What is going on in Kansas? We actually have a true election for governor, senator, state senator, congressman and secretary of state for Kansas. It is wild here. Over the past two weeks, at my home, we have had eight phone calls from polling companies wondering how we, in Kansas, plan to vote. In Kansas we usually are ignored in national elections and even state elections. If we vote, everyone assumes we will vote Republican. We are a red state.
But not this year! This year people are really frustrated and annoyed. Our Secretary of State has wandered too far from Kansas. He is so involved with issues in other states concerning immigration and voter id laws, that he has ignored his role as secretary of our state. He is playing partisan politics when he should be focusing on the state of KANSAS. Could it be that Kris Kobach will lose his position to Democrat Jean Kurtis Schodorf? Wow!
Our senior senator does not appear to live in Kansas. It was obvious in the primary campaign that he has not lived in Kansas for years. He lives in DC and rarely comes back here to hear what the citizens of his state are thinking about or are concerned about. Now he, Pat Roberts, is being challenged by an independent, Greg Orman. But first there was controversy over the Democratic contender pulling out of the race. It was contentious and interesting.
Voting has never been so exciting in the 30 years I have been living in Kansas. This election is somewhat fun. The outcome is important, but seeing people actually talking about the elections is amazing. Elections are important, and discussing the pros and cons is wonderful!
However, the nasty commercials for senator have been disturbing. I know that both sides are getting money from outside of Kansas, and that this politics. But honestly, I think it is time for Roberts to go. I believe he is out of touch with what is really happening in Kansas. We will see what happens. Could an Independent win? Perhaps!
And then there is the governor’s race. Oh Boy Oh Boy!!! This race has really heated up the airways. I have to be honest, I find the commercials disgusting. I would not vote for Brownbeck after his character destroying ads against Paul Davis. What nastiness has developed in this election bid! The black and white and red photos of Davis and the nasty innuendos about his character and being at a strip joint are just out of line. And perhaps Brownbeck himself is not involved in these ads, perhaps they are from outside groups, but still he has to have known about them.
In Kansas we are nice and polite. These ads are more like the ones I would have expected in my childhood state of New Jersey. Not my adult state of Kansas. Of course there is nothing said yet about Docking, her family’s roots are too strong in Kansas. But I am waiting…
The Supreme Court decision allowing big money into elections is killing us and destroying common decency. And the nasty ads about Davis are the obvious result of this decision.
As for the federal congressional race, it is the Democrat with somewhat nasty ads focusing on an incident that occurred when our congressman was in his first term. And it is true he skinny-dipped in the Sea of Galilee, or Kinneret, in Israel. I will admit the ad is somewhat amusing, all those supposedly naked people and the jokes? But is that why we should or should not vote for someone? Because he went skinny dipping? I do not know if Yoder or Kultala will win, but I wish they would focus on the issues at hand not the one time skinny dip in the lake!
In fact I wish that all the commercials would focus on the facts of our races not on Obama. Really, he is not running. What needs to be discussed is schools and school finance; abortion and women’s rights; gay and lesbian rights to marry and live as married couples if they married in another state, and the loss of revenue in our state due to the tax cuts. I really do not care if Davis went to a strip joint when he was 26 and unmarried. It happens. It would bother if he was older and married. But he was not. So stop. Focus on issues that are important to the people who live here.
I wish we could have politeness in politics, not personal attacks. I want to know what our candidates will do for our state and our country and our citizens. Not how nasty they can be to the other candidate.
In Kansas we have early voting. It starts on October 20. My husband wants to know if we vote then can we somehow turn off all these commercials? They are offensive. As soon as the music begins and the black, white and red film begins, we tune out!
I think we need change in Kansas. It is time to recognize that marriage is a right that all our citizens deserve. Marriage is a contract that binds between two people that gives them certain rights in terms of insurance, taxes, property ownership, inheritance and parenthood. If two people love each other they should be allowed all the rights of marriage, and all the work that goes into keeping a marriage happy and alive. And with that I am proud of Judge Kevin Moriarty! What a mensch! He ordered that same sex couples should be eligible for marriage licenses in Johnson County!
If people say they want government out of people’s personal life, then please stay out of my personal rights. I, as a woman, have the same rights as a man. And if I want to take medication, I should be able to do it without some government official telling me what medicine I take. It should only be between a woman and her doctor. I do not see anyone complaining about men getting vasectomies! Or women getting their tubes tied. So if they want birth control, they should be able to get it!
Kansas we have a chance in this election to make a statement for the first time in years! It is exciting times in Kansas.
But everyone needs to get out and vote!!! We can participate in early voting beginning on October 20. I do not care whom you vote for. But if you do not vote, then you cannot complain about the election results.
We have real choices in Kansas this year. Make your choice and vote!
zicharonot 
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