Pandering in Iowa

MANIFESTO

And so, in the metropolis of Waukee, Iowa,

at the Faith & Freedom Coalition's presidential forum on Monday night ... which drew about 2,000 mostly elderly voters ... the first semi-official Republican cattle call of the 2012 election cycle [took place].

And what a night it was. Sixty per cent of the crowd was what one might call "evangelicals," and were they ever ready to listen to the exhortations of such ethical paragons as Newt Gingrich and Buddy Roemer, who "between them ... have four divorces."

From a national politics standpoint, the tone of the event felt a bit off, for reasons that Rep. Steve King inadvertently illuminated. In his introductory remarks, the conservative culture warrior declared, "If we get the culture right, the economy will be right eventually." There may be people who actually believe that. But most of them were attending this event.

Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy ride.