Random Thoughts

I'm full of random thoughts as I wait to go out to anchor the 10pm news. So here we go...

How many Democrats switched to Republicans so they could vote for Bob Vander Plaats on primary night in Iowa just to make that race a little tighter? It's hard to believe any Democratic leader who says the party feared Vander Plaats more than Terry Branstad. How many times did we see a release from the Iowa Democratic Party or Governor Chet Culver's campaign that ripped on Vander Plaats? Now compare that to the number of times either attacked Branstad. No contest.

Will Vander Plaats' people come around and support Branstad? Will they keep pushing for Vander Plaats to run as an Independent in November? Will they just sit this election out?

When will this meeting take place between Vander Plaats and Branstad? Vander Plaats fell well short of an all-out endorsement of Branstad on primary night. So will the two make peace after they sit down together? And if they do, then how hard would Vander Plaats work to help get Branstad elected? Or is Vander Plaats hoping to make his fourth attempt at running for governor four years from now?

Can Roxanne Conlin make the race competitive against incumbent Republican Senator Chuck Grassley? No Democrat has done that since Grassley beat Democratic Senator John Culver in 1980. Is this the year? Or are Democrats just full of wishful thinking?

Can Brad Zaun upset Des Moines area Congressman Leonard Boswell? Republicans target Boswell every year and it hasn't worked yet. Remember when Stan Thompson ran those ads that showed an overweight, older man striking on the ball field? I assume Republicans have learned that running something like that insults the most dedicated group of voters (older voters) and probably 2/3 of Iowans who are overweight. Surely, Zaun, a state senator, knows better than that, right? But what will he try? He beat his competition soundly in Polk County in the primary, but didn't fare nearly as well outside of the county. And as a farmer, Boswell would seem to have some street cred in the rural areas. So what would make this year's outcome any different for Zaun than it's been those other 7 elections with Boswell?

Where is my Cardinals' offense? Seriously. I don't remember being so frustrated with a team that has been at or near the top of the division for the entire season. What gives, birds? You really can't hit this pitifully, can you?