Kansas Days 2010
Before last year, I’d never heard of anything called “Kansas Days.” I’ve lived in our fair State since right after I turned eight, and think of myself as a Kansan, albeit with some experience in the “Outside.”
Then, when I started college in the fall of 2008 and decided to transform my TV-screaming into real action and became (heavily) involved in politics, I realized the school lunch theme week of “Bison Burgers” and “Sunflower Shortcake” and “Prairie Potatoes” wasn’t the only modern-day celebration of our Statehood. Thank goodness.
This year, thanks to my good friend and political mentor Virginia Crossland-Macha, I attended Kansas Days in Topeka for the first time this weekend. My fellow CR, President (and Vice Chair-elect of the Kansas Federation of CRs) Michelle Bringle-Hucke and her husband, Josh Hucke (of local fame) joined in for the fun, as well.
At the first annual Brownback Red Boots event (that thankfully pre-empted an event where that blasted former governor of Kansas was speaking), we heard a very enthusiastic Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels tell of how his state has managed to do relatively well through the current recession by using some financial common sense and spending less than they take in. Our group was the first to mob meet him after his speech.
George Weston, Sen. Sam Brownback, Michelle Hucke, Gov. Mitch Daniels, and Me
We attended the Second District Meeting the next morning with Virginia and my favorite former national delegate, Mary Alice Lair. It was relatively normal, until it wasn’t: our own Rep. Lynn Jenkins mistakenly said “Senator Tiahrt,” much to my pleasure, and much to the chagrin of Rep. Jerry Moran, who is Tiahrt’s primary challenger, and retiring Secy of State Ron Thornburgh endorsed my family reunion relative, Libby Ensley, to replace him (that’s more of a disclaimer than an endorsement. I’m only related by marriage).
Later on, at the tense KSGOP Winter Meeting, Moran didn’t even show.What DID show, though, was the complete lack of articulated direction. It’s not that the party doesn’t have direction; it’s that they have no way of getting their message out. Their idea of “new media” is a template website and rarely updated Facebook and Twitter pages. Their email newsletter was a great idea, until it died sometime over Christmas. It was recently resurrected, but apparently not as a daily, as before, since I’ve only gotten one this year. We also saw first hand the political might of the tea party movement in the state, as a one group is mounting a campaign against the current platform and, in reality, the process itself. Expect some terse words to fly.
My favorite event by far, though, had to be the Todd Tiahrt for Senate rally. As I’m sure you’ve gathered by now, I’ve chosen to personally endorse and support Todd in the race for Sen. Sam Brownback’s seat. You could positively FEEL the electricity and excitement in the air. Everyone in that room seemed to just know that we didn’t just have a shot at winning; we all knew we were going to.
These events are always filled with networking and new names. Many you leave feeling that the other person could really care less about who you are personally and instead only wants what you can give them. That’s to be expected, at least somewhat, since this is politics. That’s why I enjoy meeting other activists and why my favorite new activist acquaintance just happens to be Vicki Tiahrt. Both she and Todd and their family are some of the most genuine people I’ve ever met in politics. They’re no more assuming than my next-door neighbors. In fact, they could very well be my next-door neighbors. That’s how authentic they are. It was refreshing.
In all it was a great weekend. We made some new contacts for our organization and learned so much. Michelle gained a new position, and I met some very helpful and interesting people. I can’t wait to see what God does in 2010.
