Branstad reaches out to social conservatives

Former Gov. Terry Branstad met privately with several leaders of Iowa’s social conservative movement to answer their questions and allay any fears the may have of his likely run for governor next year.

Former Gov. Terry Branstad

However, from the reaction of two people who attended the meeting, the former four-term governor did little to help his cause.

Mike Demastus, a pastor at Fort Des Moines Church, said the meeting took place Wednesday morning and was attended by several Christian pastors, conservative blogger Shane Vander Hart, Chuck Hurley of the Iowa Family Policy Center, Kim Lehman of Iowa Right to Life, Steve Scheffler of the Iowa Christian Alliance, and former Des Moines School Board member Jonathan Narcisse.

Demastus wrote on his blog that Branstad made it clear he would not focus his campaign on social issues. Instead, he will spotlight what he believes is incumbent Gov. Chet Culver’s poor job of managing the economy.

What Branstad hopes to accomplish in these back-room meetings with pastors and other socially conservative Iowans is to appease us in some way by saying something like this: “We’re on the same team. I think the same way you do about these issues. Even if you don’t hear me talk about them, they are important to me privately.”

But that is NOT leadership. Definitely not the leadership we need.

Demastus said he asked Branstad if because of their ruling legalizing same-sex marriage would he openly campaign against retaining the Supreme Court Justices who are on the ballot in 2010.

He said that privately he feels that way but he cannot publicly do something like that. WEAK!

Following the meeting, Vander Hart blogged that Branstad made a point to remind the group of the good things he did in office, including cutting income taxes, opposing collective bargaining, and passing the Defense of Marriage Act, among others. However, when asked about his position on same-sex marriage, Vander Hart said Branstad made it clear that will not be an issue in the 2010 campaign.

He said it is “not going to be a central issue” and that we “have to use finesse, and not overplay our hand.”  He also said that in order to win the election we ought “not wear our conservatism on our sleeve.”  I can understand wanting to make the economy a central theme, but an unwillingness to address restoring traditional marriage at all in his campaign is a mistake.

Branstad also refused to discuss what role Des Moines attorney Doug Gross would play in the campaign, Vander Hart said. Gross has drawn the ire of social conservatives for a series of Op-Eds arguing that for the Republican Party to regain control of state government it must focus on fiscal matters and avoid divisive social issues.

In all the meeting, in my opinion, didn’t go well for him.  Social conservatives are looking for tangible ideas on items of concern for us.  He was unwilling to provide them.  We are looking for principled leadership, and instead we saw political maneuvering.

Demastus agreed with that sentiment.

All in all, if Branstad wins reelection, he will simply be a Republican version of Culver. He is a politician through and through.

The people in this state need to take a stand and not keep getting force-fed candidates who don’t have a backbone. We need leadership. We need someone who will be a true champion of conservative values.

We need a strong stand on moral issues (not back-room meetings)! We need someone to fight those who have brought same-sex marriage to this state. Someone who will not be afraid to speak out against rogue justices who have ignored our state’s constitution!

Basically what we need in gubernatorial leadership in Iowa is something that Terry Branstad is not able to deliver.