You're right about Branstad & the electorate
Branstad last ran for office in 1994. That makes in 16 years (in 2010) since he faced Iowa voters. Those voters are far less Republican and far less rural than they were in his last run. Even Grassley faces this problem, since Iowa’s electoral landscape has shifted noticeably since his last run a mere six years ago. A lot of Iowa voters won’t even remember Branstad as governor. The election will be close, but that’ll be because Culver’s base voters stay home, disillusioned over his inept administration, not because Branstad rides a tsunami of nostalgia or latent Republicanism to victory.
The Regents universities
This is going to play hell with the Regents. We’re already halfway through fall semester and the schedule for winter/spring is finalized. Laying off faculty and canceling classes will cause chaos in Iowa City, Ames, and Cedar Falls. I have to wonder what dimension of reality an ex-high school football coach like Culver lives in, if he thinks that this won’t produce immense resentment, even outright anger, among the people who are the hardcore base he needs if he wants to get reelected a year from now. I know that I personally feel dramatically less interest in his political future this afternoon than I felt yesterday, before he pulled this stunt.