Pfannenstiel: I think Republicans are looking to bring some of the issues they’re talking about on high level — inflation, critical race theory, crime, the pandemic — home for people on a local level. Governors are really well suited for those types of conversations, and Gov. Reynolds in particular has been able to work with the Republican-controlled Legislature in Iowa to pass laws targeted to those issues.
She can talk about returning kids to the classroom, ending pandemic unemployment benefits and banning mask mandates because she’s done those things. That’s a big draw for Republicans who are trying to draw a real contrast with President Biden’s agenda.
Cillizza: How is her standing in Iowa at the moment? Where is she in her term?
Cillizza: What’s her speaking style/approach? Has she ever given a speech like this before?
Pfannenstiel: This will be the biggest speech we’ve seen Reynolds give during her career, by far. I don’t think I would describe her as a natural, but she’s become a much more practiced speaker over her first term and can deliver when it counts.
She can be quite charismatic in person and really excels in retail-style politics, so the challenge will be to convey that through the camera so the audience at home feels it. Don’t expect her to pull any punches, but I imagine she’ll also bring a healthy dose of “Iowa nice” and some folksy charm to her speech.
Cillizza: Will this speech make her a player nationally? Maybe in the 2024 veepstakes?
Pfannenstiel: We’ll see how she’s received, right? All the elements are there, but she’ll have to bring it all together and deliver. This is a chance for her to prove she can really be an asset on the national stage and win over people who don’t yet know anything about her. Republican presidential contenders will be courting her regardless as they start to move into Iowa ahead of the 2024 caucuses. A solid speech Tuesday would certainly give them more to talk about when they do.
Cillizza: Finish this sentence: “The most important thing for Americans to know about Kim Reynolds is __________.” Now, explain.
Pfannenstiel: “… she is deeply polarizing in Iowa.”
So that tells you something about how she’s been able to appeal to the party’s solidly red, solidly Trump base. But just 10% of Democrats approve of the job she’s doing.
