Claim to fame

Posted: Monday, November 05, 2007 10:07 AM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC/National Journal’s Tricia Miller
CHARLES CITY, IA -- Randall Rolph is making a name for himself in politics -- but not as a candidate. A routine Iowa caucusgoer, Rolph has had news-making exchanges with multiple presidential candidates. Early in October he asked Clinton a question about Iran in New Hampton, and she accused him of being a Republican plant.

Yesterday, following an exchange with Edwards in Charles City, Rolph said that he is no longer considering Clinton, “not just because of our interaction.”

“She is what’s wrong with Washington,” he said. Otherwise, Rolph said he is keeping an open mind until he walks in to caucus in January. Rolph, who caucused for Edwards after Howard Dean was not viable in his precinct in 2004, moved to Nashua from Chicago 10 years ago and said he hasn’t always voted for Democrats. He recalled casting votes for Richard Nixon in 1972 but added that he didn’t vote when the first George Bush faced off against Michael Dukakis.

Rolph expressed frustration with Democratic Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), calling him an “absolute disappointment.” He cited what he considered a failure of Democratic leadership after the 2006 election, accusing them of keeping their focus on the politics of the 2008 election.

But he likes Edwards’ approach. “He’s actually contrary to the political machine of the Democrats,” he said.

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Comments

If Rolph voted for Nixon, he's got Mitt written all over the inside of his eyelids, no matter what he says about any Democrats. He's what Independent Iowans call a "Regular Right Wing Mole". Just discount his vermiculean rhetoric. Too bad the Media gets sucked into lame stuff like this. If you came to Iowa during the off-season, went to a couple of High School Wrestling matches, talked to the people who clam up during elections, that sort of thing, you'd smell this type of used balogna a mile away.

Steve Turner Cedar Falls Iowa (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 10:20 AM)

He's right---Clinton is what's wrong with Washington. That's why all the Dem Machine politios are endorsing her. She's part of what I call Entrenched Mediocrity, or just Same old same old. She changes with the wind, sucks up to fatcat donors, and generaly keeps the whole foolish game going as usual. That's why the voters would serve their won interests much better by letting in someone who'd try to change things.

Class Warrior, D.C. (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 10:29 AM)

how true steve...

he's about as independent as barbara bush .

Tuck, Realityville, KS (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 10:46 AM)

Steve Turner Cedar Falls Iowa: How can you argue with his logic: '...'Rolph said that he is no longer considering Clinton, “not just because of our interaction.”

“She is what’s wrong with Washington,” he said...'

He's absolutely right !!
If he WERE FOR CLINTON, then I'd think he was a Republican. Hillary is Republican-lite and a Republican's delight !!

C'mon, Steve let's nominate a REAL DEMOCRAT !!
Edwards or Obama or better yet, both !!

Remember when the Democrats stood for something ?
Remember when Democrats were for the little guy, and not corporations and lobbyists ?

Not more 'business as usual'

Hillary Clinton is riding the Forked Tongue Express

Sierra, SF (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 10:49 AM)

Is this Ralph Malph from Happy Days? Who cares what some gomer from iowa thinks anyway?

Rick, WS, NC (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 10:58 AM)

Campaign Diaries just released its latest detailed rankings of the 2008 Senate races, and there was lots of movement in October. Check it out here: http://www.campaigndiaries.com/senaterankings

Daniel, NY (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 11:02 AM)

Iowa must be somking some thing banned, not that many people could be so screwed in the brain,,, the Clinton's are nothing but Washington self serving Paper hangers.

This Clinton run for the White House is a terrible hoax being served up to thePeople of this nation!!!

FACT / AZ (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 11:11 AM)

I was at that New Hampton event, and if Hillary Clinton talked to me the way she talked to Randall Rolph, I would have been less generous. He says it isn't "just because" of his interaction with her that he is not going to caucus for her. For me, that would have been plenty. But he's right, and even "some gomer" from Iowa, or North Carolina, can have political intelligence.

And to our Hillary partisan from Cedar Falls, I would suggest that someone who was standing in Howard Dean's corner during the first round of caucus voting is no GOP mole. You, of course, know how the caucuses work, and that you have to have a second choice if your first choice isn't viable. You do know that, don't you? Howard Dean didn't make 15% in our precinct either. Most of the Deaniacs went to Edwards and the Gebhardt supporters went to Kerry. But it's typical of Hillary supporters that anyone who is critical of her is attacked personally. She herself accused Rolph of being a plant. A fish rots from the head down.

Susan, Floyd County, IA (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 11:19 AM)

To Whom It Might Concern. As an Independent, I can see what is wrong with both the Republican Picture, and the Democratic Picture. Sadly, the right person for President in my estimation, will not make it to any election. A year from now, I'll be stuck, once again, with the lesser of two evils. Until, I'll try and deflate as many Charade Balloons as possible. As for the two Party's right now, I'd say Obama and Paul, are the ones with the least amount of dastardly baggage.

Steve Turner Cedar Falls iowa (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 11:25 AM)

Edwards is the Democrats version of Mitt Romney. Blowdryed, too slick by half, willing to change position by 180 degrees, and say anything to try and get a vote in Iowa.

Edwards is sad.

The double standard the media employs is sad as well.

Its seems that Democrats are not allowed to play politics. They are supposed to give these crystal clear answers that play nicely into future GOP commercials while the media lets Republican get away with simply hitting talking points.

I have an idea for the media. Next time a Republicans calls the Democratic plans for health care "socialized medicine" why not ask them why it is socialized? Ask them if they understand what socialism is and how plans that use private, for profit insurersa and providers can possibly be "socialism".

Dickie Flatts, Charlotte, NC (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 11:25 AM)

Rick, WS NC

Stereotyping people because of where they live is somewhat unfair, don't you think?

Dot, Illinois (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 11:27 AM)

I know at one time 'paper hanging' was a good decent job, everyone had wallpaper.
Fact/AZ, use another term and stop making the last of the paper hangers hide their head in shame.
"What do that mean exactly anyways boy?"
I would suggest cat litter shifters or dogs bodies for the corporate complex, or even running dogs of imperialism. The world is full of interesting ways to say you dislike something or someone.

John S. Alexander, Edinboro, PA (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 11:27 AM)

The way this thing is going, I'd have to wonder what brand people in Iowa are smoking......

But then again, anybody who believes the polls must be smoking the same thing as well.....

January 3rd we will find out who is lying....
The polls or the people

jerry/corpus christi texas (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 11:31 AM)

I'm shocked didn't have Bill and his knuckle draggers take him out back and teach him a lesson. Would have done it to Tim and Brian as well last week, but they are too well known.

jerry/corpus christi texas (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 11:47 AM)

Steve Turner Cedar Falls iowa
--- don't deign on their charade.

nuanced (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 11:52 AM)

You nailed it right on the head, Sierra! Dems used to stand for something and be for the little guy, but it's kind of hard for a candidate do that when she's kissing up to fatcat donors and changing her opinions (or holding contrary ones at the same time)with every wind? She has too much baggage, too many skeletons, and the GOP is more than willing to dig up and parade each and every one. She is flat-out unelectable, and wouldn't be all that good a choice, even if she was electable.

Class Warrior, D.C. (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 11:52 AM)

John S. Alexander, Edinboro, PA
-- maybe "paper hangers" should be changed to "house painters" -- makes as much sense. Still boring.

nuanced (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 11:55 AM)

Well, well, so Hillary was correct.He IS a republican plant.Must be a womans intuition.

JeanneGA (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 12:07 PM)

Hey, I was a house painter, oppps another lost art.
Perhaps paper hangers could get together with other craftspeople and start a new voters block, it used to be the democrats, it still could be, "Rise my creative people and take your tools into the streets, we got a house cleaning and there is work for everybody!!!!!!!"
Nuanced, thanks. Good facts and opinions are hard to find sometimes, my uncle used to say
"if you can't impress them with your intellect, baffle them with bullsh*t". We had enough of the second one and their supportors are befuddled and angry, should be like a bear baiting exhibition.

John S Alexander,Edinboro,PA (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 12:23 PM)

Class warrior, DOH! Youre really talking to Jerry, who is Sierra. And you dont like being conned by those awful Clintons eh? Youre being conned by Jerry girl.

bb (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 12:34 PM)

Class Warrior, D.C.: '...She is flat-out unelectable, and wouldn't be all that good a choice, even if she was electable...'

Exactly, Class Warrior !!
The big thing is that she's NOT a good choice.
She's pro-NAFTA, pro-WTO, pro-media monopoly, pro-corporate, pro-lobbyist.....

but,mainly Hillary Clinton is PRO-WAR !!
She wants to look 'strong' and 'tough' (just like her draft dodging Republican friends).

She might get us into a war with Iran.
As for Iraq, she might be more interested in 're-election' than getting us out of Iraq (gotta look 'strong').

Hopefully, the Democratic pack understands that they cand defeat her if they keep up the heat on double talk, deceptiveness and duplicity....

John Edwards, how bad to you want it ??

Sierra, SF (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 12:52 PM)

Just vote democratic on election day. Lets get the rightwingers out of office!

cimmon sense democrat (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 12:53 PM)

JeanneGa

I didn't see that part of the post that said he was a Republican plant or does that fact that he voted for Nixon equate to being a Republican plant? The article stated that "he likes Edwards' approach." That doesn't sound like a Republican plant either. Sorry, in this instance, I don't think Seantor Clinton was right.

Dot, Illinis (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 12:54 PM)

Why should I, or any other voter, care about one blowhards opinion in a long, complicated nomination process? You report Mr. Rolph likes Edwards and is no longer considering Clinton. So what? Tell me what that proves statistically? Unless you can tie Mr. Rolph's views directly to evidence of a broader trend, all you are reporting is one person's opinion.

Too much emphasis is placed on Iowa (as the first caucus state) and New Hampshire (as the first primary state). Neither state is representative of the nation's racial and ethnic diversity or it's immigrant past and present.

This "First Read" is about as worthless as they come. You guys get paid by the entry?

Gary, Franklin, WI (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 1:00 PM)

Wow, I do believe Jerry is Sierra, is jerry, is sierra, is one or more people with such a likeness in imagery of words that either it is one person or dopplegangers have met each other on the internet, what a first and a good indication that there is a double out there for all of us.
even so, a question for JERRIA, when is a rock not a rock?
When it is a avalance!!!!
See ya at da polls!
We got votin to do morrow morn in PA, vote early, vote often granma used to say!!

John S Alexander,Edinboro,PA (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 1:08 PM)

Mitt is running a "Me with Uniforms" ad on TV, here in Iowa. Since the 'Fake Badge' incident, I wonder if all those guys are real, or a bunch of hired help?

Steve Turner Cedar Falls Iowa (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 1:50 PM)

Hey! I'm a routine Colorado caucusgoer! Why don't you interview me! I think I need to fire my personal PR flack. He's doing nothing for me. He can't even get me noticed by the idiots at National Journal for crying out loud.

Bob, Denver (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 2:00 PM)

Bob, Denver / didn't you die in a plane crash, still got your 45 'dead skunk in the middle of the road'

MK,MO (Sent Monday, November 05, 2007 3:46 PM)

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