Patty Judge has made a habit of skipping debates and avoiding voters during her meandering, Washington-backed effort to secure the Democrat nomination in Iowa’s Senate race. And that’s despite her own admission that she’s struggling to connect with voters.
Now we know why. Judge was repeatedly playing defense against her primary opponents and botching one of her few opportunities to show voters that she has a handle on the issues that matter to Iowa families.
- “The leading candidate in Iowa’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary found herself on the defensive several times during the campaign’s final televised debate on Wednesday night. Patty Judge, the former Iowa lieutenant governor and secretary of agriculture who has been the putative frontrunner since entering the race in March, was challenged by her rival candidates and pressed by moderators in The Des Moines Register/KCCI debate on issues ranging from her electability to her labor record to her grasp of international economic issues.” (Jason Noble and Brianna Pfannestiel, “Front-Runner Patty Judge On Defensive In Senate Debate,” Des Moines Register, 6/2/16)
- “On Wednesday, Judge was befuddled by a question about China gaining the advantage in renewable fuel industries.” (Kathie Obradovich, “Debate: Patty Judge Fumbles Labor Issue,” Des Moines Register, 6/2/16)
Judge wasn’t even able to defend her own record as she lied about her involvement as Lieutenant Governor on a collective bargaining veto that has struck a chord with labor groups for years:
- “One of the reasons is Judge’s continued inability to lay to rest her role as lieutenant governor in Gov. Chet Culver’s veto of a 2008 expansion of collective bargaining. Last week, Judge accused Hogg, a state senator from Cedar Rapids, of being misinformed about labor leaders’ efforts to negotiate a compromise with Culver on the bill. ‘I don’t believe that there was a lot of back and forth in negotiation on that particular piece of legislation,’ she said on IPTV. Iowa Federation of Labor President Ken Sagar disputed that account this week, saying he personally met with Judge and others to try to hammer out an agreement on the bill.” (Kathie Obradovich, “Debate: Patty Judge Fumbles Labor Issue,” Des Moines Register, 6/2/16)
The result was as predictable as it was embarrassing. Judge was a clear loser in the debate and failed to gain any momentum heading into next week’s contested primary election:
- “But if winning debates is about being the most informed on issues and the best at conveying a clear message, Judge didn’t win Wednesday’s debate. She didn’t win last week’s debate on Iowa Public Television, either.” (Kathie Obradovich, “Debate: Patty Judge Fumbles Labor Issue,” Des Moines Register, 6/2/16)
Judge’s performance hasn’t improved since her “limp-noodle” appearance at the Des Moines Register editorial board.
If Harry Reid, the DSCC, and the rest of Judge’s Washington, D.C.-based supporters haven’t pulled the fire alarm yet, it might already be too late