I am so old that I remember Ray's campaign song being a big deal. My recollection was that he was in a plane crash and many thought that helped his campaign. Of course, that was an opinion from my Democratic family.
Iowa has produced many fine leaders - most of them were Democratic - yet, Ray still was one of the the good ones. He followed Harold Hughes who was a champion in my home. Who can forget Culver, Harkin, and Smith.
Iowa's current leaders are terrible. Reynolds is a MAGA pet and Grassley consorts with Russian Operatives. They are so bad that they make Joni Ernst seem almost decent.
Iowa is no longer the beacon of good government and decency I thought it was when I was growing up. This is not nostalgia. Today's Republican party will not even feed low-income kids with the Summer Food Program. They have become mean-spirited and petty like their orange god.
This is such a good reminder that the Republican Party hadn’t always been destructive fascism. It seems so long ago now. We need a two party system, but before that is possible, we have to vote out the current MAGA extremists, stop the dismantling of all good government and build back a state government for the people, not for corporate greed.
I fondly remember as a young man going with my dad to the Fort Dodge airport at 10:30 p.m. to pick up a SE Asian refugee family coming to Iowa as part of Gov. Ray’s progressive refugee program. The family of a father, mother and three small kids arrived with two suitcases and they cuddled together in the back seat as we drove them to Humboldt to start a new life (our church was local sponsor). The family stayed in our community for several years, bringing joy and sharing their heritage with us.
I think, how great it would be to have compassionate and kind Iowa leadership like this again!
Thank you, Barry. It is important to remember the work of this good man. I benefited from his idea for, and establishment of, the Iowa Tuition Grants which saved the smaller, private colleges in Iowa. It was an act of strategic genius at the time and did nothing to endanger public education in our state because it was a needs based scholarship and private colleges had to match the amount of the grant. It was smart and thoughtful policy. We could certainly use a whole lot more of that in Iowa these days.
Thank you for this Barry. I grew up in the Ray era but many of the things you captured here have been unknown to me until now. I appreciate being reminded of the policies he promoted that made life better for all Iowans.
I am so old that I remember Ray's campaign song being a big deal. My recollection was that he was in a plane crash and many thought that helped his campaign. Of course, that was an opinion from my Democratic family.
Iowa has produced many fine leaders - most of them were Democratic - yet, Ray still was one of the the good ones. He followed Harold Hughes who was a champion in my home. Who can forget Culver, Harkin, and Smith.
Iowa's current leaders are terrible. Reynolds is a MAGA pet and Grassley consorts with Russian Operatives. They are so bad that they make Joni Ernst seem almost decent.
Iowa is no longer the beacon of good government and decency I thought it was when I was growing up. This is not nostalgia. Today's Republican party will not even feed low-income kids with the Summer Food Program. They have become mean-spirited and petty like their orange god.
Most of the "Bob Ray Republicans" I know left the GOP years ago and now consider themselves independents or even moderate Democrats.
The GOP (especially in Iowa) is way past the point of no return from MAGA-land.
This is such a good reminder that the Republican Party hadn’t always been destructive fascism. It seems so long ago now. We need a two party system, but before that is possible, we have to vote out the current MAGA extremists, stop the dismantling of all good government and build back a state government for the people, not for corporate greed.
I fondly remember as a young man going with my dad to the Fort Dodge airport at 10:30 p.m. to pick up a SE Asian refugee family coming to Iowa as part of Gov. Ray’s progressive refugee program. The family of a father, mother and three small kids arrived with two suitcases and they cuddled together in the back seat as we drove them to Humboldt to start a new life (our church was local sponsor). The family stayed in our community for several years, bringing joy and sharing their heritage with us.
I think, how great it would be to have compassionate and kind Iowa leadership like this again!
It makes me sad that we do not.
Many good points here and I agree. I remember, oh so well, when politicians could disagree, but still "play nice".
Thank you, Barry. It is important to remember the work of this good man. I benefited from his idea for, and establishment of, the Iowa Tuition Grants which saved the smaller, private colleges in Iowa. It was an act of strategic genius at the time and did nothing to endanger public education in our state because it was a needs based scholarship and private colleges had to match the amount of the grant. It was smart and thoughtful policy. We could certainly use a whole lot more of that in Iowa these days.
Thank you for this Barry. I grew up in the Ray era but many of the things you captured here have been unknown to me until now. I appreciate being reminded of the policies he promoted that made life better for all Iowans.