Valentine Pontifex

Two pro-science candidates have been defeated in the GOP primary in Kansas I have just learned. It appears very unlikely evolution deniers that have unseated them will be defeated in the general election. Thus the Kansas Board of Education will likely be evenly split between pro-science and anti-science people.

If someone sees an news report please post it.

[ August 07, 2002: Message edited by: LordValentine ]

[ August 07, 2002: Message edited by: LordValentine ]</p>

Valentine Pontifex

Just found a link:
<a href="http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/3813379.htm" target="_blank">http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/3813379.htm</a>

Coragyps

Oh, shit!

Lizard, where are you? Get in here and tell us what we can do to help! I haven't marched since 1969, my feet are getting old, and I'm a good ways from Topeka, but say the word, and I'll be there.

ksagnostic

The moderates fared badly all across the state in Republican primaries this season. The big reason was a low voter turnout. The "conservative" (read, wacked out fundy) voters turn out consistently for every election, the moderates only do so when the conservatives do something stupid to tick them off. The Governor's primary was a different story, the moderate vote was split between two moderate candidates, neither of whom had the good sense to get out of the race. Taken together, they easily got more votes than Tim Shallenberger. The victory of Phil Kline (Ashcroft II?) is more inexplicable, and just plain disturbing. Kline is nuts, and we have have been spoiled by having two very exceptional, if perhaps a little personally corrupt, Attorney Generals in this state for the last two and a half decades. I think the Democratic candidate for governor has a very good chance of winning, but I suspect we will have a total loser in the AG's office (I don't even know who the Democrats are running). I am hoping Shallenberger's and Kline's victories motivate the moderates to come out (however, a note of caution, even most moderate Republicans in Kansas tend to vote for the Republican candidate over a Democrat if they don't know the Republican is extreme)*. I am hoping Shallenberger is infamous enough that moderates will overcome this tendancy.

Back to the topic, while I am saddened by the elections of conservatives to the State Board, I am more worried about having a Governor and Attorney General in the wacko camp. In the past, these two offices have been the brakes on the legislature that the wackos already run.

*Also, voting Democratic in Kansas has not always been safe. Some of our Kraziest Konservatives have run as Democrats (e.g., our late former governor Joan Finney, and especially Fred Phelps).

[ August 07, 2002: Message edited by: ksagnostic ]</p>

Lizard

Hi, all --

Well, looking on the bright side, Janet Waugh, a pro-science moderate incumbent, won big-time over her anti-evolution challenger. But two good guys went down to defeat.

We have one chance of retaining a moderate majority on the BOE: Duane Anstine, a Democrat, who is running against the right-winger who won the primary in Harold Voth's former district (Voth retired).

If the count remains as it is, there will be another 5-5 deadlock situation, which is what existed when the creationists passed the "F-minus" science standards in 1999. Voth, supposedly a moderate, went to the dark side to tip the scales. If Anstine wins, we will have a 6-4 moderate, pro-science majority.

Even if it ends up 5-5, I don't think the creationists will bring up the evolution issue again. John Bacon seems to be the most eager to revisit the issue, and even he said unless he had the majority on his side, he wouldn't. However, you never know what these guys will do. Or should I say "doo."

To help out Duane Anstine's campaign, please send money or volunteer to help MAIN*PAC, the political action committee of MAINstream Coalition, a moderate group dedicated to separation of church and state.

See their websites here:

<a href="http://www.mainpac.org" target="_blank">www.mainpac.org</a>

<a href="http://www.mainstreamcoalition.org" target="_blank">www.mainstreamcoalition.org</a>

I agree the AG race was a huge surprise. David Adkins is a good guy, Kline is an RRR robot, and I can't believe he won the primary. I believe the Democrat running against Kline in the general election is named Biggs. We undoubtedly will hear much more about him in the weeks to come. Once again, to help Biggs, please send money to MAIN*PAC.

The good news is that a couple of anti-education RRRs were defeated: Reps. Mary Pilcher Cook and Karen De Vita (I think that's right).

The Johnson County Sun is likely going to feature more news about the Kansas races, because the KC Star still doesn't think it is obliged to cover the whole metro area, which includes Johnson, Leavenworth, and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas. To check the JoCo Sun, go to:

<a href="http://www.sunpublications.com" target="_blank">www.sunpublications.com</a>

Steve Rose has written a number of excellent front-page editorials telling it like it is in Kansas: There are two Republican parties, and one of them is motivated by the determination to establish a right-wing Christian theocracy and destroy public education. The other one is the one to vote for.

Thanks.

[ August 07, 2002: Message edited by: Lizard ]</p>

ksagnostic

Exactly!

The moderates really need to learn that they need to vote in EVERY primary, because the right wingers sure as hell will.

Side comment. My parents are (were?) the presinct committeepersons who represent (ed?) the rational arm of the Republican party, but they were opposed this primary. I haven't found out yet whether they held onto their seats.

And I think in retrospect I have heard of Biggs. Definitely will be supporting him in this election.

[ August 07, 2002: Message edited by: ksagnostic ]</p>

Grumpy

When the subject of creationism comes before any school board, "moderates" can be just as bad as evolution deniers (depending on just how moderate they are). Those who try to stay in the middle path seek to accomodate both sides, i.e. equal treatment of both theories.

Such moderates would vote for equal treatment of 2+2=5 if that particular inequality had a lobbying group. (Or they'd compromise, and teach that 2+2=4.5, or some interpolated fraction depending on the popularity of the competing views.)

ksagnostic

Not really the case here.

In Kansas, and in some other states as well, the term "Moderate Republican" does not stand for people who try to accomodate both sides, it stands for those who may be fiscally and maybe even personally socially conservative, but who strongly oppose the Christian Right wing of the party. It also stands for those like me, who are registered "Republican" because the relevant elections in Kansas are usually the Republican primaries. The Khristian Konservatives control most of the local apparati for the party, and when moderates run against them, it is specifically to oppose them. However, when it comes to primaries, the moderates tend to be foul weather voters. If the moderates aren't pissed, the Konservatives win because their people will vote every time. This appears to be what happened this time.

[ August 08, 2002: Message edited by: ksagnostic ]</p>

beoba

I've noticed that they also don't exactly have the "neutral opinion" thing down either.

Gregg

Do you know why the Kristian Konservatives come out in force for elections? Because they go to church, where they are told which issues and candidates to support and worked into a lather against the queers, evilutionists and other enemies. The problem is that in moderate and liberal churches, talking about politics is practically taboo, and of course most freethinkers, agnostics, and athiests don't gather with like-minded people once or twice a week. I don't have any research to cite, but I would hazard a guess that many freethinkers et. al. are not big joiners. Fear of "groupthink" and all that.

My feeling is, this is going to have to change if we're going to be successful against the KK's. We need to be just as doggedly devoted to our ideals and principles as the KK's are to theirs, and we're going to have to be willing to get together with other like-minded folks at least once a week to offer moral support, discuss issues, and encourage political and social action... especially voting. Otherwise the KKs are going to keep advancing their agenda, step by step.

Gregg