Kansas GOP Insider (wannabe): So-Called Republican Campaigns for Actual Dem

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

So-Called Republican Campaigns for Actual Dem

In the JO, we've got a lot of Republican candidates on the ballot who are about as palatable as a plate of chicken liver. A few people like to eat the organ responsible for creating urine, but most people just can't stomach it.

I've promised myself I would do my best not to say unkind thing about the top of the Republican ticket. This election IS a binary choice. Sorry, Gary Johnson fans, and many voters in Johnson County have a choice between someone who admits to being a Democrat on the ticket and another who calls themselves a Republican so they can look like the cool kids at the Country Club meeting. (Or wherever the worst kinds of "Republicans" hang out these days.) 

A few weekends ago, a so-called Republican showed her true colors during the Old Settler's Day Parade. The good news is this once-Republican candidate lost her primary attempt. The bad news is half of her friends didn't. Kim Palcic, you'll recall, challenged Rep. Erin Davis in August. Palcic campaigned with and used the same political campaign outfit--ahem, Stephanie Sharp--in attempts to oust actual Republicans in August. While successful, it's quite telling that Sharp losers are now actively campaigning for Democrats. Tells us what we can probably expect from our new "Republican" candidates. (Probably all Obama voters, too.)

So, here's Palcic, walking in the Old Settler's Parade for state Democratic Senate candidate Chris Morrow. (Full disclosure: Chris Morrow is a personal friend, but his opponent, Sen. Julia Lynn, Republican, is a friend, too. And I am a conservative. End of story.)



And so, I think it's fair to question whether Palcic's allies in the August primaries are actually Republicans, though saying that out loud right now is paramount to treason. 

A few weeks ago, Congressman Kevin Yoder hosted Johnson County Republican primary winners at a breakfast during which he requested that candidates join hands and sing, Kum ba ya. 

Yoder has a special reason for attempting to unify the party: It appears he's worried that at least one actual Dem candidate, who shall remain nameless, could be a real contender for the Third District Congressional seat in the future. At the breakfast, Republican candidates were encouraged to focus on their own races and unify for the good of the party.  And so in solidarity--I wasn't there, but candidates who attended received a check--I have done my best not to bash the Democrats running as Republicans in the upcoming election. 

The struggle is so real. You can imagine this causes a few challenges, especially when the campaign materials for some so-called Republicans almost exactly mirrors the campaign materials for some Dems. (This also creates a special kind of voter confusion when there's an actual Republican running for say, House, in the same district as a became-a-Republican-last-week candidate for Senate.)

That said, Palcic is fair game, because she lost. And I must wonder, do the rest of the candidates who linked arms with the Mainstream Coalition and marched to the Sharp drum wish they could be out campaigning for the Dems? My guess is probably.

And while I've made a personal effort not to speak ill of the Republicans (for now), I STILL think it's fair game for voters and party leadership to demand a list from all candidates as to which items on the party platform they agree. For several JoCo candidates, it appears not many.

7 comments:

  1. Julia Lynn supported "Republicans" Steve Morris and John Vratil in the Senate. Lynn is exactly what you accuse Kim Palcic of being. Chris Morrow is at least an honest person, though he might disagree with you on some issues. Morrow has integrity and a brain. Lynn has neither of those.

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    1. Hi, Ben, time to let the obsession go now. It's been 10 years since Julia was elected.

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    2. Today's Julia is as solid a conservative as one can get in JOCO.

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  2. Kim Palcic was always a democrat. She switched parties from Democrat to Republican on February 10th, 2016, shortly before filing against Erin. It was no surprise during the campaign that she was a democrat. The KS GOP must do more to vet candidates during the primaries, and expose those that are not republicans who believe in the republican platform. The time has come for KS GOP to get more involved in primary elections.

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    1. And for those to not vote for someone just because they have an R behind their name. Many are now "helping" these winners because they too worry about who might come after Yoder. What a sham.

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  3. Chris Morrow's campaign has done a good job of reaching out to Republican voters. It is closer than Julia wants. Chris knows Julia is better known at bars, and doesn't campaign like Rob Olson or Kay O'Connor.

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    1. That's what I hear. Chris meets Republicans all the time that are fed up with Brownback and don't even know who Julia Lynn is.

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