Elizabeth Warren & Patty Judge Tour Ethanol Facility, Warren supports strong Renewable Fuel Standard

Jun 13, 2019 | News

ALBIA, IOWA – On June 10th, Senator Elizabeth Warren toured Big River Resources in Dyersville, Iowa. She was joined by Focus on Rural America Chair Lt. Gov. Patty Judge, who has served Iowa as Lieutenant Governor and as Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture.
 
“Candidates need to engage meaningfully with rural Americans, and Senator Warren has shown that she is serious about winning back voters lost to Trump. Seeing firsthand how value-added agriculture is providing good jobs and boosting rural economies is key to understanding the priorities for rural communities. I’m grateful that Senator Warren is committed to supporting economic development through biofuels,” said Judge.
 
“Current White House policies are really hurting rural Americans. As farm income falls, President Trump is adding to the pain with his reckless trade negotiations and waivers for oil and gas refineries. Rural Americans need presidential candidates who will stand up for us and partner with us. To win and really contribute in 2020, candidates need to work hard to close the margins in rural counties. That means showing up, listening and partnering on a plan to revitalize these hometowns.” 
 
“I’ve been a longtime supporter of the RFS and renewables like corn ethanol, soy biodiesel and advanced biofuels because they play an important role in our march toward independence from fossil fuels,” Elizabeth Warren said. “Unfortunately, the current administration has broken its promises and undermined a strong RFS through secret waivers for companies like Exxon and Chevron. Farmers are hurting, and they need a partner in the White House who has a clear, predictable policy on renewables and trade. I’m in this fight with them all the way.”

As candidates approach the 2020 caucuses, engaging with rural voters and having a plan that supports rural communities will be critical. Judge is committed to working with all the candidates to ensure rural Iowans are heard and that candidates have a plan to partner with them.

Democratic Twitter ≠ The Democratic Party

Democratic Twitter ≠ The Democratic Party

Apr 11, 2019 | News

New research suggests something most folks may have already suspected — Democratic Twitter isn’t all that representative of the actual Democratic Party. What does that mean in the most progressive presidential primary in our nation’s history?

The Hidden Tribes Center, a project of More In Common, has new data showing that the digital left—that of high volume, high impact, progressive politics—represents less than a third of the actual Democratic Party. While that segment often dominates the political discussion, the bulk of the party is composed of moderate members; more willing to compromise, less willing to follow the ideological lead of their more liberal counterparts.

This poses important questions ahead of 2020—a cycle dominated by candidates and policies that are arguably more progressive than at any time in modern history.
-Where do you focus outreach?
-What kind of candidates are folks looking for?
-What issues are most important to the actual electorate?

Here at Focus on Rural America, we’ve been attempting to find answers to those questions. We conduct a quarterly poll of likely Iowa caucus-goers to take the pulse of the electorate, and we’ll continue doing so right up until the Caucus in February 2020. Here’s what we’ve found so far:

The most important thing, in each poll we’ve conducted, isn’t the pursuit of hyper-liberal policies. It’s not Medicare for All or the Green New Deal. Likely caucus-goers are looking for someone who practices good judgment. They’re looking for someone who can play well with others. And they want someone who can unite people and work to heal the divisions that are tearing the country apart. While it’s impossible to objectively measure what any person’s internal compass on “moderate” or “liberal”, “left” or “center” is, folks are looking for the party to move more to the center than to the left—by a margin of 58% to 31%.

This has interesting implications in a state like Iowa. Among likely caucus-goers, there is broad support for key progressive priorities—fighting climate change, addressing the cost of living, expanding health care. But there is also an overriding interest in bringing rural areas back into the fold. That means providing economic outreach to communities that have been left behind, supporting homegrown agriculture and the renewable energy industry, and giving small towns the chance for their kids to stay and have meaningful, fulfilling lives.

It’s early still, much too early to pick favorites in the Caucus. But it’s the perfect time for campaigns to pitch their vision and tell these more moderate voters how they plan to lead, how they aim to unite, and how they will refocus on voters that contributed to Democratic victories in the past. That’s going to call for turning heads in areas Democrats have trouble with—the rural south, the rust belt, and the midwest. If recent congressional victories by Democrats across Iowa are any indication, they should be pleasantly surprised by the pay off.

Further reading on the Hidden Tribes Center:
The Democratic Electorate on Twitter Is Not the Actual Democratic Electorate, New York Times
The Hidden Tribes of America

Our Quarterly Polls:
September 2018
December 2018
March 2019

New nonprofit seeks to boost progressive causes in rural America

May 30, 2017 | News

ALBIA, IA – Focus on Rural America is a newly formed nonprofit organization aimed at boosting progressive causes and organizations by developing and promoting economic messages that resonate in rural America. In their initial research, released publicly today, the organization conducted focus groups with rural Iowans who voted for President Trump in 2016 after supporting President Obama’s reelection in 2012.

“In recent years there has been a massive shift in how rural Americans participate in the electoral process,” said Focus on Rural America advisor Sam Roecker. “The goal of Focus on Rural America is to investigate this shift, engage rural communities in a discussion about the issues that motivate them, and develop a positive progressive message that will resonate in rural America.”

“As a lifelong Iowan and someone who has spent decades traveling to every corner of the state, I’ve witnessed firsthand that the progressive messages that we’re using today aren’t resonating,” said Focus on Rural America Chair Patty Judge. “It’s time to take a serious look at this issue and develop economic messages and policies that will have a real impact in rural parts of our state.”

The shifting civic attitudes of Iowans is evident through a comparison of 2008, 2012, and 2016 election results. While presidential election outcomes were largely consistent through these years in communities like Ankeny, Marion, and Bettendorf, there was a steep drop in support for progressive candidates in rural communities like Burlington and Knoxville.

To begin investigating this shift, Focus on Rural America recently sponsored a number of focus groups with rural Iowans who voted for both President Obama in 2012 and President Trump in 2016. This initial round of research revealed the following key findings:

These voters reconciled supporting Obama in 2012 and Trump in 2016 because they viewed both as a break from the status quo. Some even drew favorable comparisons between Obama and Trump, including that both were not career politicians and both appeared to prioritize the best interests of the people.

Obama/Trump voters had a much harder time explaining Clinton’s 2016 campaign message than they did for Trump’s. While they generally felt that Clinton would fight to maintain Obama’s policies and would focus on women and families. With Trump, voters were able to clearly list Trump’s goals, including shaking up the status quo in Washington.

Obama/Trump voters raised concerns with Democrats’ stance on social policies and focus on entitlements and social programs. They identified what they perceived as liberal social policies that in their opinions went “too far.”  Additionally, even though these voters want to help those in need and provide those who have lost jobs with a means of getting back on their feet, there is also a belief that Democrats in general may have begun to focus too much on entitlements and social programs. There is also some sentiment that Democrats are only focused on minorities and interest groups and not focused on “everyday Joes.”

Obama/Trump voters do not feel that either major political party is really fighting for them or putting their interests first. For the most part, voters say that neither party is directly addressing their lifestyle. Both parties are more concerned with fighting each other and not with the interest of Iowans.

Obama/Trump voters know relatively little about Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds. They say their support in the 2018 Governor’s race depends who the Democratic opponent is and how Reynolds does from the time she takes office until the election in 2018.

Obama/Trump voters show concern over key legislation from the 2017 session.

  • Focus group participants expressed concern over changes to collective bargaining rights and feel that unions are a mostly positive force for working families in Iowa.
  • Most also expressed concern about changes to workers’ compensation laws. While they have some concerns about fraud, most believe that injured workers should have protections.
  • While more voters disagree with repealing local minimum wage requirements, some share concerns about the ability of small business to afford the increase.
  • While some approve of the Stand Your Ground provision, most are opposed to removing the renewal requirement for permits and many are opposed to allowing minors to carry guns.
  • There is widespread agreement that all Iowans should have access to clean drinking water.

To build on the initial findings, Focus on Rural America will continue to conduct quantitative and qualitative research across Iowa and begin traveling the state to engage community leaders.