🔥 Republicans Fo Geddah in Iowa fo Ride, Eat an’ No Agree 🏍️🍖🤝
Eight prezdential hopefuls, wit’ Donald Trump no deah, wen talk at one annu’al political rally in Des Moines fo show dey conservative cred.
As da politishians an’ Republican Party officials fling out da red meat on Saturday at an event at da Iowa State Fairgrounds, Wayne Johnson, one 70-year-old fahmah an’ financial consultant from Forest City, Iowa, had some quietah thoughts ’bout da nex’ prezdent he like fo see. 🤔💭
His wife, Gloria, wen jump in. “I really no care ’bout people’s sexual habits an’ I no like fo’ hear ’bout it all da time,” she wen say wit’ exasperation ’bout her party’s focus on social issues like transgender care an’ L.G.B.T.Q. rights. “Politishians stay takin’ positions on ‘woke’ dat get mo’ fo’ do wit’ sex den promoting our country in one positive way.” 😡🌈🙅♀️
Da event, wen dem call “Roast an’ Ride” — one annu’al motorcycle an’ barbecue-infused political rally sponsored by Iowa’s junior Republican senator, Joni Ernst — wen lay bare divisions in da party, wit’ some attendees focusing on pocketbook issues an’ tone an’ oddahs looking fo’ one candidate who goin’ take on Democrats on one social an’ cultural front.
Saturday’s gathering feature eight prezdential hopefuls, some well-known an’ some not, who wen declare an’ oddahs who wen stay undeclared. Ron DeSantis, da Florida governor; Mike Pence, da former vice prezdent who goin’ formally announce his run on Wednesday; Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina; an’ Nikki Haley, da former South Carolina governor an’ United Nations ambassador, wen deah, along wit’ hundreds of Iowa Republicans who goin’ cast da first ballots of da Republican nomination season in February. 🗳️🌽🎤
Da politishians wen give dey speeches, waltzing ‘cross one stage decorated wit’ flags an’ stacked wit’ hay bales fo’ rail ‘gainst “deep state” bureaucrats, “woke” corporations, an’ liberals indoctrinatin’ an’ confusin’ America’s keiki. No surprise, dey main target stay President Biden, fo’ all da kine failings, from Afghanistan an’ da southern bordah to transgender athletes competin’ in women’s sports. 🎙️🏟️🏋️♀️
Fo’ da prezdential hopefuls, winnin’ ovah Iowa Republicans — wit’ dey strong religious leanin’ an’ tradition of political engagement — stay da essential firs’ step toward takin’ da G.O.P. away from da front-runnah fo’ da nomination, Donald J. Trump, da one big-name candidate who no make da trip on Saturday.
Da candidates who wen show up stay tryin’ fo’ stand out from each oddah.
Da nex’ prezdent, Mr. Pence wen assure, goin’ “hear from heaven, an’ he goin’ heal dis land.” 🙏🌎❤️
Ms. Haley wen agree, sayin’, “We gotta leave da baggage an’ da negativity behind.” 🧳🚫😊
Mr. DeSantis wen choose one culture-war analogy, likenin’ it to Winston Churchill, who wen vow fo’ fight Nazi Germany on da beaches, on da landing grounds, in da fields an’ in da streets. Mr. DeSantis wen promise on Saturday fo’ fight “woke ideology” in da halls of Congress an’ in da boardrooms, sayin’, “We nevah goin’ surrender.” 💪🌊🤝
Iowa wen move one whole lot mo’ from swing state to deep red den any oddah state, votin’ fo’ Barack Obama in 2008 an’ 2012, an’ den shiftin’ solidly to Mr. Trump in 2016 an’ 2020. Mr. Trump’s eight-percentage-point victory deah in 2020 stay close to Mr. Obama’s nine-point margin 12 years befo’. 📉🔵🔴
But da voters in da audience, dey no all get da same priorities, interests, o’ solutions. One Republican prezdential beauty pageant eight months befo’ da Iowa caucuses goin’ only attract da most hardcore partisans, an’ da candidates know dey tryin’ fo’ reach da edges of dey party, no da middle.
Plenny voters wen express concern ’bout da economy, especially inflation, one subject mos’ of da prezdential candidates barely touch. Ron Greiner, one health insurance salesman from Omaha, stay all riled up ’cause none of da candidates mention da Affordable Care Act — once one reliable target fo’ Republican attacks — o’ health care at all.
An’ while Mrs. Johnson might stay tired of all da talk ’bout transgender issues, oddahs wen jump up wen Ms. Haley wen call transgender wahine competin’ in women’s sports “da biggest women’s issue of our day.” 🏀👩🤝👩🌺
Jackson Cox, one 17-year-old who goin’ vote fo’ da firs’ time in 2024, wen drive from Albert Lea, Minn., fo’ hear da candidates he goin’ choose from. Top of his mind stay da taxpayer dollars he say stay gettin’ wasted befo’ dey reach American troops fightin’ fo’ freedom in Ukraine — nevah mind dat no U.S. troops stay fightin’ in Ukraine. Against da conservative consensus, he argue dat da United States should be doin’ mo’, no less, fo’ Ukraine.
Diane Bebb, 66, from New London, Iowa, stay all worried ’bout inflation, gas an’ food prices, an’ all da “help wanted” signs fo’ jobs dat look like nobody can fill.
“We could start producin’ oil again, fo’ help da economy an’ get prices down,” she say, but she no sure how mo’ oil exploration goin’ fill all dem job openings.
Her twin sistah, Dione Cornelius of Bagley, Iowa, wen jump in an’ reject da idea of bringin’ in mo’ immigrants to fill da labor force.
“Dey stay takin’ all da benefits, free health care, an’ all dat kine stuff,” Mrs. Cornelius wen protest.
Mike Clark, 74, one semi-retired acoustics consultant, stay all worried dat “da rule of law stay disappearing,” not so much ’cause of crime in da nation’s streets but ’cause of one out-of-control F.B.I. an’ Justice Department goin’ aftah Mr. Trump.
“Big push fo’ da one-world government, das wat worry me da most,” Mr. Clark wen say, referrin’ to one common subject of conspiracy theories. He recommend da book “Da Creature From Jekyll Island,” dat stay all ’bout conspiracy theories ’bout da founding of da Federal Reserve. 🌍🚫🌐📚
In da midst of all dem concerns, da one issue dat seem fo’ resonate da most stay da porous bordah wit’ Mexico. “Wassup we goin’ do wit’ all dese people?” Karen Clark, 81, from Des Moines, wen ask.
Mo’ den dat, Iowa conservatives seem torn. Dey admit dat unemployment so low dat jobs in da state no stay gettin’ filled, but dey claim da economy stay one wreck.
Bill Dunton, 68, wen say he stay comin’ from his home in Toledo, Iowa, fo’ Ms. Ernst’s Roast an’ Ride on top of his Harley-Davidson fo’ six years now. He wen mention how he jus’ ’bout finish payin’ off his credit card debt, an’ he proud of da Chevy Silverado High Country diesel pickup truck he wen buy in 2021, dat “was made fo’ pullin’.”
But, he wen say wit’ conviction, “da economy stay” all messed up, usin’ one expletive fo’ describe it.
Mr. Dunton wen talk ’bout his ordeal wit’ Covid-19, wen stay one month an’ some days in da hospital wit’ oxygen tanks biggah den him, an’ even aftah he wen get discharged, he still wen stay attached to ’em. Yet, he wen add, “I tink we way ovahreact” to da pandemic.
Addressin’ all dese problems dat stay on da minds of Iowans goin’ be one challenge fo’ da prezdential hopefuls. But aftah da program, Mr. Johnson wen say he stay impressed wit’ his choices, an’ he goin’ get time fo’ watch da race unfold.
“Da road stay long,” he wen note. “Time get one way of revealin’ da truth.” ⏳🛣️👁️
NOW IN ENGLISH
🔥 Republicans Fo Geddah in Iowa fo Ride, Eat an’ No Agree 🏍️🍖🤝
Eight presidential hopefuls, with Donald Trump not there, attended a political rally in Des Moines to showcase their conservative credentials.
As the politicians and Republican Party officials delivered passionate speeches on Saturday at an event held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Wayne Johnson, a 70-year-old farmer and financial consultant from Forest City, Iowa, had some quieter thoughts about the next president he would like to see. 🤔💭
His wife, Gloria, chimed in, expressing her frustration, saying, “I really don’t care about people’s sexual habits, and I don’t like to hear about it all the time.” She criticized her party’s focus on social issues like transgender care and LGBTQ rights, saying, “Politicians are taking positions on ‘woke’ that have more to do with sex than promoting our country in a positive way.” 😡🌈🙅♀️
The event, known as the “Roast and Ride,” an annual motorcycle and barbecue-infused political rally sponsored by Iowa’s junior Republican senator, Joni Ernst, laid bare divisions within the party. Some attendees focused on pocketbook issues and tone, while others sought a candidate who would take on Democrats on social and cultural fronts.
Saturday’s gathering featured eight presidential hopefuls, some well-known and some not, with some declaring their candidacy and others remaining undeclared. Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor; Mike Pence, the former vice president who will formally announce his run on Wednesday; Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina; and Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, were present, along with hundreds of Iowa Republicans who will cast the first ballots of the Republican nomination season in February. 🗳️🌽🎤
The politicians delivered their speeches, passionately railing against “deep state” bureaucrats, “woke” corporations, and liberals who they believe are indoctrinating and confusing America’s children. Unsurprisingly, their main target was President Biden, criticizing his failings in various areas, from Afghanistan and the southern border to transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. 🎙️🏟️🏋️♀️
For the presidential hopefuls, winning over Iowa Republicans — with their strong religious leanings and tradition of political engagement — is the crucial first step toward challenging Donald J. Trump, the frontrunner for the nomination, who did not make the trip on Saturday.
The candidates who showed up tried to distinguish themselves from one another.
Mr. Pence assured the crowd that the next president will “hear from heaven, and he will heal this land.” 🙏🌎❤️
Ms. Haley agreed, saying, “We have to leave the baggage and the negativity behind.” 🧳🚫😊
Mr. DeSantis chose a culture-war analogy, likening it to Winston Churchill, who vowed to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches, on the landing grounds, in the fields, and in the streets. Mr. DeSantis promised on Saturday to fight against “woke ideology” in the halls of Congress and in the boardrooms, saying, “We will never surrender.” 💪🌊🤝
Iowa has shifted significantly from being a swing state to a deep red state more than any other state. It voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, and then solidly supported Mr. Trump in 2016 and 2020. Mr. Trump’s eight-percentage-point victory there in 2020 was close to Mr. Obama’s nine-point margin 12 years prior. 📉🔵🔴
However, the voters in the audience have different priorities, interests, and solutions. A Republican presidential beauty pageant held eight months before the Iowa caucuses will only attract the most hardcore partisans, and the candidates are aware that they are trying to reach the edges of their party, not the middle.
Many voters expressed concerns about the economy, especially inflation, a subject that most of the presidential candidates barely touched upon. Ron Greiner, a health insurance salesman from Omaha, was frustrated that none of the candidates mentioned the Affordable Care Act — once a reliable target for Republican attacks — or healthcare at all.
While Mrs. Johnson might be tired of all the talk about transgender issues, others applauded when Ms. Haley called transgender women competing in women’s sports “the biggest women’s issue of our day.” 🏀👩🤝👩🌺
Jackson Cox, a 17-year-old who will vote for the first time in 2024, drove from Albert Lea, Minn., to hear the candidates he will choose from. At the top of his mind is the taxpayer dollars he believes are being wasted before reaching American troops fighting for freedom in Ukraine — even though no U.S. troops are fighting in Ukraine. Against the conservative consensus, he argues that the United States should be doing more, not less, for Ukraine.
Diane Bebb, 66, from New London, Iowa, is deeply worried about inflation, rising gas and food prices, and the abundance of “help wanted” signs for jobs that seemingly nobody can fill.
“We could start producing oil again to help the economy and lower prices,” she suggests, but she is unsure how more oil exploration would fill all the job openings.
Her twin sister, Dione Cornelius of Bagley, Iowa, interjects and rejects the idea of bringing in more immigrants to fill the labor force.
“They are taking all the benefits, free healthcare, and all that stuff,” Mrs. Cornelius protests.
Mike Clark, 74, a semi-retired acoustics consultant, is concerned that “the rule of law is disappearing,” not so much because of crime in the nation’s streets but due to an out-of-control F.B.I. and Justice Department targeting Mr. Trump.
“The big push for the one-world government, that’s what worries me the most,” Mr. Clark says, referring to a common subject of conspiracy theories. He recommends the book “The Creature From Jekyll Island,” which is all about conspiracy theories regarding the founding of the Federal Reserve. 🌍🚫🌐📚
Amidst all these concerns, the issue that seems to resonate the most is the porous border with Mexico. “What are we going to do with all these people?” asks Karen Clark, 81, from Des Moines.
Moreover, Iowa conservatives appear torn. They acknowledge that unemployment is low and jobs in the state are not being filled, but they claim that the economy is in disarray.
Bill Dunton, 68, who has been attending Ms. Ernst’s Roast and Ride event on his Harley-Davidson for six years now, mentions how he is nearly finished paying off his credit card debt and is proud of the Chevy Silverado High Country diesel pickup truck he bought in 2021, which “was made for pulling.”
But, he emphatically states, “the economy is” all messed up, using an expletive to describe it.
Mr. Dunton talks about his ordeal with Covid-19, spending a month and several days in the hospital with oxygen tanks larger than himself, and even after being discharged, he still remains attached to them. Yet, he adds, “I think we’ve overreacted” to the pandemic.
Addressing all these problems that are on the minds of Iowans will be a challenge for the presidential hopefuls. However, after the program, Mr. Johnson says he is impressed with his choices, and he will have time to watch the race unfold.
“The road is long,” he notes. “Time has a way of revealing the truth.” ⏳🛣️👁️
