Steve King can be beaten

The Fifth Congressional District in Iowa is not good for Democrats. Registered Republicans number 141,245. The figure for Democrats: 97,130. No Party registrations are at 126,454. These numbers at first blush appear to add up to a victory for U.S. Rep. Steve King, a Republican with one of the worst voting records in the country.

But there is hope.

A poll in February by the Des Moines Register showed that Barack Obama was leading John McCain in every Congressional district in the state. That is a shocking revelation, considering in the Fifth Congressional District George W. Bush beat John Kerry 60-39 in 2004 and Al Gore 57-40 in 2000.

This, however, is shaping up to being a horrible year for Republicans. John McCain also isn’t the best to carry the GOP banner in western Iowa. He’s too mushy on immigration for one thing. And I doubt his critique of evangelical leaders as “agents of intolerance” has been forgiven in right-wing bedrocks like Lyon and Sioux Counties.

In addition, Steve King is a crackpot. Even for the Fifth. He needs to be painted for what he is: a politician who expresses the most extreme views to garner attention so he can become a darling of the right wing nationally. He clearly isn’t interested in doing much for the district. Many Republicans are uneasy with his trail of embarrassing statements.

Let’s make some assumptions. Assume King wins only 85 percent of the Republican vote. Republican turnout also could be suppressed because of the depressed number of Republicans. Let’s also assume Rob Hubler, King’s Democratic opponent, can win 90 percent of Democrats and 60 percent of independents. If he does, he’ll be the next Member of Congress for western Iowa. Those targets are well within reach, if people step up and donate to Hubler’s campaign. Hubler is an ordained Presbyterian minister. He’s also served in the military and has strong ties to Iowa. He can win this race, if he has the financial resources.

Rob Hubler's Website