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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNew Polling–The Outlook In Kansas LOOKS SHOCKINGLY GRIM–for Republicans
Yes, you read that headline correctly. SurveyUSA is out with new polling in Kansas and the results are stunning for the previously moderate sunflower state that's taken a hard conservative turn in recent years. Let's start with Gov. Sam Brownback and his disaster of an economy:
http://ksn.com/2014/10/28/ksn-news-poll-shows-race-for-governor-could-go-to-either-candidate/
Since August, Brownback has never led in the polls. Next up, the race for U.S. Senate, with the edge to Independent Greg Orman
http://ksn.com/2014/10/28/senate-race-in-kansas-nearly-tied-in-latest-ksn-news-poll/
Orman's lead has shrunk a bit as Kansas tea-party Republicans completely backed off all their previous threats of sitting out of the election after a messy primary battle and decided to throw their support to Roberts. As if they were ever going to do anything different. The move to back Roberts, without him meeting any of their absurd demands shows just how toothless this group really is in Kansas. And last, but certainly not least, is the race for secretary of state, featuring Kris Kobachthe worst secretary of state in the nationversus Daily Kos-endorsed Democratic challenger Jean Schodorf. When we last looked in on the race, Kobach had a 5-point lead. No more:
http://ksn.com/2014/10/28/secretary-of-state-race-is-tied-a-week-before-elections-in-ksn-news-poll/
While there are a lot of reasons to dislike Kris Kobach, the single biggest are his policies of voting discrimination and disenfranchisement:
The three states lists are heavily weighted with names such as Jackson, Garcia, Patel and Kim ones common among minorities, who vote overwhelmingly Democratic. [ ]
If even a fraction of those names are blocked from voting or purged from voter rolls, it could alter the outcome of next weeks electoral battle for control of the U.S. Senate and perhaps prove decisive in the 2016 presidential vote count.
http://projects.aljazeera.com/2014/double-voters/
cont'
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/10/29/1340048/-New-polling-the-outlook-in-Kansas-looks-shockingly-grim-for-Republicans
MuseRider
(34,058 posts)and not trusting the polls much. The people in this state are completely liable to say, "Yeah he screwed us around. Yes we are broke. Yes our schools, our roads, our every bit of infrastructure is crumbling. Yes he does the bidding for the Koch's against us. Yes we no longer have much to help anyone who needs help buy by golly gee he is a good Christian and a Republican so he gets my vote." It would not surprise me at all to see all of them win with a margin that may not be huge but not real small either.
Hope to eat my words but I have seen this over and over again here.
Segami
(14,923 posts)People are angry and when its time to pull the lever or touch the screen....the voters will decide whats best for them. If they all win (regardless how large or small the margin is), the real problem lies at our feet for NOT communicating, delivering and making people truly understand whats really at stake here and how it will impact their lives dearly one way or another.....and that message also pertains to republicans who have children or retired.......they don't get a free pass....pain is delivered right across the board.
MuseRider
(34,058 posts)but they should be. I see them but mostly it is a shrug and a "what are you gonna do" attitude. You try to talk to them and they don't want to talk about any of it or they start sputtering Jesus at you or just RW talking points.
Our state party sucks mostly. The people actually working the smaller jobs are doing an incredible job but they keep getting blocked or side swiped by the heads of the party. I mean really, when one of the top Dems comes out blasting publicly how horrible and calling names about an entire corner of the state and the people who live there a month before the election and it takes a few days and the Republicans yelling at them for them to actually fire the guy and apologize for him you have a major problem.
I have been here my whole life, will spend the rest of my life here and I will never have confidence in the people here. There is too much, WAY too much Koch money and influence with their corporate headquarters being in the state. I swear those people could talk most Kansans out of their own families.
Nobody would be happier than I to eat those words. Sadly even with Paul Davis we will not progress. Our legislature is mostly teabagger and while we might make a little progress there it will not be enough and he will just have to sit there and sign bills. One would hope he could at least express his displeasure with them but that is unlikely given how he has run and acted as the House Majority leader.
I will be happy to say how wrong I was, really and truly. I hope the polls are correct because if we do lose these races we are sunk as a state, there will be nothing left here we are barely alive now.
malaise
(267,823 posts)Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!
MuseRider
(34,058 posts)The top 3 races (gov, senate and sec of state) needed 2 of the 3 largest counties to win. Johnson, Shawnee and Sedgwick. They got one, Shawnee. ONLY one. Now I have to say I am happy this is the county I live in which is usually a very reddish purple and most likely still is because besides the Governor and the Senate race they went almost full teabagger once again. You should see my state rep race. Holy crap. I do not have a link for this but if someone requires it let me know and I will look around and see if I can remember where I read this. I doubt anyone cares enough to ask but in case they do let me know.
The ONLY good thing I can say about this is that most of the races were a lot closer than they usually are. There is some small progress there. Our problem is a very badly run party that pays no attention to the groups working within that are actually winning. In fact they usually brush them aside since they are not THEM. Still, there is a tiny crumb to take away on the positive side of this massive clusterfuck.
The state will be dead soon. Wait for it. There are thousands of good people mourning what has happened who worked really hard but were kicked to the curb by their own people over and over, something to ponder before you tell us what you want to see happen to us. It will not be pretty but it will give the rest of you something to point at and make fun of. That is always really helpful too and I see it has already started.