Bob Vander Plaats, a more-than-likely GOP gubernatorial candidate in 2010, is the guest on tonight's edition of "Iowa Press" on IPTV. Vander Plaats ran for governor in 2002 and in 2006. Vander Plaats has formed an exploratory committee, he has been taking in campaign donations and he indicated on the program he'll formally announce sometime this summer that he's a candidate for 2010.
During the this morning's taping of the program, Vander Plaats cited several instances in which he argues first-term Governor Chet Culver, a Democrat, lacks the right instincts. He listed Culver's proposal to double the state deposit on bottles & cans and Culver's discussion of selling the Iowa Lottery – ideas which have been abandoned — as well as Culver's new proposal to have the state borrow $750 million to finance infrastructure projects. UPDATE: Culver's political director offers a response, which is below.
In case you've not heardhis name before, Vander Plaats explained the first time I met him at the statehouse that you pronounced Plaats "just like cemetery plots." Vander Plaats argued at the start of the program that he will not get buried again in 2010.
"I can win and I've said that before in 2002 and said it in 2006, but I believe it more than ever today," Vander Plaats said. "…I'm not just a typical Republican, but I have served in a lot of areas, arenas in this state and have always achieved results and I think in today's climate people want a real person out of real life experience to be the leader of the State of Iowa."
AP's Mike Glover immediately followed up: "This is your third attempt to get the Republican gubernatorial nomination. At what point do you become a perennial candidate that we don't take terribly seriously?"
Vander Plaats: "Well, I take a look at it, Dean, is that I'm big into growth charts. Are we growin' or are we diminishin' in support? If we were diminishing in our support around the state, we wouldn't be sitting here today. We wouldn't be having this conversation. But right now I can tell you we have a vibrant network in all 99 counties who are ready and they're poised and to them and to me, it's not about winning a primary, it's about winning the governorship because I learned a long time ago that if you don't win, you don't govern. You don't lead."
(That is not a typo. Vander Plaats misidentified Glover as "Dean" rather than "Mike.)
You can watch the entire show tonight at 6:30.
UPDATE: Here is reaction from Pete D'Alessandro, political director for the "Chet Culver Committee" (The CCC rather than the CRGCC "The Committee to Re-elect Governor Chet Culver")
"I find it interesting that a guy who has never won an election and aborted his last run to hitch his wagon to the Jim Nussle boomlet would talk of 'poor instincts.' Governor Culver on the other hand has been elected statewide 3 times (In addition he has won 2 statewide primaries).
"As Governor his support of the cigarette tax increase is saving lives. His education support is making a real difference in providing preschool funding and expanding this opportunity to more Iowa families. Last week "Business Facilities" magazine singled Gov. Culver out among all governors for his effort 'to carve out a successful path of growth in the midst of hard times.'
"The simple truth is while Gov. Culver has been fighting everyday for hardworking Iowans, Perennial Candidate VanderPlaats is trying to find the correct sound bite to help him carve his niche into the "Steve King Wing" of the Republican Party."
About O.Kay Henderson
Kay is a founding member of the Radio Iowa network newsroom. In 1994, she became the network’s news director. She’s a featured reporter and commentator on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press,” and the 2002 recipient of the Shelley Award.
Having never before seen BVP, I watched that half-hour with some expectant-interest because of how BVP gets discussed on the various Iowa repug blogs. WOW!. That poor man doesn’t belong in front of a camera.
I’d love for him to be the repub candidate for governor every four years.