Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics has moved the Kansas Governor race to "toss-up". That is one hell of a place for a Republican "star" like incumbent Sam Brownback to be.
Freshman Gov. Sam Brownback (R) has proven so controversial and alienated so many traditional, moderate-conservative Republicans that, somewhat incredibly, the GOP candidate in Kansas, of all places, is struggling to retain his office. Amazingly, the incumbent has trailed in most polls to state House Minority Leader Paul Davis (D), and reports coming out of the Jayhawk State signal that Brownback could actually lose. The incumbent has barely outraised his challenger so far this year, and only did so by way of a $500,000 loan from his running mate; without that assistance, Davis would have raised $370,000 more than Brownback in that time. We are shifting this contest from Leans Republican to Toss-up. Kansas is so Republican that we won’t be surprised if this one teeter-totters back in Brownback’s direction — but the governor has a lot of fence-mending to do, and quickly.
I think he is being generous to Brownback. Firstly, he is tempermentally incapable of "mending fences".
Secondly, every month from now until November there is going to be another BLS jobs report demonstrating that Kansas is falling behind its neighbors.
Thirdly, every month from now until November there is going to be a report from the Kansas Department of Revenue demonstrating that Brownback's tax cuts have blown a hole in the state's finances.
Fourthly, people have started notice that Brownback has been lying and that his supporters lie as well.
Exhibit A: Kansas City Star
Exhibit B: Forbes
Exhibit C: Previous diary on DK
How's this for a headline?
How Tea Party tax cuts are turning Kansas into a smoking ruin<
Oh, and then there is this:
Moody’s downgrades Kansas’ credit rating, citing sluggish recovery and risky tax plan
TOPEKA
Plummeting revenues, underfunded pensions and millions in court-ordered school spending led Moody’s Investors Service on Thursday to cut the state’s credit rating by a notch.
The ratings agency slightly lowered the state’s credit rating because of mounting financial pressure on the Kansas state budget, partly from massive income tax cuts that Republican Gov. Sam Brownback signed into law in 2012 and 2013.
Moody’s dropped the state from its second-highest rating of Aa1 to its third-highest rating of Aa2. Thirteen other states share the same rating as Kansas. Now 29 states have higher ratings. The last state that Moody’s downgraded was Illinois in June.
Brownback has already suffered the humiliation of falling behind in fundraising - Davis has him beat 2 to 1 since January. Brownback was only able to save face by forcing his rich Lt. Governor
to serve as his personal ATM machine.
It is difficult to imagine that Kansas business community is going to look at that Moody's report and decide they want to stump up more to help his flailing campaign.