Politics & Government

Voters in Iowa's Fastest-Growing County Crave Specifics With Their Chili

Bachmann and Santorum change some minds, but some voters wanting more go home disappointed.

John Short hadn't ruled any candidates out when Republicans in Iowa’s fastest-growing county gathered for chili and politics Thursday evening.

Short was hoping for more specifics from Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

"I think they've been pretty vague," said Short, a CPA and longtime Dallas County Republican. He said all the Republican candidates have pledged to cut tax rates, "but that alone isn't enough."

He wanted Bachmann and Santorum to drill down more on the tax policies, and tell voters more about what they'd do with a host of tax credits that are popular with wealthy investors, but add complexity to the tax code.

"This is what I am looking for: Both Bachmann and Santorum have said they are social conservatives, but I haven't heard anything specific about how they plan on working with Congress to get anything passed,” said Short, who describes himself as conservative “fiscally and morally.”

Short went home disappointed. Both Santorum and Bachmann are “dedicated and driven,” he said, but neither said anything to solidify his vote.

Dallas County, with its strong Republican base, is a good place to hunt for votes – collateral Bachmann and Santorum both need for their campaigns to live past Iowa’s Jan. 3 caucuses. An Oct. 19 Des Moines Register Iowa Poll put Santorum’s candidacy near the cellar at 5 percent. Bachmann, who won the Ames Straw Poll in August, also polled in single digits at 8 percent.

Republican politics rule in Dallas County – in county, state legislative and congressional races – and registered Republicans outnumber Democrats, 15,966 compared with 11,378. Independents outnumber both parties –19,369 of the county’s 46,741 registered voters haven’t declared a party.

The last remaining Democrat in the county courthouse, the recorder of deeds, was voted out of office in 2010. Twenty years ago, the opposite was true, with only one county officeholder on the GOP side of the aisle. Dallas County hasn’t backed a Democratic presidential candidate since 1996, and there were only a third as many voters then.

Gary Pitts, who lives in the fast-growing area of Dallas County that turned it from a Democrat to a Republican stronghold, said Bachmann "needs to show more depth on issues and move on from her stump speech” and Santorum “comes off as angry and he needs to change that.”

Both candidates "say pretty much what I like to hear – reducing the size of government, reducing spending,” Pitts said. “While I don't think either of them will be the nominee, I like both of them."

Pitts voted for Bachmann in the straw poll, but said his support for her had waned. But after Thursday's event, Pitts said that “if I had to vote tonight, I’d vote for Michele Bachmann.”

He liked that Bachmann talked about the effort it will take to repeal health-care reform legislation, which many Republicans refer to as Obamacare and is one issue that unites most of the party. “She said all the right things, with more depth,” Pitts said.

Sue Hagedorn of Urbandale is deciding between Santorum and Mitt Romney and wanted to hear from Santorum "a little more about the financial side,” she said. "I agree with him on everything else.”

She went home “more confused, with a lot more to sort out” before Jan. 3, but said both Santorum and Bachmann “were excellent.”

Her husband, Dennis, is firmly in Romney's camp. "We're a house divided," he said. A Romney precinct captain, Dennis Hagedorn supported the former Massachusetts governor four years ago and think he’s been well vetted. “I think he’ll do a good job.”

Charlene Gillman is deciding between Bachmann, Santorum and Newt Gingrich.

"I don't think they'll tell me anything I don't already know," Gillman said before Bachmann and Santorum spoke, "but I'd like to hear specifically what they're going to do as an executive to help the economy, repeal Obamacare, defending marriage and defending life."

She said she didn’t hear anything that would solidify her support behind any of the three.

Connie Van Roekel of Adel wanted to hear more about candidates' support for Israel because she thinks a two-state solution jeopardizes U.S. security. Both candidates courting Dallas County votes blasted President Barack Obama’s positions on Israel.

“It’s pretty basic,” Van Roekel said. “Nations that support Israel will be blessed, and those that avoid helping will be disfavored by God. Both [Bachmann and Santorum] recognized Israel, and both of them were very educational about Obamacare.”

But she’s not sure who will get her vote Jan. 3. She’s narrowed it down to Bachmann, Santorum and Romney.

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