Kansans can go to their county clerks' offices today through noon on the Monday before the election and cast an early ballot. Then you don't have to worry about whether you can make it to the polls on election day.
You can still register to vote until the 23rd.
Before you head out to vote, be sure you know who your candidates are for state Legislature. The entire House is up for election, and electing candidates who will stand by the state's commitment to fund schools adequately, to roll back the maintenance backlog at the college and university level of the state educational system. Be sure you know which candidates will spend time on issues like aquifer maintenance, and which will waste time fighting cultural battles. I'm big on incumbents Barbara Ballard, Paul Davis and Tom Holland in the Lawrence area.
My preferences regarding Board of Ed. races are no surprise: vote for Don Weiss or Jack Wempe if you are in those districts. They are opposing the two creationists up for re-election. Both have experience in education, government and business, and it would frankly be difficult to imagine endorsing anyone else in those races, even if the opponent weren't a creationist. I'd probably vote for Kent Runyan if I lived in his district, though Jana Shaver is certainly well-qualified. Both have taught and administered schools, but I think Runyan's experience as a teacher of teachers gives him an edge, and that he has more to offer the Board. I think Sally Cauble's background gives her the edge in her race against Tim Cruz, though both are well-qualified. Cauble is a teacher, while Cruz's background in education policy is more limited. I also think Cauble will be better able to hold that seat in 4 years, against Connie Morris should she run again, or against whatever Connie clone the KRA dredges up. These latter races are the rare opportunity to choose between two excellent and qualified candidates, and not just to hold your nose in the polling booth.
Statewide, my preferences for Governor Sebelius and Paul Morrison for AG are also no secret. The governor has won acclaim nationwide for her ability to balance the budget without raising taxes. She's managed to steer clear of the pettiness that tends to characterize so much of politics, and I think she'll do great things with another 4 years. Paul Morrison's experience in state law enforcement exceeds what Phill Kline could hope to have, and his campaign theme, that we should have a legal professional, rather than a politician, serving as the state's head lawyer, rings true. Kline's fishing expeditions into private medical records, his violations of judicial gag orders in that case, his illegal meetings with the creationist Board of Education and the offer to defend them if they put warning labels on science textbooks, his use of the office of Attorney General to advance his own narrow political aims, all are enough to disqualify him. We are fortunate in this election not to have to choose between the lesser of two evils, though. Morrison is the real deal.
The other statewide races are almost sure to be won by the Republican incumbents, and I see no reason why they shouldn't. Ron Thornburgh is well-respected for his administration of the Secretary of State's office, Sandy Praeger's work as Insurance Commissioner has been praised widely, and there's a case to be made that no news is good news from the Treasurer's office.
I could not, in good conscience, endorse any of the Republican candidates for the House of Representatives. Even those members, like Moran, who are fairly inoffensive, even voting against the torture bill, cast the vital vote over whether to allow the corrupt House Republican leadership to set our national agenda. The Democrats running against Moran in western Kansas and Tiahrt in Wichita are running fairly quixotic campaigns, but there's something to be said for registering your discontent. I've met John Doll, Moran's opponent, and found him to be a genuinely nice guy who would honestly make a great addition to Congress, or to statewide politics.
Dennis Moore has cast votes that I disagreed about. His support for CAFTA, the Bankruptcy Bill, torture, and invading Iraq were all poor choices. But I've talked with him enough to know that he doesn't adopt positions from pure expedience nor for reasons of partisanship. Indeed those votes are probably a consequence of taking a desire to find a middle ground too far, given the partisan climate of this Congress. I know I'll grumble about some choices he's made, but I won't have any hesitation when I vote for him.
Jim Ryun's inadequacies as a Congressman alone are enough to win Nancy Boyda my full-blown support. I have questions about the issues she's chosen to make central to her campaign, and I know that there are lingering feelings about her campaign two years ago, a campaign she acknowledges was full of missteps. But we aren't voting for the politically inexperienced Boyda of two years ago, we're voting for thoughtful and independent candidate she's become. She's made the wise choice to eschew the DC party machinery and focus on grassroots organizing and winning votes one handshake at a time. If she wins, we can expect a constituent-focused congresswoman in the 2nd district, which itself will be a welcome change. Kansas is too politically volatile for rubber-stamps - whatever party they back - and putting Boyda in congress would get rid of a stamp that's worn out from overuse.
I'll be putting up some posts about individual state House races in the next 3 weeks, and people who have particular races they'd like to hear more about, or insights they'd like to add about a race, should let me know.
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For House races, I still have a horribly sour taste in my mouth about Tom Holland's support for the anti-gay marriage amendement last year. It was very frustrating and dissapointing that a Democrat representing a chunk of Lawrence (Lawrence!) voted in favor of the amendment...and doubly so because the thing only won by a couple votes in the House.
Yeah, it's a closed issue now and Holland is certainly better then his opponent on education and infrastructure issues, but it is worth at least noting in passing that Holland did indeed fight those cultural battle you referred to....on the wrong side.
True enough. Of course, if there were more people like Holland in the House, the issue may not have even come to a vote. He's also the one who managed to kill the bill denying children of illegal immigrants in-state tuition, and did so by attaching an amendment requiring better enforcement of hiring practices. It was smart and classy, and put things nicely in perspective.
Sally Cauble's website, http://www.caubleforcommonsense.com, now has a link for donations.
"Kimbelman," please specify which group you're referring to.
Unlike yourself, I'm pretty active in my community through a number of groups. I don't have time to sit in my basement trolling blogs and getting banned from civilized discussions.
Of course, anyone with an ounce of sense - a group that obviously excludes you - recognizes that individuals can support candidates that those groups won't endorse.
So why don't you show us *your* creds?
Thank you in advance.
that was an incredibly well thought-out response that in no way resorted to personal attacks
I have been a Moore supporter since moving to KS 4 years ago, but with his vote for the torture bill he has lost my support. If he can't even stand up against the shredding of the Constitution, why should I vote for him? It was bad enough when he voted for the Bankrupcy bill, voted against net neutrality, etc. etc., but that was the last straw.
If he is not going to stand up against the most egregious bill ever presented, what's the use of having him in the house? If he is going to vote with the Republicans on thier most reprehensible bills, I might as well just vote for a Republican. No one who voted for the torture bill will ever get a penny or a vote from me again, period. This year is the first election that my Moore sign is NOT going up in my yard, and I will be leaving the selection for House 1 blank.
So Ahner's not the cat's PJ's either? I know he's a Repub, and i'm against that on general principle, but blindly voting the party line makes me no better than the Far Right. However, your leaving the ballot blank is not exactly a ringing endorsement.
I refuse to vote for any Republican out of principle, given what they have done to the country. Giving them another vote for their agenda would only exacerbate the problem. If that "makes me no better that the Far Right" in your eyes then so be it.
Ahner is trouble. I haven't been writing much about that race, but Ahner's run has been duplicitous and hackish as one would expect.
It's worth remembering that the torture bill probably wouldn't have even come to the floor in a Democratic house, and members in borderline districts wouldn't have felt pressured to vote for a bad bill to avoid getting Clelanded.
Since you're not blindly voting Democrat, I don't think the shoe really fits. I kinda meant that as a caution to the Left as a whole, not you in particular. Sorry it came out that way.
Ok, so Ahner's out. Is there a 3rd-party candidate worth voting for?
Josh,
I take your point, but I find it unconvincing. So, fear of the GOP smear machine is a reason to vote to evicerate the constitution? Sorry, I expect my representative to vote against this kind of crap regardless of potential consequences. This argument essentially sounds like cowardace to me (on the representative's part, not yours). Right is right and wrong is wrong, and this bill is a repudiation of everything this country once stood for. If you can stomach his voting for it, fine, that's your decision. I cannot. He will never again get another vote or check from me. I hope a real democrat runs for his seat in '08. I state again, if he is going to vote for this bill, vote for the bankrupcy bill, and vote against net neutrality, then how is he better than a republican when push comes to shove?
Smelly,
"I kinda meant that as a caution to the Left as a whole, not you in particular. Sorry it came out that way."
It didn't, really, I was just making my point, no offence taken. However, to be honest, I think this is pretty much a time to blindly vote democratic (aside for Moore, for reason I have stated).
Having Moore in Congress has meant that soldiers get airfare back to their homes, not just to Atlanta or Dulles. It means more equitable death gratuities for soldiers killed in action. It's a voice for fiscal responsibility on the Budget Committee. He's fought hard to restore a requirement that Congress not be able to allocate funding without identifying a source of funds, that rule helped balance the budget in the '90s.
He's stood up for scientific integrity as a member of the science committee.
I'm pissed about the torture vote, too, but I can feel OK about voting for Moore.
Yes, and his vote for the joint resolution authorizing the war means that soldiers are there to die in the first place.
Like I said, if you can vote for him in good conscience, more power to you. I'm not making any judgements about that, I'm just saying I cannot.
Oh, and Smelly, as far as third party cantidates go-no thanks, I learned my lesson about that in 2000.
I voted for Gore, too, and that's partly why I feel OK about voting for the lesser of two evils.