Front Page » Table of Contents » Archives: Elections


First, I would like to clearly state my premise and reason for writing this piece. I believe it is always irresponsible to forward, publish, or publicly declare material that one knows to be malicious, false, and inflammatory. I further believe that it is also irresponsible to disseminate material that is inflammatory, even if the specific facts contained therein are technically correct, if by omission of some facts and over-emphasis of others, there is clear intent to arouse others to unjustified anger and potentially unjust action. I believe that a weak "small print" disclaimer accompanying such dissemination does not relieve one of responsibility.

A few years ago, at a Memorial Day observance at the Hays, Kansas, VFW, a local dignitary presented a "keynote" speech, in which he declared that we (the United States) had been "at war with Islam" for, at that time, 33 years. He cited a litany of events over the 33 years to "prove" his point. He omitted that, like Christianity, Islam has a warlike and aggressive wing as well as a gently-pious wing. He omitted mention of Christianity's history of the Crusades, a protracted, violent, invasive campaign against Islam. ("Crusade" has positive connotations for many Christians, but it is part of a corporate memory of Islam involving images of injury, death, fear, occupation, and oppression, and, on the part of some, precipitating motives of revenge.) I was able to locate the same litany of incidents cited by the local dignitary, almost verbatim, readily available on the internet. I can only conclude that the substance of the local dignitary's speech was drawn from the internet source, though not credited.

During the months before Barack Obama became the chosen Democratic candidate for the presidency of the US, I received a forwarding from two high school friends (it has been well over 50 years since I was in high school). The forwarded item was "The Jihad Candidate" by Rich Carroll, 06/16/2008. The item was attributed in these forwardings to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The "Subject" line on the forwarding was "A Challenge from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram." In essence, the author stated with seeming certainty that Barack Obama was a "sleeper" planted in the US political scene by Muslim oil interests so that, when the time came, he could act for those oil powers and for Islam, against the interests of the United States. I was familiar with The Fort Worth Star-Telegram's overall editorial stance. The Star-Telegram was our dear Molly Ivins' journalistic home base. I finally succeeded in contacting a member of the Op-Ed Page editorial staff, and found that Rich Carroll's piece had never been published in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Recently, I received a really slick, professionally-produced video forwarded by a friend who is a colleague of mine on a national board. (The forwarding obviously had no relationship to the business of the organization for which we are directors.) My friend, in his forwarding message stated that the content was true and that it was not propaganda. The content, citing "research," presented that Europe was now irrevocably lost to Islam, and that North America was threatened more than seriously. Toward the end, the narrator with the confidence-inspiring voice called the viewers to "action" (without specifying a particular action). I pointed out to my friend that, even if the facts were correct (which I did not concede), it was propaganda. I confronted him with the following questions:

1. Who sponsored this video?
2. Who prepared it?
3. The narrator cites "research" but does not say what research, by whom, by what methods. We must know this.
4. The narrator concludes with, "This is a call to action!" What action do you suppose is being suggested?

My friend was offended at my questions. He responded that he forwarded the video to me (and nearly a hundred others) "for your information." I was able to identify the responsible entity ("Christian Resistance") and look at their catalog, almost all of which is anti-Muslim. "Christian Resistance" reveals nothing about itself or about who is part of it, or about who funds it.

A couple of days ago I received one of those tiresome "Birther" forwardings that purport to state with authority that Barack Obama was not born in the US, and is thus ineligible to be president. The forwarder provided the following interesting disclaimer: "According to www.snopes.com the below information is INCORRECT. I DO NOT forward info that I receive from other people unless I check it out first on snopes." (The capitalizations were an original part of this disclaimer.) Obviously, this is contradictory, as he forwarded something www.snopes.com identified as incorrect. The secret, though, is that many readers would miss the small "in" in "incorrect," since the forwarder was forwarding the item, and had stated that he forwarded nothing that had not been verified by www.snopes.com.

I received another forwarding two weeks ago from a good friend. This one suggested that Obama is a "Manchurian Candidate" type sleeper planted, according to this scenario, by the Russians to act for their interests and against the interests of the US. She supplied this disclaimer: "I'm not enough of a contemporary historian to know if any of the forwarded message makes sense and thought I'd send it to you all for rebuttal if any." That's nice, but how many addressees will provide objective evaluation and appropriate rebuttal, and how many will absorb the purported negative message into the body of "knowledge" they assume to be true and correct?

This week, a friend of mine telephoned. He was upset by materials he had found on the internet regarding the proposed national health care legislation. The internet posting purported to be from a "judge" in Alabama. The part that upset my friend most was the purported mandatory end-of-life counseling every five years for all persons over 65 years of age. In order to assist my friend, and as a matter of my own interest, I read the pertinent part of the proposed legislation. Admittedly, legal writing is sometimes difficult for a lay person to read; however, a "judge" should have had sufficient background to sort it out. What I read in the proposed legislation itself was that persons over 65 would be entitled to a voluntary end-of-life consultation with a health care professional, billed as a health care expense, every five years. It was implicit that, if an individual wanted such counseling more often that every five years, he would have to pay for it himself. That is a long way from subjecting everyone over 65 to involuntary end-of-life sessions. My friend's indignation was genuine and innocent. Whoever wrote and posted the "judge's" missive was anything but innocent. That person intended an incendiary effect that would have citizens practically up-in-arms in protest. As I researched this matter, I encountered postings (some attributed to Fred Thompson), to the effect that older citizens would be subjected to mandatory euthanasia counseling.

There are myriads of other examples. What I would like to do is urge everyone to refrain from fanning the fires of hate and anger. I suggest that all of us should take full responsibility for the material we disseminate and its apparent intent. Most of us wish to live our lives in terms of ultimately being held responsible for what we have said and done in our lives.

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Here in Lawrence, we just came through a dramatic and upsetting round of school funding cuts that effectively divided our community. There were threats of some--or several--of our grade schools being closed and things got ugly as parents turned on each other. When parents of children in threatened schools rallied, some parents of children whose schools were not on the chopping block were concerned that their schools would lose teachers, librarians, nurses, paras, etc. in order to save smaller, older grade schools. (What they didn't seem to take into consideration was that class sizes were going to go up regardless, because all those kids from closed schools were going to have to flood the remaining schools.)


TOPEKA, Kan. - Citing his experience, professionalism and dedication, Governor Mark Parkinson today named Chris Biggs as Kansas' Secretary of State.

"Chris has been in public service for more than twenty years, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to our state, our citizens, and our future," Parkinson said. "Chris will bring his forward-looking vision to the Office of Secretary of State while increasing the efficiency and participation in Kansas' elections."

Prior to today's appointment, Biggs, also served as an attorney in public service, including 14 years as Geary County Attorney. Biggs is a graduate of Kansas State University and KU Law School.

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.

VALLEY FALLS, Kan. - On Sunday, March 7, our next governor, Tom Holland, spoke to a group at The Barn Bed and Breakfast Inn, Valley Falls. I think Sen. Holland is precisely who we need to lead our state through the difficult times we are in. Don't write him off. That was the mistake made by the last two Republicans he ran against. Both were incumbents; first in a state House race, then a state Senate race. Both districts were conservative. Sen. Holland is a very pragmatic and formidable candidate who will pull no punches in the race against Sam Brownback.

SALINA, Kan. - Few folks are against free speech. But what one says is always limited to what one sees. Many good talkers are not necessarily good seers.

Case in point: Chapman Rackaway's recent editorial on the Supreme Court Citizens United case. His misguided missile, intended to strike its critics, instead winds up wounding the very free speech he advocates.

That arrow struck especially deep, given Rackaway's solid contributions to free speech, particularly through his hosting of candidate forums on Smoky Hills Public Television and his college teaching at Fort Hays State. His achievements illustrate, however, that all truth is relative, and easily blinded.

To defend free speech, Rackaway scaled Mount Everest rhetorical heights, only to fall off the cliff of corporate, moneyed influence. It's a common error.

GREAT BEND, Kan. - A sitting Republican U.S. Senator runs for governor of her state and gets thumped, 51% to 30%. On Tuesday Texas Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison became a prominent symbol of the powerful anti-Washington sentiment this year. She lost a Republican primary to Republican Governor Rick Perry, whose message was simple: anti-Washington, anti-Washington, anti-Washington.

Hutchison's Republican U.S. Senate colleague Sam Brownback should take notice. Like Senator Hutchison, Brownback sees an easy transition from U.S. Senator to Governor. But the voters of Texas seem to have said "not so fast." Republican primary voters were comfortable with the candidate who lived in Austin, Texas -- not Washington, D.C.

Kansas voters now have a choice for governor. Should they hire a guy who has been in Washington, D.C. the last 16 years, or hire a guy who has been in Baldwin City, Kansas the last 16 years?

GREAT BEND, Kan. - Circular firing squads are stupid. There are so few Democrats in Kansas that it is important that we stick together, and not shoot each other. 2010 was my seventh consecutive trip to Topeka for "Washington Days," the annual Kansas Democrat gathering. But this was the first one where I felt some overt dissension among the party faithful.

The major complaint: Kansas Democrats have no "bench." But the thing is, we have so many "starters" holding statewide office, we have a great lineup right now.

Democrats need to count their blessings. Eight years of a Democrat Governor has done wonders for the Kansas Democratic party. Governor Sebelius and now Governor Parkinson are both extraordinarily talented. And a lot of new political talent came forward over the last 8 years due to Democratic control of the Governor's Mansion.

ELLIS, Kan. - Two Kansas politicians have been getting the kind of media attention in the last week that should make citizens of this state cringe with embarrassment. One of these Kansas politicians is a sitting U.S. Senator, and the other one wants to be.

"Kansas needs strong leadership - now. Holland can provide that, without the political baggage his opponent carries." - Baldwin City Signal

TOPEKA, Kan. - After months of speculation about who would compete against Sam Brownback, Wednesday brought good news for the Kansas Democratic Party when Tom Holland announced his candidacy for governor. Already, endorsements are rolling in.

"Tom has what it takes to be a great governor and I fully support him. Governors are CEOs of their states and as a successful small business owner, Tom's experience in balancing the books and getting the most out of every penny is exactly what Kansas needs," Governor Mark Parkinson explained.

Holland's name recognition may not yet be as widespread in Kansas, when compared with Brownback, but as Kansans learn more about Holland's experience, they are likely to find him a worthy and impressive candidate for the job of governor.

More stories posted in this same topic:

Want to see more in this same section? We have more! By default, this page only lists a few of the most recent entries. We have many more under this same category in our archives.

To find all of our Elections stories, simply look at the left sidebar of this same page. Archives for Elections are listed on the top left of this page by month and year.

If you want to browse other topics, you can also check our Table of Contents or go back to our Front Page.


About This Page

This is the first page of the 'Elections' section.

'Education' is the previous section. 'Events' is the next one in our Table of Contents.

Only the most recent stories published under the heading of Elections are shown in the center of this page.

The complete archives for Elections are listed below here in this sidebar.

Elections Section Archives

This list shows all of the stories ever published in the Kansas Free Press under the heading of 'Elections', organized by date:

Other Archives

Interested in other topics? You may wish to poke around in our Table of Contents to find other sections and archives.

Do you want to explore pieces written by specific authors? You can find archives for KFP writers by reviewing our complete Directory of Authors and Writers here.

Recently Featured Stories

Holland's Background Offers Challenge for Brownback

GREAT BEND, Kan. - State Senator Holland's biography offers some interesting comparisons and contrasts with his Republican opponent U.S. Senator Sam Brownback. One of these men will be …
Tom Holland Hopes to Bring Kansans Together

"I'm standing here today to let Kansans know they DO have a choice for Governor. My name is Tom Holland, I'm a problem solver and a small businessman …
Lion-hearted State Senator Not a Sacrificial Lamb

GREAT BEND, Kan. - Senator Tom Holland is the opposite of a "sacrificial lamb." A "sacrificial lamb" is a metaphor that refers to a person or animal sacrificed …
Kansas Secretary of State Job: Candidates Lining Up

Chris BiggsTOPEKA, Kan. - As readers will recall, Kansas Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh (R) announced his early resignation on February 8th. In the next couple of weeks, …
Anyone Can Recruit Candidates Until June 10, Even You

GREAT BEND, Kan. - A famous workers' rights leader (it was either Mother Jones or Joe Hill) said, "Don't agonize, organize." Yes, candidate recruitment is off to a …
Kansas Democrats Need to Get Down to Business

OSKALOOSA, Kan. - Is Senator Brownback an unbeatable candidate for Kansas Governor? I don't think so. Many of the republicans that I have had the chance to visit …
Don't Like Mike O'Neal? Run Against Him

GREAT BEND, Kan. - Democrats who complain about House Speaker Mike O'Neal's pattern of using his public office to benefit himself, his wife, his law firm, and the …
How and Why Latinos Impact Elections

SALINA, Kan. - Latino voters will once again be a powerful force the upcoming elections. Candidates who want to court their vote will probably need to do more …
House Candidate Mike Laudick Will Be Missed

LYONS, Kan. - Mike Laudick and I became friends when we were both candidates for the Kansas House of Representatives, myself in the 112th District, and Mike in …
When Money Talks, It Can Silence All of Us

SALINA, Kan. - The policy to ban corporations from using their corporate wealth to influence federal elections, whether by making contributions or expenditures, dates back 50 to 100 …
Ice Age 2010

HAYS, Kan. - It's been a great winter - that is, if you are an opponent of global warming theory. Bitter cold temperatures and plenty of snow makes …
Court Sides with Corporate Takeover

WICHITA, Kan. - During State of the Union, President Obama created a minor stir by criticizing the recent Supreme Court ruling that threw out much of campaign finance …
Christina Stein Files for State Representative in Great Bend

GREAT BEND, Kan. - Christina Stein has filed papers with the Kansas Secretary of State's office to become a candidate for House of Representatives 112th District. The 112th …
2010 Election Season Begins

TOPEKA, Kan. - And we're off! The 2010 election season is getting off to a quick start with several candidates declaring interest in running for office. State Senator …
Six Months Into Congressional Race, Raj Goyle Sets Record

WICHITA, Kan. - State Rep. Raj Goyle reported his campaign raised $252,953.29 during the fourth quarter of 2009. Goyle's campaign now has $583,483.28 cash on hand, a record …
Tom Holland for Governor

DERBY, Kan. - Tom Holland for governor is indeed a breath of fresh air. Just hearing of anyone willing to challenge Sam Brownback is encouraging, to say the …
5-4 Decision Cuts Many Ways

OLATHE, Kan. - The United States Supreme Court's 5-4 decision on Wednesday to allow unrestricted corporate funding of political messaging would seem to be a real blow to …
Holland a Worthy Opponent for Brownback

GREAT BEND, Kan. - State Senator Tom Holland's (D-Baldwin City) probable entry into the Kansas Governor's race is a major development, because Holland has a track record of …
No Room for Partisanship

WICHITA, Kan. - According to Brandon Whipple of Wichita, "No one should be denied the opportunity for a quality education." Whipple, a first generation college graduate, entered the …
Obama: American Idol Phenomena or Mandate for Change?

SALINA, Kan. - The ninth season of the hit television program American Idol is scheduled to begin tomorrow night, almost a year after the inauguration of Barack Obama …
Brownbacker Booster Should Remember Coffeyville Hoopster

GREAT BEND, Kan. - Before Julie and I had children, we had HBO. Back then HBO featured exclusive heavyweight championship fights. Mike Tyson was Heavyweight Champion of the …
Will Kansas Have a Race?

 …
Its Time to Step Up

WICHITA, Kan. - 2010 is here and its already an election year, and you don't have to be a pessimist to see that it could be a very …
A Call to the Women of Kansas to Oust Brownback

WICHITA, Kan. - I dare to ask the women of Kansas to stand up and use our voting power to remove Senator Sam Brownback from Kansas Government. By …
Republican Legislature Favors Secrecy On Campaign Finance

GREAT BEND, Kan. - Kansas campaign finance laws contain a huge loophole that allows big corporations to tilt election outcomes with "issue ads" without ever having to report …

News and Opinion







Get Connected

Connect with us on Facebook! Join our page!
Subscribe for free!
[Feeds & Readers...]
Follow Kansas Free Press on Twitter, too!
Make Kansas Free Press your home page!

Journalists, sign in.

Visit Our Friends!

Kansas Free Press began as a wish expressed by Kansan writers, many of whom write at Everyday Citizen, the widely acclaimed national site. We hope you will continue visiting EverydayCitizen.com, KFP's national birthplace. Many Kansas writers write there, too!

Notices & Policies

All of our Kansas Free Press journalists are delighted that you are here. We all hope that you come here often, sign in and leave us comments, and become an active part of our community. Welcome!

Our writers are credentialed after referral to, and approval by, the editor/publisher of KansasFreePress.com. If you are interested in writing with us, please feel free to let us know here. We are always looking for Kansans who want to write about Kansas!

All authors here retain their own copyrights for their original written works, original photographs and art works. They welcome others to copy, reference or quote from the content of their stories, provided that the reprints include obvious author and website attribution and links to the original page, in accordance with this publication's Creative Commons License.

Our editor primarily reviews stories for spelling, grammar, punctuation and formatting and is not liable or responsible for the opinions expressed by individual authors. The opinions and accuracy of information in the individual stories on this site are the sole responsibility of each of the individual authors. For complete site policies, including privacy, see our Frequently Asked Questions. This site is designed, maintained, and owned by its publisher, Everyday Citizen Media. The Kansas Free Press, KansasFreePress.com, and Kansas Free Press are trademarked names.

Copyright, 2008-2010, all rights reserved, unless otherwise specified, first by the respective author, and then by KFP's publisher and owner for any otherwise unreserved and all other content.