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Politics Day: Previewing the President's Iowa Visit

Gage Skidmore
Donald Trump speaking at the Iowa Republican Party's 2015 Lincoln Dinner at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

President Donald Trump comes to Iowa today for the first time since his inauguration. He will be visiting Kirkwood Community College followed by a campaign-style rally tonight in Cedar Rapids.

In this politics day on River to River, host Ben Kieffer talks with political analysts Jim McCormick, professor of political science at Iowa State University, and Bruce Nesmith, Joan and Abbot Lipsky professor of political science at Coe College. 

McCormick and Nesmith discuss the results of the special election in Georgia's sixth congressional district, where Republicans were able to keep the seat despite optimistic Democrats hoping to show distaste for President Trump.

In the most expensive race in congressional history, Republican Karen Handel won the election, and Nesmith says the Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff did relatively well.

"Still he didn't win, and the donors who contributed to his campaign didn't get a seat out of it," Nesmith says, adding that other potential Democratic candidates might be hesitant to run in future elections.  

McCormick says the problem for the Democrats is, "exactly what message are they going to pursue in these districts that they think they might have a  chance? Are they going to pursue an anti-Trump message or try to pursue sort of a middle-ground message."

McCormick says Ossoff tried both messages, which may have been an error.

Ben Kieffer is the host of IPR's River to River