Oh, Kansas Republicans. When it comes time to show your true colors, we can count on you. Despite redrawing congressional districts in hopes of ousting Democrat Sharice Davids from Kansas' 3rd Congressional District, she won in a blowout, with 54.91% of the vote. Then Republicans thought they really had a chance to rack up and take back the governor’s mansion, believing Kansas was conservative enough they’d beat back Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. She showed Republican efforts the door.
Before all this, Kansas Republicans virtually guaranteed that they would end abortion in Kansas with a constitutional ballot initiative that was outright destroyed with 59% voting “no” in August. Now, these same crafty Republicans have an incredible idea: double down on policies that have been rejected by Kansas voters and have cemented a Kansas Democratic congresswoman and governor. What do they call it? Why, it’s the “Better Way” agenda. What does it offer? Plenty of hate, but not a lot of substance, economics, or reason.
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Republicans vowed to stop open voting that allows Biden to hijack elections, despite the fact that Republican Secretary of State Scott Schwab has contended Kansas elections are fair, well run, and devoid of any fraud. Now that Laura Kelly has put Kansas in a position where we have a budget surplus, Kansas Republicans are committed to using some of that money to fund anti-abortion “pregnancy centers” with taxpayer funds. Doubling down on all of the issues that failed at the ballot box only a few months before seems to be how Kansas Republicans feel they can win in 2024. It’s a bold strategy, but is there a sly, well-thought-out plan behind this mess? Let’s find out.
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Much as “inbreathiate” is not a word, this plan isn’t a plan at all. Instead, it is just a laundry list of hate-filled demands that Republicans believe will really resonate with their home audience.
The agenda delved into outright comedy when Senate President Ty Masterson was stumped by an understanding of what it was he was opposing, contending that, basically, it was up in the air. From the Kansas Reflector:
When asked what specifically what woke ideology was, Masterson said the definition varied from person to person.
“Woke means the focus on identity and dividing us up into different groups and causing fractions,” Masterson said. “That’s the woke agenda. Woke has all kinds of meanings to different people. That’s what it means to me, is this focus on somebody’s individual – your innate characteristics, about somehow you’re different than everyone else.”
So, you are bitterly opposed to an agenda you can’t define and can mean very different things to different people? Oh boy, does this sound like the start of a Roland Emmerich disaster movie.
The agenda includes everything from new abortion restrictions to anti-LGBTQ proposals that attack students and parents. This could go as far as seeking criminal statutes against those that help trans youth and break down rules that help gay parents adopt or foster children.
Republicans are even more ambitious and may consider legislation that goes after banks that do not invest in fossil fuels or guns, according to Sunflower State Journal, as well as protecting the fossil fuel industry from organized boycotts. You know, just protecting the common folk.
Hate. Drama. Anger. Rage. Sorry you lost all those elections in 2022, Kansas Republicans, including the two you thought you had rigged in your favor. You’ll get over it. Becoming abusive just won’t make it any better.
On the first episode of season two of The Downballot, we're talking with Sara Garcia, the strategy and outreach manager at Crooked Media—home of Pod Save America—about everything her organization does to mobilize progressives and kick GOP ass. Sara tells us how Crooked arose to fill a void in the media landscape, how it not only informs listeners but also gives them tools to take action, and some of her favorite shows that she loves to recommend to folks.
Co-hosts David Nir and David Beard also discuss the Republican shitshow currently unfolding in Congress—and starkly different outcomes in two state legislatures that just elected new House speakers via bipartisan coalitions; the landslide win for the good guys in a special election primary in Virginia; why George Santos faces serious legal trouble that will very likely end with his resignation; and the massive pushback from progressive groups and labor unions against Kathy Hochul's conservative pick to be New York's top judge.