Video: Head of Iowa Family Leader cracks up over lame fag joke in Audubon; How Vander Plaats incites homophobia in Iowa bigots

Here, Bob Vander Plaats appears to laugh at a dumb fag joke (or humors a rube he is manipulating) at a gathering of Audubon, Iowa bigots conservatives at a Subway restaurant during a March 28 whistle stop of his Capturing Momentum tour. His organization, the Iowa Family Leader, claims to have nothing to do with the national Mormon-led organization with an identical name and a similar agenda. You can believe that if you like. Video via Think Progress.

What is most sinister about Vander Plaats isn't him laughing at an offensive joke. It's how cynically and skillfully he baits the hook when politically seducing rural homophobes. He actually uses the "Stand with us because people are starting to think Iowans are queer!" approach. Apparently this ploy works in Audubon.

This is what Vander Plaats said just before the joke:

You wouldn't believe how many people call us who grew up in Iowa or have Iowa ties... Denver today or Chicago or whatever; they said "They're [Iowans] the butt of a lot of jokes..." You know, around the office... "Iowa! You know how those guys are." You know?