Failure to Launch: Simon Conway Listeners Sound Off on Randy Feenstra’s Campaign 

DES MOINES — While continuing his six-week-long vacation from his $172k taxpayer-funded salary, Congressman Randy Feenstra’s gubernatorial campaign was ridiculed Thursday during his appearance on the conservative Simon Conway show. 

At one point, Simon had to interrupt Feenstra because he failed to answer a simple yes or no question about whether he would participate in a primary debate. 

“I just got the shake up my spine. You know what that means? That means that was a horribly political answer, Congressman. That’s a real simple yes or no, isn’t it? Are you up to debate the other Republicans running to be governor? It’s a yes or no, surely,” Conway said. 

Conway asked Feenstra three times whether he would participate in a Republican primary debate. Feenstra refused to answer the question directly. 

Listen to the whole interview by clicking here. 

Iowa voters calling in to the show were even harsher: 

Caller 1: “I want to say I listened to your interview yesterday and I. I listened to the interview today, and Congressman Feenstra, it just sounds more angry…” 

Caller 2: “I just listened to the interview with Randy, and I couldn’t vote for him based on the fact that he can’t answer a yes or no question. Just that simple.” 

Caller 3: “You know, Randy Feenstra says that you have to stand for something, and that’s the problem. He doesn’t stand for something, and he doesn’t fight for anything.” 

More listeners sent text messages to Simon, which he read on air: 

• “I don’t think Feenstra has a backbone.” 
• “If he can’t answer that simple question straight, he won’t get my vote.” 
• “That interview confirmed my initial thoughts when I first heard that he was running.”

“Randy Feenstra has spent the last several weeks on vacation as Americans face hefty price insurance hikes and Iowa farmers are warning they may be facing a crisis worse than the 80s, and thought that was the perfect time to launch his campaign for governor,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart. “Iowans quickly set him straight, not holding back their criticisms in the first week of his campaign. It’s clear Iowans are fed up with the direction we’re headed after years of leaders like Feenstra in charge and are ready for a new kind of leadership.”

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