I’m a political junkie.
I enjoy campaign season. I like to read about candidates and hear what they have to say — and sometimes don’t say — at forums, such as Tuesday afternoon’s at the Townhouse.
The Townhouse forum drew only a handful of observers, which is a shame. It carried on for more than two hours and the moderator, Rosie Cooper of the forum’s sponsor, Resource Center for Independent Living, did a whale of job of keeping questions and answers flowing.
All five candidates were Republicans, which means the primary will decide the winners for 9th District House and 12th District Senate seats.
John Coen, Ottawa banker, and Caryn Tyson, current House member from Parker, are the senate candidates.
The debate illuminated their differences.
Coen declined hanging a label on himself, but said he would have no qualms about doing what was necessary to adequately fund education, including repeal of the past session’s tax cuts.
Tyson — calling herself a Reagan conservative — defended the tax cuts, and claimed they would benefit everyone. She didn’t discuss at length the holes in the safety net for disadvantaged folks the tax cuts have created.
The House race features two Iolans, Judy Brigham and Bud Sifers, and Chanute attorney Ed Bideau.
Brigham is a thoughtful person and a fast learner. She took Iola’s reins as city administrator several years ago with her only prior administrative experience as city clerk and quickly settled into the job.
Bideau has the advantage of being a past representative and an attorney. And, if all is true that a multitude of gushy letters on his behalf claims, on a good day he can walk on water.
Sifers is conservative to the core, and said in (much) better economic times he would vote to increase funding for education, the state’s greatest responsibility — but not today.
It would appear the race is Bideau’s to lose, because of his built-in constituency of supporters in Chanute, while Brigham and Sifers both call Iola home. Chanute has a touch over 9,000 residents, Iola about 6,000.
Do your duty, and vote.
NATIONAL POLITICS are another matter.
Mitt Romney’s campaign asked me for a contribution in a slick-looking mailer, including a postage paid return envelope.
I decided to help out the presumptive GOP nominee. I put a penny in the envelope and dropped at off at the post office.
