Poll Shows Rural Voters Back More Centrist Approach, Biofuel Support

On By josh-cook

Rural Democrats are looking to support a presidential candidate who will focus on their communities and invigorate the renewable fuel industries, a poll from David Binder Research showed earlier this week. Of the 600 people surveyed in the poll, 53% report living in rural areas and small towns, and 76% self-identified as middle-class or lower in socioeconomic standing. The recent poll, which shows Elizabeth Warren leading amongst the sample, reflected the older, whiter electorate, even among Iowa Democrats: 95% of respondents identified as white and 85% of them being over the age of 35. Amongst the group, 62% said they […]

Kamala Harris In Iowa: Go On Offense On Women’s Health Rights

On By nikoel-hytrek

Senator Kamala Harris has told everyone during this 2020 campaign that she’s a fighter. She’s touted her time as the Attorney General of California, prosecuting banks and holding corporations accountable. She’s told the story about being raised by parents who were civil rights activists.  And at a NARAL-sponsored town hall in Des Moines, Harris emphasized her ability and willingness to fight for women’s reproductive health care in a way that others may not. “Right now, women’s access to reproductive health is under attack in America, and we have got to stand firm,” Harris said.  Twice on Wednesday, Harris emphasized the […]

Candidates React To Court Ruling On ‘Domestic Gag Rule’

On By nikoel-hytrek

Yesterday, the Trump Administration got one step closer to restricting abortion access in the United States at the federal level. A three-judge panel on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, covering the Western part of the United States, ruled that the federal government can block federal grant money from health care providers if they offer information about abortion or have family planning services in facilities where doctors also perform abortions. In response, ten of the Democratic candidates running for president made statements on Twitter as of early Friday afternoon reiterating their support for Planned Parenthood and their opposition to this […]

Pete Buttigieg Only Candidate With Plan For Expanded Supreme Court

On By nikoel-hytrek

Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is the only candidate among 21 who has laid out a full vision for reforming the Supreme Court.  Though many other candidates have recognized the need for reform, Buttigieg has advocated for expanding the number of justices during his campaign. His idea for the expansion would put the new number at 15 and would involve five justices with Democratic affiliations, five connected to the Republicans and five bipartisan justices recommended by the other ten. The model for this plan comes from a paper that will be published in the Yale Law Journal […]

Where candidates stand on the Hyde Amendment

On By nikoel-hytrek

Former Vice President Joe Biden made waves Wednesday when he reaffirmed his support for the Hyde Amendment, a law that prevents federal funds being used to pay for abortions. On Thursday, after the other Democratic candidates sounded their support for repealing the amendment, Biden reversed his position at a fundraising event in Georgia. “I can’t justify leaving millions of women without access to care they need and the ability to exercise their constitutionally protected right. If I believe healthcare is a right, as I do, I can no longer support an amendment that would make that right dependent on someone’s […]

Clinton’s Iowa Caucus Win Looks More Impressive In Retrospect

On By prynard

The Clinton campaign celebrated their Iowa Caucus victory back on February 1st, but they had certainly hoped for a larger margin. Nearly two months later, however, that win is looking better and better after a string of blowout defeats to Bernie Sanders in other caucus states. Sanders finally made up a bit of the delegate gap between him and Clinton on Saturday with large margins of victories in the Washington (73%), Alaska (82%) and Hawaii (70%) caucuses. He still faces a nearly insurmountable task in overtaking Clinton’s national lead, but it was yet another day in which caucus states gave the […]

Bipartisan Group to Pitch RFS to Caucus Candidates

On By prynard

Governor Terry Branstad and others described a new pro-ethanol campaign group as an educational opportunity for presidential candidates, though the real message was clear: if you want to do well in the Iowa Caucus, you should support the Renewable Fuel Standard. America’s Renewable Future, a large bipartisan coalition, announced at the State Capitol today a major, well-financed campaign to take the message of renewable fuels to presidential candidates and caucus-goers. “The bipartisan renewable fuel standard is working for Iowa and the nation,” explained Bill Couser, a farmer from Nevada, Iowa who raises cattle. “It has ensured that renewable fuel producers […]