In Red-Leaning Kansas, Democrat’s Target Isn’t on Ballot (and It’s Not Trump)

Any discussion of Kobach's voter fraud lies should always mention the fact that when it came time for him to put up or shut up with any evidence whatsover, his claims of voter fraud were laughed out of court and he was sanctioned.

I'm cautiously optimistic, but I've been THERE before. Kansas has an almost unsurpassed ability to VOTE for suicide. At least it's NOT Oklahoma. If Kobach manages to become Governor, don't come here. Don't waste your time or money. It's truly a lost cause, and THEY deserve everything they get. Seriously.

Brownback needed to cut spending not just lower taxes which Kobach will do. That was the problem. Money for schools will be redirected to the teachers and children, not the administrators with bloated salaries. Voter ID is not a deterrent to voting for legal voters no matter their age, race or income. Last thing Kansas needs is Laura Kelly (D) for governor. Rest assured taxes will go up for everyone if she is elected! Last Democrat governor we had was Kathleen Sebelius. Under her, taxpayers footed the bill to give illegal immigrants instate tuition.

If kobach wins, it'll be time to build a wall around that benighted state. He embodies hate.

Aside from the fact that the Brownback way, that is the, “True Believer” way, has been an epic failure for Kansas and Kris Kobach, another True Believer, would advance more of the same extremists policies, Laura Kelly is an outstanding candidate. I would argue that she fits the profile of the abolitionist and original GOPers who settled Kansas. I am looking forward to watching this race; It could be a model for other red states ready to part way with extremism.

Perhaps Kansas voters will help others see the light through the smoke and mirrors that are the core of all Republican policies: taxes, healthcare, labor, immigration, welfare, housing, defense... they benefit no citizens, only wealthy plutocrats.

I wish Laura Kelly well, as I do the candidates hoping to flip several GOP-held House seats. But I have fears, and it is not just about Ms Kelly being for gun control and a woman's right to choose..both admirable stands indeed. It is the apparent voter suppression that appears to be occurring particularly in Dodge City. I have been following that closely, and I find it alarming how the state of Kansas is making it so extremely difficult for the city's minority majority to get to the polls. No matter how Kansas' politicians or even its court spins it, it is blatant voter suppression. We find the same in Georgia against African-Americans and North Dakota against American Indians. This is right there for us to see. Yet if each of the three Democrats running in the above states win, we will hear to kingdom come the words, "Voter fraud!" If they lose, Trump will get on his bully pulpit proclaiming, "My country, my country!" Honestly, if I could I would help the Dems. But I have my hands full with the likes of Nunes et al here in California. Nevertheless, I wish victory for Laura Kelly.

Kansas can be called a "common-sense" state only if one believes that fundamentalist Calvinist protestant belief is common sense. Truly, Kansas exists to prove that Karl was right when he said religion was the opiate of the masses. Go to Kansas and try to talk with anyone about climate change, just for example. It's weirder than a trip to Wonderland.

I hope Kansans can come to their senses and finally vote for a party that actually does something to help them. May they finally have learned to vote for those who are against what is best for Kansas. Vote folks. Democracy depends on it.

Having just returned from a mercifully short trip to KN I do not hold out much hope for this long shot bet. The populous of KN is, in general, pretty vacuous. When they fell for a charlatan like Brownbeck it shows they will fall for anything. I will make the call, Kobach the vote destroyer will win by 10 plus points. And Kansas, give it back to the natives, that is if they still want it back.

A canary in the coal mine? Trump and the anti-government Republicans seem eager to replicate the Kansas debacle. We must prevent them.

Evoking a boogeyman from the opposing party is often a cheap campaign tactic that I tend to dislike. Painting every Democrat as the conjoined twin of Nancy Pelosi (despite how their views and voting records may differ) is just not fair, and it further dumbs down our political discourse. But in Kansas, I make an exception. Because Sam Brownback is not just some unpopular politician. He is the Republican / Koch Brothers / Tea Party playbook on steroids. He implemented in Kansas what every hard-line conservative claimed would produce jobs, budget surpluses, low taxes, and happy residents...and what every rational economist said would produce a world of pain. (Guess who was right!?) This happens every election cycle. Yet like a political cockroach, this tax-slashing myth just won't die, despite overwhelming evidence it does not work. Probably because the people these policies benefit are the same people financing these campaigns. Laura Kelly isn't running against Brownback. She is running against the trickle-down lies, created by and for the ultra-wealthy, before another Republican has the opportunity to run his state into the ground in the name of "fiscal responsibility." I wish her every success on Tuesday.

Politics and governing are two very different things and require very different skill sets. That is clear in Kansas and what separates the D’s from the R’s. The R’s are experts at politics: gerrymandering districts to win elections they would not win otherwise, securing judicial appointments against the will of the people (and common sense and decency). D’s are experts at governing: they reduce deficits, pass legislation that helps the masses and generally govern towards peace. Kansas is your test case that proves all of this. With brownback and kobach in charge the KS budget has tanked while public services have been diminished. R’s can get elected but once in power are simply unable or unwilling to act on the will of the people. We are looking are you to mitch mcconnell!!!! VOTE. 11/6 for a party that can actually do the will of the people .

Sam Brownback bankrupted Kansas with tax cuts for the rich...the people of Kansas be damned to collapsed education and road funding. And Kris Kobach wants to make Jim Crow great again. Judge Julie Robinson ruled that the 2011 voter suppression law written by and defended in court by Kobach “disproportionately impacts duly qualified registration applicants, while only nominally preventing non-citizen voter registration.” Since the law requiring Kansans registering to vote to show proof of citizenship went into effect in 2013, it’s disenfranchised some 35,000 legitimate voters and uncovered just a few cases of potential voter fraud. Kobach located only 43 non-citizens out of 1.8 million Kansas voters who had registered to vote in the state since 1999. Just 11 of those actually cast a ballot, and Robinson found those were “largely explained by administrative error, confusion, or mistake.” What Kobach still sees as “the tip of an iceberg” of massive voter fraud, she concluded was “only an icicle.” Kobach seemed like an amateur in court and was repeatedly called out for such stunts as trying to introduce evidence Robinson had already ruled inadmissible. “We’re not going to have a trial by ambush here,’’ the judge told him. “That’s not how trials are conducted.” In April, she found him in contempt for ignoring her direct order to let thousands of Kansans know that they were in fact registered to vote in 2016. Wake up, Kansas, the Grand Old Phonies are a criminal enterprise.

Every American should become acquainted with the Brownback way of governing, because that is what Republicans want on the federal level. He gave huge cuts to the rich, and had to close schools as the state ran out of funds. Comparing Kansas, which went bust under Republican rule, and California which has a multibillion dollar surplus under Democratic rule, should convince every voter, except the most obstinate ones to vote Blue.