Kansas GOP Watch: The “lost” feeling of moderates and what that means

[atommom]

for national politics

Mark Parkinson, former chair of the Kansas Republican Party, sums up the feelings of many of his former political colleagues this way: "A lot of people in Kansas are feeling lost right now."

That’s just one of the more pointed comments in a Los Angeles Times profile on the state of the Kansas GOP. As a long-time observer of Kansas politics, I can tell you that the story by Nicholas Riccardi is right on the money.

The key, though, which isn’t emphasized in the story, is that the religious right cannot win at the polls if moderate Republicans do not collude with them. This is true for Kansas and for the rest of the country. The question now is whether the change in attitudes among traditional Republicans in Kansas will mark the beginning of a change among moderate Republicans nationally.

What Kansas Republicans are beginning to understand is that they truly made a pact with the devil when they first decided to ignore the excesses of the religious right and work with the mega churches and their followers.

More: http://hopeandpolitics.blogspot.com/2006/06/kansas-gop-watch-lost-feeling-of.html

[MuseRider]

1. True,

this seems to be what I am seeing and it looks to be the beginning of a vast sea change. I don't know when it will actually happen, this year maybe?

Just for kicks I thought you would like this LTTE from my paper this morning. It made me chuckle a little and shake my head a lot.

In Republican's clothing

I don't understand why anyone is surprised that Benedict Parkinson switched parties.

Any conservative Republicans in this state can tell you that the so-called "moderate" Republicans are nothing but Democrats in disguise. I would like to see all of the so-called moderate Republicans switch parties and run as Democrats. We will see how many of them can win running under their true colors.

They won't, of course, because they are all political cowards. They run as Republicans and vote like Democrats. The moderate Republicans are the reason that we have a worthless governor whose only accomplishments are taking credit for other people's work.

Whenever the Benedict Parkinsons and Morrisons switch parties and run as Democrats, they are at least running as what they really are.

That's why Republicans are in so much trouble on the national level. They refuse to act like Republicans.

[atommom]

2. I'm afraid to ask what a "Republican" would act like!

:rofl:

[MuseRider]

3. That is when I chuckled!

I also wondered what it would be like if they were not failing! YIKES. These people terrify me.

[atommom]

4. Meant to mention that I saw the same LTTE in a local paper here.

It's still funny the second time, even if it is astroturf! ;)

[MuseRider]

5. That was astroturf?

Wow, if you know where the link is could you send it to me? I would love to turn this guy in to the paper, I suspect it is not his first since he writes stuff like this now and then. Thanks.

[atommom]

6. Damn. I think I saw it in the Johnson County Sun, but my son

used that section for a craft project, and I can't find it online. Maybe someone else still has a copy and can check for you?

[MuseRider]

7. Too bad.

I will look around and see if I can find it elsewhere. Thanks. I would love to bust this guy and since they won't publish anything I ever send this would be the best I can do.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Who (or what) is astroturf?

[atommom]

9. I don't know whether this was really astroturf, or just one duplicate...

Astroturf can take the form of a barrage of duplicate LTTEs sent to different papers. All are really from the same source even though different individuals may have signed their names to them. In the larger sense, astroturf refers to fake grassroots initiatives that are really funded by evil corporations and/or political interests.

Source: Editor and Publisher, August 27, 2004
The Daily Kos recently uncovered an astroturf (fake grassroots) initiative by the George W. Bush campaign, which generated ghostwritten letters to the editor that found their way into at least 60 newspapers. This isn't the first time that the Bush administration has tried this trick, as we've reported in the past. According to Editor and Publisher, however, the National Conference of Editorial Writers (NCEW) is now taking the issue seriously. "On its NCEW e-mail listserv, some 600 subscribers who are mostly editorial page writers and editors, can alert one another of suspicious letters," writes Charles Geraci. "In fact, this is the most consistent topic on the listserv." Meanwhile, the Columbia Journalism Review's Campaign Desk critiques the Washington Post's coverage of the topic, showing how an "obsession with 'even-handedness'" led the Post to falsely claim that the Kerry campaign is doing the same thing.

There are some more great examples of astroturf here: http://www.prwatch.org/taxonomy/term/110/9

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. So those RW emails - full of lies

Can they be considered astroturf? One of my friends is convinced they are all composed in KKarl's office in DC. LOL

[atommom]

11. It wouldn't surprise me! It's definitely out of the same playbook...

and they probably reach even more people that way.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. I think we should create our own astroturf emails to send out

The big difference in the ones we make is that ours will tell the truth. We should pick a topic, write an email, include links to verify what we are saying and send it out. We also should put pictures of teddy bears and flowers and US flags on these emails, like the RW does. And add that they should keep forwarding the email, like a chain letter.

I have already done two of these and sent them to my friend who forwards RW crap emails to me. I of course, replied "to all". LOL

[atommom]

13. Add a few cute dog pictures and we'd be in business!

;)

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. Oh how could I forget the dogs?

Thanks for reminding me! :)