On KC Week in Review, Kraske named Larry Gates as the Biggest Loser for 2009

[proud2BlibKansan]

I am not a Kraske fan but I have to agree with him on this.

What has happened to the Democratic Party in Kansas?!?! The election is less than a year away and we have NO candidate for governor, KKKris Kobach is running for SOS with no Democratic opponent, no one has emerged to run for 3rd district . . .

I could go on.

This is just pathetic. As head of the state Democratic Party, Larry has failed. And we are going to be saying Governor Brownback this time next year. :puke:

[SheilaT]

1. Larry Gates and several others who are considered

leaders in the Kansas Democratic Party have done anything but lead, in my opinion.

They actively encouraged outsiders to come in and run, or attempt to run for state wide office. Not just this year, but at least once before in the past, leaving home grown candidates who might otherwise have had a chance, without any support from the state party.

You recall that I ran for the Kansas State House in 2004. Larry Gates's law office, the one which starts with his name, is in that district. I asked him if I could put one of my campaign signs in front of the building. He told me no, because he had to be sensitive to the fact that other businesses were also in that building. Late in the fall, signs for several other campaigns sprouted in front of his building. Finally, about a week before the election, I put one of my signs in. Within thirty minutes all of the signs were removed.

Not sure why my specific sign was poison, but it was typical of the lack of support that came from him.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. It's horrible

I have been a lifelong Democrat and I cannot remember any other election in my lifetime where my party had NO candidate for a major office less than a year before the election.

I have refused to give the state party any money for awhile now. If I wasn't active in my caucus I wouldn't even go to Wash Days or DemoFest.

Larry needs to go.

[beyurslf]

3. It isn't popular to say in the state, but Gov Sebelius' worst decision ever

was her Lt. Gov pick. Why choose another Republican as a running mate? She had to know even in 2006 that she would be any list of VP candidates for 2008. Even if not selected, she was certainly in the running for cabinet posts.She had a chance to give us a leading candidate for Gov in 2010 and instead, she gave us a republican. It doesn't excuse the poor recruitment, but a big failure lies with her as well. That choice remains the one thing I think she did incredibly wrong as Gov.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Oh I agree

The problem is no one has grown the party. Other than republicans like Parkinson who switch parties, they don't look to gain more Democrats. They do nothing to reach out to kids. It's ridiculous.

[SheilaT]

5. Keep in mind that a couple of years

ago we all thought that a couple of years ago we all thought that Paul Morrison would probably be running for Governor as a Democrat in 2010. Had he not been such a jerk he would be running for Governor and that might also be a strong candidate for the Senate seat. His inability to keep his pants on cost the party dearly.

Which doesn't absolve the state party as a whole for not developing candidates for various offices. I also wonder why a few more of those in the state house don't look at running for other offices. A couple of years ago Chris Steineger was showing up at all sorts of functions, and it kind of looked like he might be thinking of higher office. But he seems content to stay in the state senate.

Perhaps it's just that running for office can seem completely thankless, almost useless. I dunno. I do know how hard it can be to convince anyone to run. And maybe those who least think themselves as a potential candidate are exactly those who should be running.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Chris is still exploring running for other seats

Last I heard he was looking into SOS.

[hfojvt]

7. I would not be happy with a Morrison candidacy

sure, he was better than Phill and would be better than Brownback, but it's not like he suddenly became a liberal to run as a Democrat.

I would blame Sebelius more than Gates. She threw the party (and by extension the state) under the bus to goto Washington DC as a cabinet member rather than as a Senator, and also not only picking Parkinson as a running mate - the bad thing not only being that he is a Republican, but that he doesn't even want to run.