With Friends Like These, Who Needs Dems... Part 2,651

The GOP circular firing squad is bloody and gross, but it's also occasionally necessary. Hold my magazine. 

The challenge in Kansas is that EVERYONE is a Republican. I may be the only person remotely grateful if the Democrats manage to find a tiny modicum of success this cycle. Don't get me wrong: I want them to lose in ways that are embarrassing, but if they're not completely crestfallen and shamed (as per usual) maybe the people who don't have the courage to admit publicly that they're Democrats will finally admit their political stripes. We can end the charade of pretending they're Republicans. 

These types call themselves Republicans because they live in Kansas, and the cool kids in Kansas--the people with Country Club memberships--are Republicans.The desire to be cool never leaves some people. And so if you want to hang out in swank places and rub elbows with important people, you have to say you're a Republican. Saying you're a Democrat means you're hanging out in some guy's basement at a drum circle with middle aged bureaucrats wearing Birkenstocks and tie-dye. 

But, this election may make Democrats "cool" in Kansas again, and that means some of those folks can finally join hands with the people who support the policies that they support. That's not a bad thing. It's an honest thing. 

So, yesterday, Rep. Barbara Bollier who is running for Senate up in the great white northeast of JoCo posted to her Facebook page that she campaigned for Paul Davis. Now which box you check in the ballot box, that's a matter of conscience, but to publicly proclaim you not only voted for the Democrat but actually campaigned for him? 

This wouldn't fly if a conservative did the same thing and campaigned for say, a Libertarian. The hand-wringing and private and public lambasting would be intense.

It's offensive to me that in Republican circles, conservatives are expected to join hands and sing Kum Bah Ya with whatever liberal-in-sheep's clothing shows up with an 'R' next to her name. Ahem. Bollier. Ahem. Rooker. It's an expectation.

Bollier publicly admits campaigning for the Democrat. Meanwhile, word on the street is that Rooker will switch parties after the 2017 legislative session to run as Paul Davis' running mate. Davis was eviscerated by Brownback in 2014, but according to the rumor mill, he's bandaged up and on the mend, preparing to run again.

And before folks turn their weapons on me--I can almost feel my phone vibrating right now with people telling me I should have held this until after the election; we have to get Republicans elected, etc.--you're proving my point. I'm supposed to stand down, while they're given carte blanche to be as Benedict Arnold as they please. (And they're electeds!! I'm just a lady who scribbles a blog!)

I'm a team player, but I have my limits. With friends like these, who needs Democrats?