Former President Barack Obama parachuted into Iowa Wednesday to anoint Democrat Josh Turek in the U.S. Senate race, signaling the party machine that delivered permanent war, wage stagnation, and corporate consolidation is still working to hand-pick your representatives.
Obama’s endorsement of Turek—a state representative and Paralympian—over Republican Ashley Hinson isn’t about Iowa’s magic; it’s about the apparatus feeding itself. The Democratic establishment is desperate to flip the seat held by retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, navigating a narrow path to a Senate majority that would secure their power to dictate spending and policy.
The Associated Press reported that Obama and Turek released a video shooting hoops, playing a game of "I-O-W-A" instead of horse. Turek, who played wheelchair basketball for the U.S. in four Paralympic Games, reportedly beat the former president, who claimed he got "whooped."
Obama leaned into his 2008 caucus glory, saying, “I know a little something about winning Iowa,” and adding, “Of all the things I’ve done in politics, Iowa was my favorite thing. There was just a magic about regular folks showing up.”
But the "regular folks" aren't the ones picking the candidates. Obama is already throwing his weight around this cycle, having joined Texas Senate candidate James Talarico at a taco shop in May. The machine needs reliable votes in the Senate to keep the bipartisan consensus on foreign interventions and corporate bailouts rolling, regardless of what voters demand.
Turek faces an uphill battle in a state President Donald Trump won by double digits and that hasn't sent a Democrat to the Senate in over a decade. He’s running against Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, who has President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
Obama, known for his love of basketball—having modified the White House tennis court to play the sport and built a professional-grade court at his Presidential Center where he recently met WNBA star and Iowa native Caitlin Clark—told Iowans, “Now the ball’s in your court, Iowa. Let’s make sure that we send Josh Turek to the United States Senate.”
The question is whether Iowa voters will hand the ball back to the architect of the modern political machine, or if a decade without a Democratic senator signals the magic has worn off.
