Independent Advocate and all the sponsors and organizers for a great event. It was everything political discord ought to be—local, respectful, civil, and on-point. Prior to the event, there was some concern among Republicans that the organizers and moderators were biased. But the questions turned out to be fair and relevant.
The sanctuary at Trinity United Presbyterian Church was full. It was great to see so many neighbors come out to engage the political process. I moved my family out of Des Moines in order to experience this kind of genuine community.
Board of Supervisors Candidates
The first hour was devoted to candidates for Warren County’s Board of Supervisors. Six candidates attended the forum. The questions focused on the nuts-and-bolts of county government, with questions on road repair, zoning policies, and public safety.
I will likely do a full article on the supervisor candidates so stay tuned for that.
Boden vs. Waugh
The final hour was spent on a debate between Rep. Brooke Boden and her challenger, Spencer Waugh. I am a Boden supporter, but even putting my biases aside, it’s hard for me not to believe that she was the clear winner of the debate. Her answers were far more substantive and better addressed the particular issues facing Iowans.
According to the Simpson College website, Waugh is a coach of champion debate teams. It was clear from his opening statement that he knows how to put a speech together. It was engaging, humorous, and heartfelt. But it lacked many substantive policy positions. In contrast, Boden spoke with more conviction and force and yet also backed it up with particular policies and proposals.
This became a theme throughout the night. When asked about particular policies, Waugh would often use words like “creative” and “cooperative” solutions, but give few specifics. In contrast, Boden would give very specific details about her goals. Some of this is the benefit of being the incumbent, but it did provide a clear contrast between the two candidates.
One moment that stood out to me was a question on abortion. This is an issue that Democrats think they can gain ground on. Pro-life candidates often miss these opportunities. For example, the abortion question was one of Vance’s weaker moments in an otherwise strong performance in his debate.
Spencer Waugh answered the question first. He appealed to the usual anti-life rhetoric, calling Iowa’s heartbeat bill “extreme.” He concluded by saying that the logic of Iowa’s pro-life law “reduces women’s value to their reproductive organs.” Multiple women around me groaned at this statement.
Rep. Boden responded by correcting Waugh’s language about the bill and clarified the actual content of the law. She then went on the offensive, challenging her opponent to explain when and why medical personnel have the right to end another human’s life. This is the pro-life response I’ve wanted to hear my whole life. It was bold and articulate, passionate but not hysterical. More importantly, it didn’t surrender the premise and forced the pro-abortion candidate to deal with the radicalness of the position. I wish national politicians would take note.
Another highlight of the debate was on the topic of banning inappropriate materials from Iowa’s public schools. Spencer Waugh implied that a law which went through Boden’s committee could be used to ban Shakespeare. He then shifted the conversation to talk about suicide rates amongst transgender youth.
When Brooke Boden gave her reply, she articulated the actual provisions of the bill stating that it would not ban “Shakespeare, To Kill A Mockingbird, or The Long Walk” but would ban pornography. She quoted the exact language of the law to verify this and told a grim story of an Iowa mother whose child found extremely explicit material in a classroom.
Overall Mood of the County
One of the most interesting aspects of the Boden-Waugh debate was to see who the candidates appealed to. It was clear that Waugh was trying to get Republicans to abandon their party and vote for him. This seems to be a fixture of his strategy, judging by the “Republicans for Waugh” signs I see around town. He urged voters to pick “a person, not a party” and described himself as a “former Republican,” a “fiscal conservative,” and at one point gave something like a Christian testimony.
Waugh’s strategy sheds light on an open secret. Warren County is conservative. If a Democrat candidate feels it’s necessary to appeal to Republicans, it means we’re winning. They need our votes; we don’t need theirs. As long as all Republicans vote in this election, it will go our direction.
Warren County conservatives should not be complacent this election cycle. But we should go into November with confidence. We have great candidates and a great base supporting them.
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