Posted on 04/16/2015 6:41:51 AM PDT by don-o
DES MOINES—With a fork and a frown, Steve Scheffler chops his scrambled eggs into a flattened yellow mash. "Some people don't think I'm conservative enough," he scoffs. "That's laughable."
Scheffler, 67, is an icon of Iowa evangelical conservatism: lead organizer for preacher Pat Robertson's 1988 Iowa caucus campaign, former head of Iowa's Christian Coalition, president of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, a man who believes in gay-conversion therapy, and who once warned that same-sex marriage would make Des Moines "the homosexual capital of the Midwest."
While the years have not softened Scheffler's conservatism, Iowa's GOP has moved so far to the right that he's now considered in legion with the party's establishment-evangelical wing. His rivals to the right, the purists, called Scheffler a RINO—or "Republican in name only."
"It hurts," he winces. I strain to hear Scheffler's angry growl; his fork clangs against a breakfast plate loud enough to startle a lady in the next booth. "Politics isn't about perfection. These guys with their holier-than-thou attitudes: You can't get anything done that way."
Before I left for Iowa to preview the fledgling GOP presidential race, somebody had asked me, "How conservative is the party in Iowa?" The answer came to me in a Des Moines diner: The Iowa GOP is so conservative that Steve Scheffler looks relatively – it's hard for me to even write this – moderate.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationaljournal.com ...
So. I’m guessing Jeb Bush or his PACs are behind this story. Scared of Walker, scared of Cruz....very scared.
I don’t give a damn what this fool does with his scrambled eggs. I think his party, whatever faction to which he belongs or belonged has too much influence in national politics as it is.
His ‘feelings’ are immaterial to me.
Embarrassing Jeb Bush pimping. This needs a barf alert.
Leave it to Founier to think that the entire definition of conservative is focused on one or two issues......
Don’t really know much about the author. Just looked like something that might provoke some discussion here.
I liked his comment about Huckabee being warmed over goods to be encouraging, as I am a bit concerned that he and Carson are potential siphons for evangelicals away from Cruz.
I’m waiting for Fournier’s interview with Bush where Jeb explains his belief in gay-conversion therapy. After all, “Bush is the field’s Steve Scheffler.”
http://realejakubal.blogspot.com/2012/02/blue-boy-by-thomas-gainsborough.html
To me, this is and always will be the Dauphin Jeb. There is NOTHING about him that identify with politically, as a man, or an American.
“Iowa’s GOP has moved so far to the right...”
Really? When did that happen? Almost every Republican of any stature whatsoever that I’ve ever seen come out of Iowa is a dopey, uninformed moderate who thinks that Democrats are no different now than they were in 1960.
I don’t think Huck nor Carson will funnel too many away from Cruz. Carson will be the new flavor du jour for a while perhaps, but I don’t see staying power.
Huck is old news. Lotta Huck and lotta Santorum folks (many are the same folks) have moved on from 08 and ‘12.
But yes, the author is self professed moderate, so it’s interesting that this was his take.
oh sorry, my last post - I was thinking the author was Jazz Shaw. This was Ron Fournier, a big liberal from Arkansas who rode Clinton’s coat tails to a Washington DC gig....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
