Democrat Senate hopeful Bruce Braley of Iowa debuted a unique strategy in last night’s debate against his Republican opponent Joni Ernst. He’s telling voters that he doesn’t “identify with” Hillary Clinton as a candidate for president, but as Joel Gerhke from National Review noted, that didn’t stop Braley from having Hillary campaign for him:
Braley Refuses to ‘Identify With’ Hillary Clinton After She Campaigned for Him #iasen http://t.co/uEJzsBRXRk pic.twitter.com/KDkuqgp5DE
— Joel Gehrke (@Joelmentum) September 29, 2014
Representative Bruce Braley (D., Iowa), refused to “identify with” Hillary Clinton during a debate with Republican Senate candidate Joni Ernst, less than two weeks after Clinton campaigned on his behalf.
“I think that the field hasn’t even shaped up yet, so I don’t even know how you could identify the candidate,” Braley said Sunday evening. “I think one of the things that we want is a candidate to bring us together.”
That comment came after the debate moderator asked ”which of the potential 2016 president candidates do you most identify with.”
One way that Braley could have known how to identify a 2016 candidate: Hillary Clinton visited Iowa, alluded to her potential presidential bid, and told voters to support Braley.
Summary: He only identifies with Hillary if she’s helping him raise money.
And as Twitchy reported on Saturday, this Hillary flub is only the latest in a string of missteps that has Ernst up in the polls:
Good polling news out of Iowa for the GOP. Is this the start of a 'wave'? http://t.co/Px3oqVXvEf
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 28, 2014
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More highlights from last night’s debate:
.@JoniErnst agrees w @ChuckGrassley – we must do more for IA family farms #IowaKnowsBest #IASen #IADebate
— Raffi Williams (@Raffiwilliams) September 28, 2014
Want more news from last night's lively #IAdebate between @BruceBraley and @joniernst? Moderator @KObradovich's take: http://t.co/S6kO8iOTII
— Amalie Nash (@AmalieNash) September 29, 2014
I love it when @BruceBraley exaggerates his record. FACT CHECK: He passed 1 bill in 8 years. #IASen #IADebate #Fail
— Raffi Williams (@Raffiwilliams) September 28, 2014
VERDICT on #IAdebate: Ernst didn't have to "win" in order to win, she merely had to not-lose. She did a fair bit better than that, though.
— Jeff B, fightin' the COVID one bootleg at a time (@EsotericCD) September 28, 2014
VIDEO: Bruce Braley Struggles To Defend His Lawsuit Threat Over Chickens http://t.co/C11QRvkHah #IASEN #IAdebate
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 28, 2014
Ernst strategically deploying Braley's various gaffes against him piecemeal throughout #IAdebate. Surprisingly good at this for first-timer.
— Jeff B, fightin' the COVID one bootleg at a time (@EsotericCD) September 28, 2014
How sad that #IAdebate only stopped being snoozer when Kochs, Steyer & Reid came up. Top clip, Ernst: I'm a mother, soldier and not beholden
— Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) September 28, 2014
Ernst's "mom and a farmer" line seems like it could just the sort of buzzy clip moment Braley least wanted to allow today. #IAdebate
— Jeff B, fightin' the COVID one bootleg at a time (@EsotericCD) September 28, 2014
ICYMI: #IAsen candidates go for the jugular in the first #IAdebate. http://t.co/p2hfEHEYTB
— Erin Murphy (@ErinDMurphy) September 29, 2014
Related:
Shocker: On running for president, Hillary in Iowa says, ‘I’m thinking about it’
Editor’s note: This post has been amended to fix a typo
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