The mass exodust from the GOP in Kansas continues with another former Republican deciding to switch political parties and join the Kansas Democratic Party. It is once again an indication of two things: 1) Kansas political climate is for Moderates and 2) The GOP is continually becoming to conservative for the tastes of general Kansans.
So far 4 candidates who used to be members of the GOP in Kansas have switched, inluding two house candidates, the former party chair (to run as Lt. Governor with Kathleen Sebelius), and a candidate to run for Attorney General. What do all of these members have in common? They were moderate Republicans (now Moderate Democrats) who understand that politics is the art of compromise rather then division.
Tom Delay in his address to the House yesterday mentioned that partisanship was what made a Democracy strong. I disagree and believe Kansas has the potential to be on the leading edge of what could be considered a backlash to the ultra-conservative attacks that have been occuring over the past 5 years. Kansans have been dealing with this long before the rest of the country. These have included attacks on civil liberties, privacy attacks on the abortion clinic records, a politically motivated investigation into the governors office, and politics within the education system that discourage evolution.
This next election in Kansas will be a good indication of the health of the rest of the Nation. While it is likely that the Kansas Representatives in Washington DC will not change (though Nancy Boyda has a slim chance), the political climate within Kansas might shift with moderate Republicans and Democrats looking to continue to and become a stronger buffer against the attacks of the religious right through gains in the House, holding on to the governorship, gaining an moderate Attorney General, and retaking the Kansas School Board.