Kansas governor breaks with Biden in appeal to GOP voters

[pstokely]

https://www.kctv5.com/news/kansas-governor-breaks-with-biden-in-appeal-to-gop-voters/article_d88d1d31-50b3-58bb-ac24-6085f5afb842.html?fbclid=IwAR0RRu1Em2nVxPypK_TsmcYwWjlfhx2QeJNVw0-2Fa5q38Cjzp8u4k9g8aY

"TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly spent 18 months sparring with Kansas’ legislative Republicans over COVID-19 measures. In the early days of the pandemic she imposed and then extended a stay-at-home order, issued a brief statewide mask mandate and tried to limit in-person worship services – all while meeting growls of GOP protest.

Then in November, two days after Republican Glenn Youngkin defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe to become governor of reliably blue Virginia, Kelly expressed her first opposition to Democratic President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates. A couple weeks later, she signed a bill aimed at helping Kansas workers resist vaccine mandates, a proposal that even the GOP-friendly Kansas Chamber of Commerce opposed.

As Democrats shook their heads, Kelly’s moves signaled her efforts to appeal to moderate Republican and GOP-leaning independent voters who she will need to win a tough reelection race in a heavily Republican state next year.

Like Democratic governors in Michigan and Wisconsin, Kelly will try to win a second term against midterm political headwinds blowing in Republicans’ favor. But she’s trying it in a state former President Donald Trump carried twice and where Republicans, energized in opposition to Biden’s vaccine mandates, look likely to avoid a serious primary fight.

Her attempt to stake out ground in the political center has irritated some fellow Democrats in the short term. But others argue the tactic could work for her if she also hammers home a message that Kansas now has a stable budget and its public schools are considered fully funded.

"What Democrats need to remember is that she’s doing that to try to win reelection," said Mike Swenson, who has worked as a Democratic strategist and consultant in the Kansas City area for over four decade"

did VA and NJ spook some other Dem govs in Red and Purple states who haven't put in any statewide vaccine and mask mandates? Even Ned Lamont?

[Mad_Machine76]

1. Boo

Last edited Sat Dec 25, 2021, 12:12 AM - Edit history (1)

Being more concerned about public health > re-election

[Grins]

3. "...remember...she's doing that to try to win reelection..."

Cuz’ spineless cowards are the answer!

So many times I shake my head in disgust with Democrats. If the Republicans weren’t so Gawd-awful worse…!

[Mad_Machine76]

4. Right

What’s the point of acting like a Republican to get (re-) elected if you’re telling everybody you’re basically going to be doing the same thing as a Republican. If you want to give would-be Democratic voters a reason to stay home on Election Day, you can’t do any better than this.

[TheFarseer]

6. Yes, but

That’s only on one issue. I assure you her agenda is radically different from Brownback’s agenda.

[Mad_Machine76]

9. Yeah but

Ensuring public health is a BFD. Does anything else matter much if lots of people are needlessly sick or dying?

[JI7]

13. Public health is not ensured with Republicans getting into office

like Virginia.

And if people die at this point becsuse of refusing the vaccine that's THEIR fault.

[JI7]

7. This is like saying voting for Susan Collins was same as voting for a Democrat

becsuse she voted against ACB for SC . It ignores so many other things which make a HUGE difference.

[JI7]

8. Many Democrats oppose or don't follow these things either

[Mad_Machine76]

10. So?

Being a leader doesn’t mean just going along with the crowd. We are partly in the mess we are in bc too many of our leaders are giving people who don’t know better lead them.

[JI7]

11. Nope, people make their own bad choices like in Virginia where they

elected a Republican becsuse they didn't want any shut downs.

This governor is avoiding that. And these is a huge difference between the parties apart from this issue also.

[Shrek]

14. Here's the thing about her reelection

From the linked article:

Kelly positioning herself in the political center on vaccines contrasts with her strong support for abortion access and LGBTQ rights.

As we all know, the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to declare that abortion rights are not protected by the federal constitution.

The Kansas Supreme Court has ruled that abortion rights are protected by the state constitution. In 2022, we're holding a referendum in which voters will decide whether or not to overturn that ruling.

Assuming it passes, and it probably will, it may not be long before legislation that affects abortion rights is placed on the governor's desk for signature or veto. Whom do you want holding the pen when that happens?

[TheFarseer]

5. Good move

If people are vaxxed, they should mostly be fine. If not, you’re just annoying them asking them to do anything. Let them take their chances, and those of us who are vaxxed, move on with life. No use losing every election in red and purple states.

[JI7]

12. Yup, the Governor is avoiding what happened in Virginia

[pstokely]

15. KS was one the first states to close schools

but most opened at least part time in person in Fall 2020, teachers unions have little to no power there

[pstokely]

16. tell that to the hospitals

Last edited Sun Dec 26, 2021, 12:53 AM - Edit history (2)

I expect her to be Machinish for the next year
https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/coronavirus/2021/12/17/covid-surges-kansas-hospitals-fill-up-beds-staff-limited/8932098002/

[TheFarseer]

17. They are 90% unvaccinated

And that 10% are almost all, if not all, unboosted. Let Jesus save them. Science tried. As for the nurses, no overtime or anything. They just to as many patients as they get to.

[radius777]

19. Fuck the antivaxxers, they're helping to prolong the pandemic

as they are a petri dish for variants and are overloading our hospitals. They also spread covid to the vaxxd since the vaccines don't fully protect a person from contracting the virus.

[radius777]

18. Caving to the antivaxx right is poor strategy.

Fundamentally the voters in the middle who decide elections want schools and businesses open. We lost VA because Tmac was a bad candidate who made anti-parent comments. Mask and vax mandates help schools and businesses stay open and that is how Dems should be messaging.

[JI7]

20. He didn't make anti parent comments. He made pro teacher comments. But too many people view Teachers

in public schools as Free Babysitters . So they never complain if funding for schools are cut and are always trashing teachers .

[radius777]

21. That's true but it's how it came across.

He was just not a good candidate. He didn't inspire the base nor did he appeal much to the swing voting soccer moms.

[pstokely]

23. Didn't he win the primary by a good sized margin?

he's was a bad messenger

[pstokely]

22. but too many dems are folding on vax and mask mandates

nt

[pstokely]

24. That's what public health officials should be messaging also

But too many message doom and gloom that comes off as wolf crying but they aren't trained in PR