Steve King Still Has Backing in Iowa, but Even Supporters Say 'He's Done'

[Eugene]

Source: New York Times

Steve King Still Has Backing in Iowa, but Even Supporters Say ‘He’s Done’

By Trip Gabriel
Jan. 17, 2019

FORT DODGE, Iowa — The coffee crew at Zakeer’s still likes Steve King. They voted for him over and over and don’t believe he is a bigot. They say he’s getting a raw deal from the news media and Republicans in Washington.

But here’s the thing: These rock-solid supporters of Mr. King, whose comments seeming to endorse white supremacy brought stinging rebukes from his own party leaders, are also convinced that his 16-year career in Congress representing northwest Iowa is effectively over.

“I think he’s dead in the water,” said Pat Reed, a retired history teacher in a purple University of Northern Iowa sweatshirt, reacting to the news that House Republicans this week had stripped Mr. King of his positions on the Agriculture and Judiciary Committees.

“I think he’s done,” echoed Ross Nemitz, the owner of Ross’s Appliance Center in Fort Dodge, a small blue-collar city in the heart of Mr. King’s district full of agribusinesses.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/17/us/politics/steve-king-iowa-supporters-white-supremacy.html

[bearsfootball516]

1. It would be something if Iowa was represented by nothing but blue congresspeople after 2020

[still_one]

2. I suspect most racists don't believe they are racists either in their twisted, sick, rationalization

[bearsfootball516]

3. I think a lot of it is subconscious.

You're not going to find many people who will openly say "I hate black people" or "Only white people belong in the United States." Most don't realize their racist tendencies. It's subconscious and they don't even notice it. Stuff like getting nervous when they're walking down the sidewalk and they see an African American on the same sidewalk, walking toward them. They don't even notice it, but it's there.

[hotrod0808]

4. So...

NYT interviews GOP racists in Iowa to ask if they support their GOP racist rep. That's so unlike them to do this.