7 Takeaways from Ted Cruz’s Iowa Swing

On By Pat Rynard

Ted Cruz took his post-announcement tour to Iowa this week, hitting Sioux City, Dubuque, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines during Wednesday and Thursday. Starting Line followed the Senator for the last of those three events. Here’s what I took away from it: 1. Cruz can certainly pack a room. As the only formally-announced candidate and one of the more bombastic speakers of the Republican field, Cruz is a hot commodity right now. How long that continues once April gets filled with other candidates’ launches remains to be seen. But for now Cruz pulled in a little over 200 […]

Cruz Calls Obama “Apologist for Radical Islam” at Iowa Christian Summit

On By Pat Rynard

In a room full of evangelical Christian conservative leaders on Monday, Texas Senator Ted Cruz did not hold back in his criticism of President Barack Obama. Cruz blasted the President on foreign policy, focusing in on his strategies against the terrorist group ISIS, labeling Obama an “apologist for radical Islam.” He’d made the incendiary comments before, but this appears to be the first time he’s used the attack line in Iowa. He then went on to suggest that Obama uses similar rationales that terrorists employ to downplay ISIS, slamming Obama for making a reference to the Crusades in explaining the […]

GOPers Brag of Flying Flag for Ag in Hopes of Rural Vote Snag

On By Pat Rynard

It felt like caucus season once again this weekend with multiple likely Republican candidates and the entire national press showing up in Des Moines for the Ag Summit. Bruce Rastetter, in an obvious attempt to make himself a caucus kingmaker, hosted the event and did a Q&A with every White House hopeful, while other speakers gave prepared remarks at the podium. On the issues, there was very little disagreement outside of immigration and the Renewable Fuel Standard. All the Republicans were against EPA regulations, opposed trade with Cuba while supporting trade with China, and criticized GMO labeling. No two candidates […]

The Republican Bachelor – Who’s In Iowa for the Right Reasons?

On By Pat Rynard

Just as the Republican presidential race heats up in Iowa, the state’s own Chris Soules will be ending his much-hyped run on ABC’s The Bachelor. Sorry to disappoint, Democratic ladies, but Chris is a big Republican. He’s already met several of the presidential hopefuls, and Starting Line strongly believes that Chris will publicly endorse in the Iowa Caucus. Don’t discount him as just some reality TV star. He’s the most popular leading man The Bachelor has had in years, particularly in his native Iowa. An endorsement could grab attention from a large base of young people who aren’t typically engaged […]

It’s All About That Base for Speakers at Steve King Summit

On By Pat Rynard

More than 20 Republican leaders in all addressed Steve King’s Freedom Summit on Saturday, speaking to a crowd composed of the most conservative voting bloc in American politics. It was mostly what we’ve come to expect from candidates trying to appeal to what they think the far-right Fox News crowd wants to hear. The more conservative speakers all attempted to out-do each other with bombastic, red-meat zingers, insults about President Obama, and constant references to radical Islam. The very right-wing crowd ate it up. Still, while many in the audience likely left with hoarse voices from cheering so much, the […]