Tuesday, July 31, 2007
(6:12 PM) | Stephen:
Thank You, Kansas GOP
Kansas is, politically, a red state. Not a purple state, not a red state trending blue, a red state. Kansas was Republican back in the days when being Republican meant being anti-slave, and Kansans were willing to cross the border into Missouri, with guns ablaze, to make their feelings clear.
Even though the modern GOP has turned into the spiritual and political inheritors of the most virulent strains of racist, slavery-justifying nastiness possible, Kansas has kept a firm grip on its Republican heritage.
At least, that's how it's seemed for a while now. But last year Paul Morrison, the longtime Johnson County DA and Mark Parkinson, a former state GOP chairman both switched parties to run for office as Democrats. Nancy Boyda, the Democrat who actually won the District 2 Congressional race, was also a Republican in a former incarnation. The State Board of Education also saw the election of several moderate Republicans - which to the party faithful in this state is virtually electing Democrats - and when the Johnson County GOP appointed Phill Kline as DA in a petty act of political revenge, the Johnson County Election Office was inundated with requests to change party registration.
Now comes word from the mid-year state GOP convention that any Republican official within the party will be stripped of all titles, positions and responsibilities if they help a Democrat get elected. A "Loyalty Committee" has been formed to investigate charges of complicity with Democrats. And the GOP Executive Director said regarding GOP members' responsibilities:
That's fantastic. While I would perhaps prefer that disillusioned Republicans look toward the Democratic party for a home, I'm perfectly satisfied with this state's growing number of moderates to just stay out of all their primaries and let the most rightwing whackos get nominated. And then when they see their party represented by crazies like Phill Kline, they can just keep their money to themselves and stay home again.
The Kansas GOP convention was an amazing success, if you ask me.
Even though the modern GOP has turned into the spiritual and political inheritors of the most virulent strains of racist, slavery-justifying nastiness possible, Kansas has kept a firm grip on its Republican heritage.
At least, that's how it's seemed for a while now. But last year Paul Morrison, the longtime Johnson County DA and Mark Parkinson, a former state GOP chairman both switched parties to run for office as Democrats. Nancy Boyda, the Democrat who actually won the District 2 Congressional race, was also a Republican in a former incarnation. The State Board of Education also saw the election of several moderate Republicans - which to the party faithful in this state is virtually electing Democrats - and when the Johnson County GOP appointed Phill Kline as DA in a petty act of political revenge, the Johnson County Election Office was inundated with requests to change party registration.
Now comes word from the mid-year state GOP convention that any Republican official within the party will be stripped of all titles, positions and responsibilities if they help a Democrat get elected. A "Loyalty Committee" has been formed to investigate charges of complicity with Democrats. And the GOP Executive Director said regarding GOP members' responsibilities:
If you can’t stomach a Republican in the election, then you can sit on your hands. You can’t go out there and support the opposition.Don't like the Republican candidate? Then don't vote, don't contribute, don't do anything.
That's fantastic. While I would perhaps prefer that disillusioned Republicans look toward the Democratic party for a home, I'm perfectly satisfied with this state's growing number of moderates to just stay out of all their primaries and let the most rightwing whackos get nominated. And then when they see their party represented by crazies like Phill Kline, they can just keep their money to themselves and stay home again.
The Kansas GOP convention was an amazing success, if you ask me.
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