Kim Reynolds belongs right where she is, in Senate District 48.

I know and like Senator Kim Reynolds. She's absolutely lovely, a charming lady, and a good friend to my husband, whose former seat in the Iowa Senate she now holds. She's also a pretty good match for her ultra-conservative, sparsely populated southwest Iowa Senate district...and a not-so-good one for the rest of our state. Terry Branstad, in selecting her as his lieutenant governor running mate and in a blatant attempt to mollify Bob Vander Plaats's unhappy supporters, brags that Reynolds has:

Sponsored a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman....

Sponsored a constitutional amendment to change the way judges in Iowa are appointed so a future Republican governor would have greater ability to appoint judges who embody a strict constructionist approach....

Sponsored legislation, along with other strong pro-life members of the Iowa Senate, to determine when life begins and acknowledging the rights, privileges, and immunities of an unborn child.

Even all that's not enough for an unhappy Steve Deace of WHO's conservative radio show, who blogged:

If you’re a voter of Christian conscience who wants to see America governed by Constitutional principles and our founders’ vision of a republic, you have a Democrat candidate for governor who believes in nothing you believe in and a Republican candidate for governor who – so far anyway – has demonstrated he won’t stand for anything you believe in.

As you might expect, given the overall appearance of the ticket (old guy whose best political years are clearly behind him chooses younger, prettier running mate), the Sarah Palin comparisons have started. John Deeth shares the best one.

[Update: Check out desmoinesdem's take over at Bleeding Heartland. Lots of links, and a solid analysis of why this pick is a page straight out of the Doug Gross playbook.]