With just a few days left to go before the Iowa Caucus, Slater spoke with Brownfield Ag News and the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network to talk about agriculture and manufacturing issues that voters should mind as they go to caucus on Monday.AEM is working to put manufacturing issues “front and center” as Iowans prepare to hold the first presidential nominating contest on Monday, AEM President Dennis Slater said in a pair of new radio interviews.
“We’re really trying to get out there and inform the public and also inform the candidates about the importance of talking about our issues,” Slater told Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network host Ken Root. “The Renewable Fuels Standard is huge, infrastructure investment, and also free and fair trade – you look at those three, and they kind of hit the sweet spot of what’s going on for the Iowa Caucus here.”
Slater in both interviews made note of AEM’s I Make America campaign and its presence at the Iowa State Fair last August, an unofficial launch of AEM’s efforts to insert manufacturing issues into the 2016 elections.
Infrastructure should also rank high for manufacturing voters, Slater told Brownfield Ag News host Julie Harker.
“It’s not just roads – it’s the waterways. It’s the ports. It’s whatever will do to make it easier and less expensive for product to get to market,” he said. “That can be everything from the equipment manufacturer to the farmer getting soybeans and corn to market. It’s just a huge competitive advantage.”
AEM is also working to encourage Iowa voters to keep manufacturing issues in mind heading into the caucus. 2016 AEM Chair Leif Magnusson of CLAAS and Weiler CEO Pat Weiler attended Thursday night’s Republican debate in Des Moines.
The I Make America campaign launched a new page with resources for AEM members to use in communicating with workers and communities. I Make America is also advertising those messages on social media ahead of the caucus.
Monday’s contest represents the culmination of months of effort to leverage AEM’s large member presence in Iowa to insert manufacturing issues in the 2016 elections. AEM and the I Make America campaign will be producing additional resources in the coming months related to other primary contests, and will hit the road to promote manufacturing issues ahead of the general elections this fall.
