Adolfo Martinez (mugshot via Story County)
Adolfo Martinez (screen capture)
Iowa Man Gets 16 Years In Prison For Burning Pride Flag
News Round-Up: December 19, 2019
Tyler James (via Instagram)
@juliemason Obama golfing in Hawaii – living the best life. It looks like he’s been working out. Profiles in presidential golfing. pic.twitter.com/gM0e3fnCTx
— Santa Sees Everything (@DeniseTut) December 19, 2019
Video: Joe Biden’s Tense Exchange In Iowa
Joe Biden campaigning in Iowa
Former vice president Joe Biden got into a heated exchange with a man in Iowa on Thursday, in which he challenged the man to an IQ test or push-up contest after the man questioned Biden about his son and said he was too old to be president.
During a question-and-answer portion of the event in New Hampton, Iowa, the man asked Biden a question about having “sent” his son to work for Ukrainian oil company Burisma. And he said that Biden is “too old” to serve as president. “You’re a damn liar,” Biden responded.
“Look, the reason I’m running is because I’ve been around a long time and I know more than most people know and I can get things done. That’s why I’m running. And you want to check my shape, man, let’s do push-ups together here, man, let’s run, let’s do whatever you want to do, let’s take an IQ test,” Biden said.
WATCH: A tense exchange with a voter at @JoeBiden’s event in New Hampton, IA this morning, where a voter started out by telling Biden he had two problems with him: he was too old, and his son’s work in Ukraine pic.twitter.com/ok7m0ShFPd
— Molly Nagle (@MollyNagle3) December 5, 2019
Iowa: Pete Buttigieg Jumps To Top Of Des Moines Register Poll
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (image via campaign Instagram)
Since September, Buttigieg has risen 16 percentage points among Iowa’s likely Democratic caucusgoers, with 25% now saying he is their first choice for president.
For the first time in the Register’s Iowa Poll, he bests rivals Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who are now clustered in competition for second place and about 10 percentage points behind the South Bend, Indiana, mayor.
Warren, a U.S. senator from Massachusetts, led the September Iowa Poll, when 22% said she was their first choice. In this poll, her support slips to 16%.
Former Vice President Biden, who led the Register’s first three Iowa Polls of the 2020 caucus cycle, has continued to slide, falling 5 percentage points to 15%.
Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, also garners 15% — a 4 percentage point rise.
Those four candidates began to pull away from the crowded field of Democrats and separate into a top tier of contenders in June’s Iowa Poll.
Podcast: Mayor Pete Surges In Iowa, Indiana Teen Stands Up For Himself, LGBTQ Representation On TV Hits All-Time High
In this week’s podcast: • Mayor Pete Buttigieg has surged to number one in the latest polling for the upcoming Iowa caucuses • Gay men in Malaysia have been sentenced to months in prison and being whipped with a cane for having sex at a private residence • A gay teen heard the slur ‘faggot’ one time too many – and took care of it. Link to story at The Randy Report – therandyreport.com/a-gay-teen-had-…g-called-fggot/ • Two male dancers were featured on the UK’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ and the world didn’t end. Link to the story on The Randy Report – therandyreport.com/strictly-come-d…tunning-effect/ • Get ready small-town America – the queens are coming! • Representation for the LGBTQ community on TV rose to an all-time high according to the ‘Where We Are On TV report from GLAAD All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report. If you enjoy catching up on LGBTQ news in a quick podcast, I’d appreciate it if you would share The Randy Report with your friends. I like to think of the podcast as ‘the 60 Minutes of gay news…only shorter.’ Hit the play button and thanks for listening 🙂
Mayor Pete Buttigieg Is Number One In Latest Iowa Polling
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (via Instagram)
• Mayor Pete Buttigieg 22% (37) • Former Vice President Joe Biden 19% (29) • Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) 18% (35) • Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) 13% (25) • Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) 5% (14) • Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) 3% (9) • Billionaire Tom Steyer 3% (6) • Entrepreneur Andrew Yang 3% (4)
Those numbers show an increase of 14 points for Buttigieg since Monmouth’s last poll in August when he garnered just 8 percent. The South Bend mayor’s gains since the summer have been across the board, with increasing support coming from nearly every demographic group reports Monmouth University. “Buttigieg is emerging as a top pick for a wide variety of Iowa Democrats,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute. “While he has made nominally bigger gains among older caucusgoers, you really can’t pigeonhole his support to one particular group. He is doing well with voters regardless of education or ideology.” It goes without saying that a first or second-place finish in Iowa would seriously underscore Buttigieg’s standing among the current crop of Democratic White House hopefuls. Mayor Pete is the first openly gay candidate to have a serious shot at the Democratic presidential nomination.
However, it’s worth noting that despite laying out a detailed policy platform to help African Americans he calls “The Douglas Plan,” he faces an uphill battle in attracting the support of black voters, both nationally and in South Carolina where the third primary voting will be held. African-Americans make up about two-thirds of Democratic voters in the Palmetto state. It’s been 31 years since a Democrat won the nomination without majority-black support.
Pride Flag Burner Found Guilty Of Hate Crime, Faces 15 Years In Prison
Adolfo Martinez (screen capture) (mugshot via Story County)
Democratic Race Tightens Ahead Of Iowa Caucuses
L-R Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Ms. Warren appears to have solidified her gains in the first voting state while Mr. Buttigieg has climbed quickly to catch up with Mr. Sanders and overtake Mr. Biden, the one-time front-runner. Ms. Warren is drawing support from 22 percent of likely caucusgoers, while Mr. Sanders is at 19 percent, followed by Mr. Buttigieg at 18 percent and Mr. Biden at 17 percent.
The survey is full of alarming signs for Mr. Biden, who entered the race in April at the top of the polls in Iowa and nationally.
He is still in the lead in most national polls, but his comparatively weak position in the earliest primary and caucus states now presents a serious threat to his candidacy. And Mr. Biden’s unsteadiness appears to have opened a path in the race for other Democrats closer to the political middle, particularly Mr. Buttigieg.
(image via NY Times)Iowa: Mayor Pete Jumps To Second Place In New Poll
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (screen capture)
Of likely caucus-goers, 20% said Buttigieg is their top choice among the field of Democratic presidential candidates. That moves him to second in the poll – up from fourth in September – just behind Sen. Elizabeth Warren who maintained her lead at 28%.
The Iowa State University/Civiqs poll surveys the same pool of voters each month leading up to the Iowa Caucuses to understand how voter preferences are shifting.
Dave Peterson, a professor and Whitaker Lindgren faculty fellow in political science who organized the poll, says Buttigieg’s ground game in Iowa is paying off.
“You can attribute some of his momentum to basic retail politics. Buttigieg is incredibly well organized and is spending a lot of resources in Iowa. His presence at the Iowa Steak Fry last month was better than any other candidate,” Peterson said.
Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders were tied for second in the September poll. Sanders is now third with 18% and Biden is fourth at 12%.
After being the top fund-raising Democrat at the end of the second quarter, Team Buttigieg announced it would put that money to good use. In the past months, Buttigieg has opened more field offices in Iowa than any other candidate. While national polls look impressive, the story (if you’re looking for one) happening in primary season is the early states. A good finish in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina or Nevada could inspire new traction for a candidate. If Buttigieg comes in second in Iowa, that will be a notable development.
Trump Administration Orders Rainbow Crosswalks Removed, City Says No
(image via Ames, Iowa)
Two of the crosswalks use the colors of the inclusive Pride flag which adds black and brown to the traditional rainbow flag designed by Gilbert Baker in the 1970s. Another utilizes the colors of the transgender Pride flag (blue, pink, white) and the fourth features purple, yellow, black and white representing gender-nonbinary pride. The Ames Tribune reports that on September 5, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) sent the city a letter saying the crosswalks could “compromise pedestrian and motorist safety by interfering with, distracting from, or obscuring official traffic control devices.” Mark O. Lambert, City Attorney for Ames, penned a memo to the mayor and city council saying the FHWA has no jurisdiction over the streets where the crosswalks are installed since they are not part of a federal highway and Ames receives no federal funds for their upkeep. Lambert’s interpretation of the law was that the state of Iowa should decide whether the federal standards should apply to city streets. “With the system of federalism in the United States, the federal government does not have jurisdiction over everything,” Lambert summed up in his memo. Lambert also noted that the FHWA’s letter didn’t threaten any penalties regarding the crosswalks, and had only ‘requested’ the removal of the crosswalks. During a meeting of the Ames City Council, members discussed the issue and decided no action would be taken. City Council member Chris Nelson said during the discussion, “Can we just accept the letter and say thank you?” One resident even pointed out that the FHWA had gotten its own rules wrong. “The crosswalk lines are white pavement markings that identify the crosswalks,” said resident Bill Diesslin reports the Ames Tribune. “The rainbow crossing in Ames has white lines demarcating, so it’s consistent with federal recommendations.” Rainbow crosswalks have been a fixture in the United States for years. From West Hollywood, which installed colorful walkways in 2012, to San Francisco’s The Castro which celebrated Pride with the rainbow crosswalks in 2014. Philadelphia, Seattle, Key West and more have all embraced the rainbow. https://www.instagram.com/p/4xKhAvIkR6/ https://www.instagram.com/p/4X199ThyJ3/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BIanWmOA6MU/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BCoXaWmAp-A/ (Source: Ames Tribune)