GREAT BEND, Kan. - There is no evidence that Senator Brownback is even slightly worried about losing this year's governor's race. However, a new poll by the Associated Press-GfK suggests he should be worried.
Americans detest Congress, Republicans and Democrats. A dismal 22 percent approve of the job Congress is doing. Over half of people want to fire their congressman. The American people want the two parties in Congress to work together to solve our nation's problems. And they aren't doing anything.
It's a bad year to be an incumbent congressman or senator from either party. And Brownback seems strangely absent from Kansas during this critical time. Where is he?
He is not talking to the press, at least in Kansas. His strategy reminds me of the "duck and cover" drills American children did to guard against nuclear attacks.
Brownback probably thinks he could go on an eight month cruise and be elected easily just based on his name identification and his "Republican" party membership. But the governorship is something you have to fight for. You can't just hide and not explain how you would solve Kansas' problems.
Again, people want both parties to work together -- both in Topeka and in Washington -- to solve the very real problems we have. And Brownback can not do that. He reeks of right wing partisanship. The governorship has eluded the "religious right" in Kansas for a reason: people want a governor who is a bi-partisan "honest broker." People don't want an ideologue in the Governor's Mansion.
State Senator Tom Holland is the only candidate running for governor who can set aside partisanship and solve Kansas' problems. Brownback is simply too divisive to lead a coalition government that gets things done. But Holland can bring people together from both parties to solve real problems.
At the state level, the budget is 65% education funding. And people support education. The rest of the budget is for roads, prisons, law enforcement, public safety, etc. Kansans support the idea of a state government that provides quality services.
Brownback's "government is evil" mindset is all wrong for Kansas. His 16 years in Washington, D.C. are a huge negative in this campaign. But most disturbing, he seems to be hiding. His strategy of staying outside the state and not speaking about how he would solve the state budget crisis reminds me of Martha Coakley's disastrous "duck and cover" strategy in Massachusetts.
Brownback is the heavy favorite. But he's going to have to fight for it. He can't just "duck and cover." This is going to get very interesting.
I agree there is an anti Washington sentiment and congress has a low approval rating, but at the same time people might hate congress but usually support their own, and Brownback as long as he has a R by his name can count on the Zombie masses for support, Unless Sen Holland runs a good well oiled persuasive campaign
David, I had to laugh, because I answered the phone about ten minutes ago. It was a Washington, D.C. number, and it was a tape recording of Sam Brownback inviting me to join in a live "electronic town hall meeting."
Holland is an underdog, but I know him fairly well and he will run a good campaign. I am very optimistic about Tom Holland. The Governorship is the one prize the "religious right" has never been able to claim in Kansas. We will see.