Shallenburger takes the gloves off finally

Shallenburger campaign letter | 9-27-02 | me

[rwfromkansas]

Folks, finally Tim Shallenburger is taking the gloves off. He sent a mailing out asking for donations, but it also criticized Sebelius and called her liberal. He also revealed some interesting info about an insurance company holding a fundraiser for her.....contrary to her statements that she does not take money from insurance companies. He also is finally running ads on tv now, though they are basically the same ads ran earlier.

Let's hope for a LOW Democratic turnout......that might just give him the win....otherwise, I don't have much hope.

Interestingly enough, there are a ton of Shallenburger signs popping up back in McPherson when I went today. Perhaps he is not as far behind as the polls show. But, I doubt it....it is a huge gap.

What is the feeling from the rest of folks?

[rwfromkansas]

Thanks for any input.

[rwfromkansas]

bump

[PhiKapMom]

Beginning to see the gloves coming off from Republicans all over. Believe we have a trend going!

Probably can thank daschle/clinton/gore/mcauliffe and their minions for the gloves being removed all over the Country!

And am I glad!

[Dan in Wichita]

I too saw the Wichita Eagle's poll putting Shallenburger 17 points down. Did you happen to notice the % of undecideds in this poll? Only 3 percent! Only 3 percent! This far out, this cannot be possible, especially since both candidates are largely unknown by the populace.

On the other hand, we're kidding ourselves if we say Shallenberger doesn't have a steep uphill climb. Sebelius is an attractive candidate, Shallenberger is not. For the mindless fools who pull the voting lever on the basis of looks and polish, that is all that matters.

Heck, my parents even said they were gonna vote for Sebelius. When I informed them that one of Sebelius' main sponsors was George Tiller, they reversed themselves quickly. Let's hope there are many similar voters just waiting for a reason not to vote for Sebelius. Shallenberger's ad roll out may just be the tonic needed.

Maybe I shouldn't say this (because I've been disappointed so many times before), but I sense a GOP tidal wave building toward November. Even with his shortcomings as a candidate, we may see Shallenberger surf the wave to victory!

[Torie]

But all those disaffected conservatives who don't vote for RHINOS are going to come out in droves for one of their own, and prove all the polls wrong, right? I keep reading that kind of thesis around here.

[Dan in Wichita]

Shallenberger is NOT a RINO. Where on earth did you get that idea? He is as solid a conservative as anyone running for any position anywhere in the US. That's why the media hates him.

Don't you think a poll showing only 3 percent of the electorate undecided 6 weeks before an election to be a bit odd, especially since neither candidate is an incumbent?

[Torie]

Shallenberger is NOT a RINO

That was my point. He is a true blue, yet will lose big. Yes the low undecided is suspect in the poll, but he will still lost by a substantial margin. You can write that down, and refer to it on election night.

[Steel Eye]

Yea those Rinos are great. Here is Cato’s scorecard for the last one, Graves. But you are right … Graves got elected by a record setting majority. And we’ll be paying for it for years.

Bill Graves, Republican
Grade: D

In each year of his first term he cut taxes, although not by as much as conservatives sought. His first-term budgets, on average, held spending to a reasonable growth rate. But his second term has been a fiscal calamity.

He proposed the most expensive public works and infrastructure program in the history of the state—an eight-year, $10.7 billion highway construction program that raised spending by more than 50 per-cent. To pay for it, he hiked the gas tax 4 cents per gallon.

He eagerly spent tobacco lawsuit settlement money on expanded children’s programs. He has beefed up school funding but opposed vouchers. This combination of policy positions won him the endorsement of the state teachers’ union.

He has pumped millions of dollars into the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corp., an unproduc-tive state agency that doles out corporate welfare.

Worst of all has been his about-face on taxes. He declared in his 1999 State of the State address: “Many have speculated, with election to my final term as governor, that my commitment to the people of this state to reduce their tax burden will wane. It will not; it cannot; it must not.” But it did.

Last year he enacted a giant $225 million tax hike—one of the largest in the nation when measured as a share of the state economy. He raised every tax he could, including the sale tax, cigarette taxes, motor fuel excises, and fees. As Karl Peterjohn of the Kansas Taxpayers’ Association noted, “Bill Graves turned out to be one of the most pro-tax governors that Kansas has ever had.”

http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa391.pdf (page 37)

[RAT Patrol]

Don't you have a California race to worry about?

[RAT Patrol]

I think Sebelius's lead is about name recognition at this point. Also, no one--especially not the liberal lapdogs in the media--have challenged her conservative claim. If Shallenburger is starting to do that that's great. He needs to. He needs to be careful not to look like he's picking on a female, but he needs to expose her lies.

[rwfromkansas]

As far behind in the polls as he is, I don't see him possibly gaining enough ground on the conservative landswell alone. Funny thing is, I don't think Bob Knight would have been in a much better position right now.

Sebelius is cunning.

[RAT Patrol]

Sebelius is dishonest. She's running as something she's not and all the media can say is "no one wants to raise taxes" WHAAAAAA!

[Lancey Howard]

But all those disaffected conservatives who don't vote for RHINOS are going to come out in droves for one of their own, and prove all the polls wrong, right? I keep reading that kind of thesis around here.

Is it your point that the Republicans should have nominated a scumbag "moderate" to run for this office?

[Lancey Howard]

Is the Kansas GOP giving this guy support?
Or is the party machinery in the hands of the scumbag "moderate" wing?
I hope they aren't doing a "Schundler" on him just because he has integrity and decency.

[Torie]

No, my point is that there is no electoral disadvantage to nominating true blue conservatives (indeed typically it is somewhat of a disadvantage), as opposed to "Rino's," which is the claim of many on this site.

[Steel Eye]

Does it matter that much in a governors race? Is having a governor with an(R) beside his/her name more important than their views on taxes, spending, abortion, vouchers, etc?

When I see a name on a ballot with a (D) beside it, I assume they are probably pro-abortion, pro-spending, anti-voucher, anti-gun, etc, etc, etc. Shouldn't there be similar set of standards for any candidate who wants to run as a Republican? Shouldn't there be a minimum set of beliefs, ideals, or standards? Some sort of reference? If Grey Davis put an (R) beside his name would that make him worthy of your support?

"True blue conservatives" are pretty hard to find these days. I'd settle for a "plain ole" Republican. Shallenberger comes pretty close.

[RAT Patrol]

I agree with you 100% Steel Eye. Torie doesn't. He is--I'm guessing here--a very liberal Republican or a fiscally moderate Democrat. Socially, he's a liberal. Not that there's anything wrong with that (and not that there isn't), just fyi.

[Torie]

My comments have nothing to do with how an individual should vote. It is merely a psephological comment. I would suggest if you want more conservative legislators, you direct your energy to pushing those in primaries where they can win in the general, because the seat is conservative or Republican enough. An example might be NJ 5, where the Pubbie is too conservative for the district, but the district is GOP enough, that he will probably win, particulary since his opponent is too liberal for the district in this case.

[Torie]

Chafee is more liberal than I am. :)

[Steel Eye]

Thanks

I think I understand. Shallenberger is not too conservative, he's just not liberal enough.

LOL