Kansas is BLUE!!!

[MuseRider]

I just got home. I have to thank realpolitik for keeping me sane while I had to be away. I am sooo happy. Not doing as well here in Topeka with our local but I am so happy. You all are the greatest and I don't have to tell you how hard we all had to work for this but we did and we did a great job. I don't want to hear anymore crap on this site anymore about Kansas. We have every reason to be so proud. I had a couple of Margaritas so I should probably shut up now but to all you brave and hard working people :hug: I am so proud to be here in Kansas with you.

[Lucky Luciano]

1. How does it feel to be

in the twilight zone?
:bounce:

[MuseRider]

2. Fucking good

and no I am not sorry about using the F word! I just told my doggies that Mommy and Daddy won't have to go to those nasty camps now, they are happy too and yes I am still drinking. ;)

[Mabus]

3. We did it together

All of us. We each contributed in our own way. :grouphug:

:woohoo: :party: :woohoo:

[MuseRider]

5. I can't remember the last time

I felt this good, oh yes, before the 2000 election.

You all, we hung together and we made it happen. I am so proud of us, this is a huge huge win along with the rest of the country. We got rid of the damned fundies in the school board and restored reasonable science standards and now this. All it took was most of our time for a few years, lol but it was definitely worth it. I love what Nancy said, we have to keep it up.

[Mabus]

8. I'm still in shock

Yes, we did it together. No one believed us. No one thought we could pull this off. Six short weeks ago the analysts were calling it for Ryun. Nan more than made up for her 15% loss two years ago. She kicked butt.


And now for a graphic from proud2blib's collection of our NEW DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE!

[Maven]

4. Congrats from NY!

Now get boozed up!!!

:vodkatonic: :D

[MuseRider]

6. Already there.

Thanks.

[Mabus]

7. We've got two Dems from Kansas to represent us in D.C.

Now we get to work on our Senators. Roberts will be up in 2008. We need to make sure he packs his bags and heads home.

If we could get Boyda elected, we can get rid of the idiots in the Senate.

[MuseRider]

9. Damn right we can.

I am ready to take it on. Isn't it amazing? we actually have someone in Washington we can write to who will respond! I can't believe it, it has been so long.

[Mabus]

11. We need to start collating our files on him

All of his stupid, misguided and deceitful acts - especially his exceptionally bad job on the Intelligence Committee.

I still haven't forgiven him for tossing Waxman's report on the lies of the Bush administration that I printed out and he promised to read. If I hadn't forgotten something and had to go back to his office I wouldn't have seen the report in the trash. I mean, I hadn't even gotten five feet from his office when I had to go back to his office to get whatever it was I forgot. Fuckers! I want him out of office almost as much I wanted to get rid of Ryun.

[MuseRider]

12. You know, 5 years ago

he was someone I could get a conversation with. We disagreed but he asked for personal mail and promised and did respond personally. He really flipped. I am ready to get to it. We should start a letter writing campaign soon, one talking point at a time and get it all out.

[Mabus]

18. Roberts (or at least his staff) are responsive

They've always granted us meetings and they respond to e-mails, calls and letters. Something that Brownback, like Ryun, doesn't like to do. (Which is one reason why Ryun was defeated this evening.) But I agree. We used to be able to meet and corresponde directly with him. As time goes on, we only get time with his staff. But, overall, he doesn't represent Kansas well. He has preferred doing the bidding of his party. He went from being a Landon or Dole Republican to a Jim "I don't need to talk to you" Ryun-type.

[MuseRider]

21. We will make him pay! n/t

[Mabus]

30. FYI, number of registered voters for each party in Kansas

Of the state’s registered voters, 763,992 are Republican; 446,538 are independent; 441,833 are Democrat; 9,191 are Libertarian; and 1,463 are Reform. - from http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/nov/06/today_voters_answer_questions/?elections_2006

There was a lot of crossover voting going on. I knew they were jumping ship. I'm going to be going over the results and try to figure it out. I'll let you know what I find out.

[MuseRider]

31. Please do.

We will need to get something figured out pretty soon. Ahhhh, I am thriving on this right now.

[SheilaT]

35. It's actually important to

understand that somewhere around a third of registered Republicans are actually Democrats who for one reason or another choose to register with the R after their name -- some so they can vote in Republican primaries, some because their family has been Republican for generations, some because they joined the Republican Party many years ago when it really was a good, moderate party.

Look at all the Republicans who changed parties -- including Nancy Boyda for the 2004 election -- all of whom say that the Republican party left them, not the other way around. In reality, a good 50% of Kansans are Democrats, whether or not their party registration reflects that.

For about the first twenty years of my voting life (none of which took place here in Kansas) I registered as an independent, because I refused to be affiliated with either party. Gradually I came to understand that my personal interests lay with the Democratic Party.

[Straight Shooter]

10. Congratulations, Kansas!

Nothing the matter with Kansas now :D

:toast:

[MuseRider]

14. Thank you.

There really never was, we just had to work a little harder and of course they got more extreme and there you go. Theocracy is on the run!!!

[Mabus]

15. We have been waiting to hear those words for so long

We've worked long and hard. Now we're going after our Senators. First Pat Roberts then Sam Brownback. They are going down!

[MuseRider]

17. Didn't Brownback say he

wasn't going to run again? Please tell me I am not imagining this. Crap.

[Mabus]

19. Maybe he did

I think he did say that. Just relax Muse. Have another margarita and enjoy knowing that you now have a Democrat representing you. In fact, I think your Democrat is better than my Democrat. ;)

[MuseRider]

22. Relax?

I don't remember how! OK, I will. I am too happy to sleep though. Are you in Moore's district? Why didn't I know that? Damn, thank you even double for all your work for Nancy.

[Mabus]

26. The last figures on saw on JeffCounty were about 50-50

I'd like to see the numbers from 2004. I'll have to dig them up. I know you worked there too.

One of the reasons I worked for Nancy was because I knew Dennis' seat was safe. As long as the GOP keeps putting up candidates with religious agendas (Ahner, when he ran for Blue Valley School Board said he had no problem with teaching creationism) against Moore, his seat is safe.

Don't forget that Ryun ran commercials in 2004 criticizing Boyda for protesting the Iraq War in D.C. and saying she was soft on terrorism. People remembered that commercial and now know that Nancy was right. She was also more polished and had a great rapid response team. She knocked on doors and talked to people. She's not as liberal as I would like but she's more liberal than Dennis is on a lot of things.

[MuseRider]

29. The thing I liked best about her

was that she seemed to understand everything and was up to date on everything. What she was not certain of she said that and promised to find the answer. She may not be as liberal as we would like but she is fair and inquisitive and those qualities are so very important. She ran this race the way all of them should be run.

My buzz is starting to wear off but damn I am so happy. Sweet dreams Mabus and once again, thank you.

[petunia.here]

13. Congratulations!

Seeing all the election results coming through tonight is so encouraging. :hug: I really was (and in some ways still am) ready for the worst.
I haven't felt this positive while reading anything political for so many years now. I really do think we have a chance to bring some much needed change to our country.

[MuseRider]

16. Isn't it a lovely feeling?

Tomorrow I am going to indulge in a little tiny but, no a WHOLE lot of schadenfreude, then it is back to work, we have to rid ourselves and the country of Pat Roberts.

[Laelth]

20. Big round of applause for Kansas!

I love hearing the enthusiasm and optimism you have. Wish I could say the same for Georgia. Here, our Lt. Gov. flipped to red, our Sec. of State flipped to red, and we have two house seats that are on the verge of flipping to red (both 50-50 races).

Happy for us all on a national level, but a little sad that my home is moving further into the darkness as the rest of the nation is awakening to a new dawn.

But I'm still very happy for the country and for Kansas.

:toast:

-Laelth

[MuseRider]

23. Laelth

:hug:

Keep working, it is when they get that total hold that they start to self destruct. They will help you get rid of them.

[Laelth]

24. Thanks for the hug, MuseRider.

Right back at ya! :hug:

:dem:

-Laelth

[Mabus]

27. Don't give up

Let MuseRider said, they have a tendency to self-destruct when they get drunk on power. It will happen. Sometimes people get to the point where they don't think people are listening or care any more and they stop voting. Finally something wakes them up and the many disenfranchised can't take it any more and jump back in and start voting. It happened here.

The fundies started taking over. They were really vocal and nasty. It turned a lot of people off and they stopped paying attention to politics. Then the fundies started downplaying evolution and started pushing creationism on the school board and tax cuts for the wealthy. It took a few years until people woke up and started realizing that their state taxes were going down but so was funding for roads and schools. Then they realized that their property taxes were going up to fix roads and that the quality of their children's education was endanger. People were pissed and then Dean came along with funding for us to reach out to them via canvassing. I canvassed neighborhoods for months, looking for volunteers, listening to people and relating the information back to the party coordinators, etc. It was the combination of disgruntled people and the Democratic Party giving them a listening ear. It takes time but it can happen. Hang in there.

I mean, if it can happen here in Kansas, it can happen anywhere.

[K8-EEE]

25. The Blue Wave Reached All The Way To Kansas!

yayy!! Awesome, congrats.

[Mabus]

28. And we're ready to start surfing

We reelected our Democratic governor, replaced the evil AG Phill Klein with a Dem and picked up a seat in the House.

Ah, life is good. :toast:

[LiberalAndProud]

32. Congratulations from your neighbor to the north.

Nebraska is green with envy.

[protect our future]

33. Love ya, Kansas!

From just barely across the state line in MO.

[RayOfHope]

34. Hey Kansas, more CONGRATS from MO on going blue! I'm 20 miles away from you

and your new blue-ness kicks some ASS!

[mistertrickster]

36. Raj Goyle a non-white non-Christian who worked for the ACLU (gasp!)

won in an overwhelmingly Republican district of Wichita.

I was on his campaign. He ran a smart, meticulously organized operation against a three-term incumbant beloved by the rapture-right. She raised something like 40K in the last six weeks of the campaign from mega-churches etc. and he still beat her right in the heart of the conservative heartland.

This is a good day for America.

[protect our future]

37. Nancy Boyda?

She's one of our new DINO/RINOS, or Dinocans, or Rinocrats, or transparty probationary members, or whatever you call the new Dems formerly known as Republicans, and someone mentioned she may be more liberal than Dennis Moore, who is a hero of mine, and woe is me I am so confused but very very happy.

[protect our future]

38. Am I correct, that Nancy Boyda is one of the former Repubs? n/t

[Mabus]

39. Nancy became a Dem back in 2003 - she saw the light early

She quit out of disgust. She also protested against the war in Iraq which was something Ryun used against her in 2004. Since she became a Dem she's worked for the Democratic Party. She's no DINO. She's a Kansas Democrat. She's not as liberal as I am but she, then again, there are few who are. She believes we need to do something about global warming, she's concerned about the NAFTA highway, she's concerned about disenfranchisement of voters, she doesn't like NCLB, she doesn't want to raise taxes on the working class but does want to raise it on the top 1%, she supports labor unions, she's for gay marriage, she's for legal abortions, and she's on board for a lot of other progressive ideas.

In other words, she doesn't walk like a DINO and she doesn't talk like a DINO. She's a true blue Kansas Democrat and we're all very proud of her.

[Big Unit]

45. More about Raj

Raj Goyle not only won in an overwhelmingly Republican district, but he won by a landslide 700+ votes. His opponent 6 years ago beat another good Democrat by 150 votes, and then the Republican majority gerrymandered the district to make it even more Republican, and to carve out the neighborhood of the Dem. who had just opposed her. But it was all for naught.

Raj graduated from Duke, then went to Harvard Law School. Next he went to work for John Podesta's think tank the Center for American Progress in DC. But he came home to Wichita to enter public service. This man is going to be a bright star in Kansas politics. Watch and witness.

[Mabus]

46. What a resume!

Glad he came back to Kansas. Except for the Duke, he's got a stellar background.

Rock. Chalk. Jayhawk. KU!

[Fovea]

40. I propose a new Kansas State song

I have the title already...
"The East is Blue."

And it was great texting with you!

[Mabus]

41. May I suggest "Let America be America, Again"?

http://www.myspace.com/thebopaphonics from the Lawrence politi-bop band the Bopaphonics.

[MuseRider]

42. Again,

thank you so much! You kept me from leaping out of my seat and chewing on my fork. The entire staff at Jardines was very happy to know what was happening and they were all happy with the results. In other words, you were a life saver for a lot of people.

[DURHAM D]

43. From a native Kansan here in North Carolina - a great big thanks.

Now, when anyone asks me where I am from I can proudly say "Kansas"! (instead of Oklahoma as I have been doing for the past 6-8 years).

[Mabus]

44. A belated "you're welcome"

Now, we need to turn the western portion of the state blue and get rid of Pat Roberts.

:hi: