BAn endorsement in the Iowa governor's race is getting attention for all the wrong reasons.
BWhich one? It's three weeks out, every endorsement is getting attention.
BJames Fishback posted that he's proud to endorse Zach Lahn. Fighting for farmland, tackling the cancer crisis, defending 'culture, heritage, and birthright.'
BBirthright. That's a word that does a lot of work in a sentence.
BIt sure does. Fishback himself has been accused of grooming a minor, and he's pushed Great Replacement rhetoric. So when he says 'defend our birthright'—
B—he's not talking about farmland. He's using the candidate's actual policy positions as a Trojan horse for the ugliest politics in the country.
BThat's the problem. Lahn's actual proposals—limiting data centers on farmland, addressing Iowa's high cancer rates—those are legitimate issues.
BWhich is exactly why this is so insidious. You attach a real policy platform to a white nationalist's talking points and the whole thing gets laundered.
BI checked the facts. The policy claims are largely accurate. But the framing is coming from someone with a documented record of promoting racist ideas.
BThis is what happens when a party doesn't police its own endorsements. The mainstream candidate stays quiet, and the extremists speak for him.
BTo be fair, we haven't seen Lahn accept or reject this endorsement yet.
BSilence is an answer, Bella. You don't get to pretend you didn't notice when the man accused of grooming a minor, with a platform, says he's proud of you.
BI want to be clear: Fishback is a former Florida gubernatorial candidate. He has a following. This isn't just some random account.
BAnd Lahn is running to govern a state with a real agricultural crisis and a real health crisis. He can't afford this kind of endorsement.
BIf he takes it, he owns it. If he rejects it, he looks like he's picking a fight with his own base.
BThere's a third option: he can say, 'I appreciate the support, but I don't share those views.' That's not hard.
BIt's not hard. But it's also not free. That's the part people always forget—rejecting the loud and ugly costs you genuine votes.
BSo the choice is: lose votes or stand next to a man who says 'birthright' like it's a policy paper. That's where we are.
BSpeaking of elections—Gabe Vasquez in New Mexico is ten days out, doing the usual get-out-the-vote push.
BThat's not really a story. 'Make your plan to vote, bring a friend.' Every candidate in America posts that.
BRight, it's the difference between a real debate and a campaign tweet. The post is fine, just not much to say.
BDifferent world entirely: there's a post going around about British Columbia, claiming a 'proudly white supremacist party' called the BCCP won an election.
BThat's false. There's no such party that won anything. The B.C. Conservative Party didn't win a recent provincial election; the NDP formed government.
BThe post even claims the party's premier killed someone. That's reckless.
BI don't know where that came from, but it's just not true. And once it's out there, people repeat it.
BThis is how conspiracy theories start. One guy in Saskatchewan talks to his friends, posts it, and suddenly it's 'breaking.'
BAnd the irony—he's horrified by white supremacy while spreading a completely unverified smear.
BThat's not irony, that's just politics now. Everyone's convinced the other side is the greatest threat to democracy.
BLet's end on a lighter note, because the internet does still have jokes.
BMy favorite from the feed: breaking news, Sting has been kidnapped. The Police have no lead.
BThat's terrible. And perfect.
BThere were a whole wave of these on Bluesky tonight. 'Breaking news: all three of them staying still at the same time.'
BAnd one about a woman who set aside overripe bananas to make banana bread—and actually made the banana bread.
BThe bar for breaking news has dropped significantly, and honestly, I'm here for it.
BIt's a nice reminder that most of life is not an election or an indictment. Sometimes it's banana bread.
BComing up later tonight, we're watching what happens in Iowa—if Lahn responds to that endorsement.
BWe'll be back with more.