The motto here is, "Don't put a target on your back." We should have a bumper sticker with that. This comment will likely put one on mine. But this old woman has dealt with narcissists before. Do we really fear them...or do they fear us? Most of us never thought we would live to see this. You are one of the brave ones, Art! Thank you!
Former Register reporter Tom O’Donnell, now living in southeast Iowa, told me he was asked to run for the Legislature in the 2024 election. He recalled going door to door and talking about his positions such as opposing public funding for private schools and other Democratic Party priorities. He said people would be nodding their heads in agreement until they found out he was a Democrat. “I can’t vote for a Democrat,” they’d tell him. Sad commentary.
I'm reminded of the quote about notorious 19th century Colorado cannibal Alferd Packer: "There were seven Democrats in Hinsdale County, and you ate five of them," the judge said in sentencing him to be hanged.
Democrats are not as scarce as hen's teeth in my neck of the woods. There are 5,000 more Democrats than Republicans in Black Hawk County -- 28,400 to 23,400 Republicans and another 23,100 not registered to a party. We also have the largest private-sector union local in the state with 2,700 members at United Auto Workers Local 838. But it seems Black Hawk County Dems are perhaps a bit taken for granted; they seem have a hard time getting anyone outside The Golden Circle or Johnson County to listen.
One former local state legislator who had gubernatorial aspirations (and also happened to be BIPOC) told me he was told to ante up $25,000 and someone in Des Moines would start listening. He's out of politics. Do you have to be Fred Hubbell or live in Iowa City or Des Moines to be noticed? We have a strong Democratic party up here with an energetic chairwoman but Dems up here might as well be Catholics in a Belfast ghetto in terms of the attention they get from the IDP. And the political myopia has been that way for decades.
I grew up in Sac City and it was a good place to be, but that was 50 years ago. I guess it was predominantly Republican then, but party politics wasn’t emphasized. People worked together for the good of all. At least that’s how I saw it as a young person. I learned to be civic minded, but not political. Oh yeah, I went to a couple TARs (Teen-Aged Republicans) meetings, but that was because they had snacks and boys. I never got the hang of what they were doing. But, that was my experience with politics while I lived there. When I left home and went to the U of Iowa, I discovered a world of people who looked different from me, thought differently, spoke different languages. It helped me to think differently about life in Iowa and about the possibilities for living.
Reading your column makes me wish for a return to the simpler life I knew. I’m sad that’s not possible. Yet, there are many possibilities for a good life there, if people would only embrace the changes and resist the desire to look back at what was. It was simpler for me as a kid the, but maybe not so easy for the adults who raised me. Perspective is everything.
Keep writing Art. Your point of view needs to be heard. Keep tilting at windmills. There’s plenty of windmills in NW Iowa.
Before Nixon, we had “Eisenhower Republicans”. If one compares Eisenhower’s 1956 Campaign Platform to one of today, Eisenhower was to the left of Bernie Sanders. He did not want Nixon for a VP but Party Bosses required bit.
I’m not sure if I should put my thoughts, or forward editorials in texts or emails. They might be monitored or flagged as disloyal by the growing data surveillance of our new autocracy.
If this old white-haired woman is chained off to El Salvador, please put it on the front page of every newspaper.
If they can do it to non-citizens, they can do it to citizens.
Living in a large Iowa City, (Des Moines), one does not have to scurry about fearful that Maga will follow you home someday. BUT, know that the majority party locally and nationally, does indeed disrespect and try to intimidate. Look no farther than the State Capitol or even in your local places of worship. Art succinctly described how a two-party system SHOULD work in a democracy. All of us are responsible for the actions needed to accomplish once again the art of compromise and listening. We have to be able to do this.
Democrats are horrible at messaging and seem to be running away from the effort to even tell their story.
Good Lord, the dear leader’s plan is working isn’t it? The plan to keep people afraid is still working. When people are afraid, even for no good reason, republicans win. Their plan is working and the silence of the democrats is enabling the plan.
Here in Humboldt County, we still publicly identify ourselves but receive the kind of reception you describe. Thank you for your continued encouragement.
I know a Des Moines church that had 200+ people in ESL classes every week prior to Trump’s election. Now they are down to 20. The Republicans yap about immigrants learning English and when they try to learn it, they are terrorized by the same Republican policies.
Your writing Art reminds me of Psalm 92:14 - "In old age the righteous still produce fruit. They are always green and full of sap."
Preaching to a Choirboy. I ran for a County position in Texas equivalent to Iowa’s County Auditor. Faced the same uphill path but polled within 9 percentage points of the twenty year incumbent on a campaign budget of less than$3,000. People do things in the privacy of their own homes and hearts that they justify only to themselves and what ever spiritual practices they hold dear . As long as we can keep the voting booth private, it is no time to throw in the towel. Remember, I grew up in Northwest Iowa and I know how off in each others business everyone is.
Wish they’d paid attention to that old saying, “If you wanna live like a Republican, vote like a Democrat. “ Scary times. Scary people and scared people. They are Alfie Packer reincarnated.
I goofed and replied to Art, not the comment section, so my comment is there. Sorry, but it is where you can read it if you wish.Keep it up, Art! I would vote for you to be the Harold Hughes of 2026‼️??
Good commentary, Mr Cullen! You are so right! We lived in Iowa for a couple of years in the late sixties. It was a good progressive state then. Not true anymore!
The motto here is, "Don't put a target on your back." We should have a bumper sticker with that. This comment will likely put one on mine. But this old woman has dealt with narcissists before. Do we really fear them...or do they fear us? Most of us never thought we would live to see this. You are one of the brave ones, Art! Thank you!
Former Register reporter Tom O’Donnell, now living in southeast Iowa, told me he was asked to run for the Legislature in the 2024 election. He recalled going door to door and talking about his positions such as opposing public funding for private schools and other Democratic Party priorities. He said people would be nodding their heads in agreement until they found out he was a Democrat. “I can’t vote for a Democrat,” they’d tell him. Sad commentary.
I'm reminded of the quote about notorious 19th century Colorado cannibal Alferd Packer: "There were seven Democrats in Hinsdale County, and you ate five of them," the judge said in sentencing him to be hanged.
Democrats are not as scarce as hen's teeth in my neck of the woods. There are 5,000 more Democrats than Republicans in Black Hawk County -- 28,400 to 23,400 Republicans and another 23,100 not registered to a party. We also have the largest private-sector union local in the state with 2,700 members at United Auto Workers Local 838. But it seems Black Hawk County Dems are perhaps a bit taken for granted; they seem have a hard time getting anyone outside The Golden Circle or Johnson County to listen.
One former local state legislator who had gubernatorial aspirations (and also happened to be BIPOC) told me he was told to ante up $25,000 and someone in Des Moines would start listening. He's out of politics. Do you have to be Fred Hubbell or live in Iowa City or Des Moines to be noticed? We have a strong Democratic party up here with an energetic chairwoman but Dems up here might as well be Catholics in a Belfast ghetto in terms of the attention they get from the IDP. And the political myopia has been that way for decades.
I grew up in Sac City and it was a good place to be, but that was 50 years ago. I guess it was predominantly Republican then, but party politics wasn’t emphasized. People worked together for the good of all. At least that’s how I saw it as a young person. I learned to be civic minded, but not political. Oh yeah, I went to a couple TARs (Teen-Aged Republicans) meetings, but that was because they had snacks and boys. I never got the hang of what they were doing. But, that was my experience with politics while I lived there. When I left home and went to the U of Iowa, I discovered a world of people who looked different from me, thought differently, spoke different languages. It helped me to think differently about life in Iowa and about the possibilities for living.
Reading your column makes me wish for a return to the simpler life I knew. I’m sad that’s not possible. Yet, there are many possibilities for a good life there, if people would only embrace the changes and resist the desire to look back at what was. It was simpler for me as a kid the, but maybe not so easy for the adults who raised me. Perspective is everything.
Keep writing Art. Your point of view needs to be heard. Keep tilting at windmills. There’s plenty of windmills in NW Iowa.
Before Nixon, we had “Eisenhower Republicans”. If one compares Eisenhower’s 1956 Campaign Platform to one of today, Eisenhower was to the left of Bernie Sanders. He did not want Nixon for a VP but Party Bosses required bit.
These are frightening, demoralizing times.
I’m not sure if I should put my thoughts, or forward editorials in texts or emails. They might be monitored or flagged as disloyal by the growing data surveillance of our new autocracy.
If this old white-haired woman is chained off to El Salvador, please put it on the front page of every newspaper.
If they can do it to non-citizens, they can do it to citizens.
Thank you for stiffening my spine.
Living in a large Iowa City, (Des Moines), one does not have to scurry about fearful that Maga will follow you home someday. BUT, know that the majority party locally and nationally, does indeed disrespect and try to intimidate. Look no farther than the State Capitol or even in your local places of worship. Art succinctly described how a two-party system SHOULD work in a democracy. All of us are responsible for the actions needed to accomplish once again the art of compromise and listening. We have to be able to do this.
Democrats are horrible at messaging and seem to be running away from the effort to even tell their story.
Good Lord, the dear leader’s plan is working isn’t it? The plan to keep people afraid is still working. When people are afraid, even for no good reason, republicans win. Their plan is working and the silence of the democrats is enabling the plan.
Here in Humboldt County, we still publicly identify ourselves but receive the kind of reception you describe. Thank you for your continued encouragement.
I know a Des Moines church that had 200+ people in ESL classes every week prior to Trump’s election. Now they are down to 20. The Republicans yap about immigrants learning English and when they try to learn it, they are terrorized by the same Republican policies.
Your writing Art reminds me of Psalm 92:14 - "In old age the righteous still produce fruit. They are always green and full of sap."
Thanks for your wisdom!
Preaching to a Choirboy. I ran for a County position in Texas equivalent to Iowa’s County Auditor. Faced the same uphill path but polled within 9 percentage points of the twenty year incumbent on a campaign budget of less than$3,000. People do things in the privacy of their own homes and hearts that they justify only to themselves and what ever spiritual practices they hold dear . As long as we can keep the voting booth private, it is no time to throw in the towel. Remember, I grew up in Northwest Iowa and I know how off in each others business everyone is.
Wish they’d paid attention to that old saying, “If you wanna live like a Republican, vote like a Democrat. “ Scary times. Scary people and scared people. They are Alfie Packer reincarnated.
I goofed and replied to Art, not the comment section, so my comment is there. Sorry, but it is where you can read it if you wish.Keep it up, Art! I would vote for you to be the Harold Hughes of 2026‼️??
Good commentary, Mr Cullen! You are so right! We lived in Iowa for a couple of years in the late sixties. It was a good progressive state then. Not true anymore!
these are dire straits that we see right now but remember "out of chaos comes tranquility"...