Grassley Challenged on Poll Showing His Race is Close

Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the second-oldest Senator and perennial defender of agriculture, dismisses a new poll for the Des Moines Register that shows he may suddenly be at risk of losing reelection. The way Grassley sees the new Selzer & Company poll showing him just three points ahead of Democratic challenger Mike Franken; “You’re paying too much attention to polls.”

But Grassley won six earlier races by an average of 35 points before he turned 89, a concern for a majority of those polled. So, should age make a difference? Not according to the farmer from reliably red Iowa who says he still keeps a busy schedule.

Grassley; “Go to bed at 9, get up at 4, go two miles, get to the office before 6, and do everything that you have to do between 6 and 6:30 when we adjourn. Not missing a vote for 27 years, I think, is a record for all 2,000and senators ever serving in the United States Senate.”

While also holding his annual 99 county visits and campaigning in election years. But Grassley, a stalwart defender of farm interests for four decades, says longevity and ideology can be an asset.

Grassley; “But remember, my opponent would be a ‘rubber stamp’ for the Biden agenda. I’d be number one, and Iowa would be number one, in my mind, and he’d be ‘number 100.’”

A Washington Post opinion piece argues despite the legendary accuracy of the Seltzer poll, it’s just one data point and more polls will be needed before concluding Senator Grassley is in real trouble.