If KC entrepreneur Greg Orman runs for governor, pundits say the race is in the bag for Kris Kobach.
Orman is a devout independent. His candidacy would siphon off Democrats and only a sliver of Republicans, leaving Kobach to capture the prize.
To date, Kobach is the presumptive Republican nominee because of the crowded slate. In a poll conducted last spring, Kobach’s name was easily the most recognizable. Seventy-seven percent of those surveyed by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University recognized his name from among nine other Kansas leaders, including former State Sen. Paul Davis, Senate President Susan Wagle, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer.
Conversely, Kobach came in at the bottom of the barrel in terms of satisfaction.
Doesn’t matter. For a politician, there’s no such thing as bad publicity. And, unfortunately, when it comes time to vote, many check the box of those whose name rings a bell.
Donald Trump is the perfect example of the power of a household name.
BUT MAYBE this time that argument won’t hold.
Maybe word will get out that Kobach’s agenda is voter discrimination. Maybe voters will learn he has ties to white supremacists and other hate groups through the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
Just maybe, voters will wake up to the fact that he is a paid columnist for Breitbart News where he espouses nationalism, racism and bigotry.
But maybe, probably, that’s just wishful thinking.
THE SMARTEST campaign will be the one that clearly delineates a path to progress in regards to our health, education and economy. It will have benchmarks such as having more residents covered with health insurance, a higher graduation rate, and lower poverty and mortality rates.
And it will be generous. Because we have learned that punishing people for being poor only makes their — and our — situation worse. A high sales tax on food makes for longer lines at food banks. Denying the expansion of Medicaid has plunged our hospitals into bankruptcy. Cutting funding to education has sent prospective teachers looking elsewhere. And the hunt for illegal voters has been not only fruitless, but also mean-spirited.
It’s by keeping the issues, not the personalities, at the forefront that voters will make the right decision. And it’s incumbent on all of us, especially the media, to keep those as our headlines.
— Susan Lynn
