Thread by @eyokley

NEW: In her bid against @joniernst, @GreenfieldIowa is telling a compelling personal tale that doubles as a pitch, w/ notes that aim at the state's large share of Obama-Trump voters she'll likely need in order to win #IASen.

My dive into the race: morningconsult.com/2020/05/28/the…

In @MorningConsult interview, Greenfield's fiercest attack against Ernst comes on social security, replicating a tactic used by Bruce Braley in '14 with a personal touch: “I would not be here today without union benefits and Social Security.” morningconsult.com/2020/05/28/the… #IASen

Researching this over the past week, I picked up on something familiar in Greenfield's approach from Ernst's '14 campaign. A @davecatanese story at the time said that Ernst sold "biography over ideology" in her successful bid. His story: usnews.com/news/articles/… #IASen

The personal touch: On health care, Greenfield talks about rural hospitals and contrasts it with Ernst's votes to repeal Obamacare. On China and trade, she hits Beijing, but also wants the global bonds that help the state's farms. morningconsult.com/2020/05/28/the… #IASen

.@joniernst spokesperson @MelissaDeatsch responded to all of this in an email to me this week. She hit Greenfield in particular for "ignorance on the issues," a reference to her on-camera stumbles amid the Democratic primary race. morningconsult.com/2020/05/28/the… #IASen

In red-ish Iowa (Dems are quick to note purple hues!), Greenfield placed some distance between herself & DC Dems in my interview: "Probably" wouldn't have backed @SpeakerPelosi's "Heroes" Act and - for the first time - took a swing at the Schumer Q. morningconsult.com/2020/05/28/the… #IASen

Greenfield's campaign and allies have already spent big to sell her biography, and Team Ernst is trying to tear it down by branding her as a "completely unprepared" Minnesota real estate executive rather than someone from humble agrarian beginnings. morningconsult.com/2020/05/28/the… #IASen

Greenfield has benefited big from outside money, despite campaigning against money in politics. She's offered signals to outside groups about what to talk about, and provided #McConnelling b-roll. Asked of it she said: “I can’t win this race alone" #IASen morningconsult.com/2020/05/28/the…

Democrats aren't counting on Biden to win Iowa in order for Greenfield to beat Ernst in #IASen, but do hope and expect he'll do better than Clinton in '16. Iowa strategist @nsterzenbach put it like this with regard to the top of the ticket: morningconsult.com/2020/05/28/the…

And as @ymurad__ smartly points out, this may be the first time the word "grannies" has appeared in a @MorningConsult article. morningconsult.com/2020/05/28/the…