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Consensus Builder
Posted by caleb on Apr 14, 2011 in Local and State Politics
Tiahrt Reflections
Posted by caleb on Aug 4, 2010 in Local and State Politics, Personal
Volunteering for the Todd Tiahrt for U.S. Senate campaign this summer has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.
We started out last night winning. In fact, we were leading Mr. Moran for around half the evening. All of our numbers looked fantastic. We soundly won the Third and Fourth Congressional Districts – picking up the two most populous counties in Kansas, Sedgwick, the home of Wichita, and Johnson, of the Kansas City area. We even pulled in highly respectable numbers in Moran’s own First District.
That brought the race down to the Second District. In Southeast Kansas, where Michelle Hucke, Jarrod Mendicki, and I worked, we blew our vote target numbers out of the water.
Unfortunately, Shawnee County, the home of Topeka and also part of the Second District, went to Moran, and at that point, we no longer had a path to victory.
I’m not going to offer an explanation as to why we lost by a measly 4%, simply because I don’t think there is one. We ran a truly clean, grassroots-driven, and issues-based campaign. Unlike Moran, we didn’t attack family or send out misleading mailers; we simply pointed out his mistakes with well-documented votes from public record. If there’s any explanation, is that Jerry Moran doesn’t speak the truth and the voters, unfortunately, believed him.
Moran stretched when it came to his own record. It’s no wonder Moran and Tiahrt looked so close on paper – Moran basically ran using Todd’s record.
Heart-breakingly, sometimes corrupt politicians win.
Listening to Congressman Tiahrt’s concession speech last night was one of the toughest and most gut-wrenching things I’ve ever done, but I can tell you this: I’ve never been more proud in my life.
When I listened to Todd, I saw a humble, unassuming, and gracious man – the same one I’ve seen every other time I’ve talked with him. He was disappointed, as all of us were, but he held his head high and spoke while looking us directly in the eyes.
It’s sickening, because the right man did not win last night. The right man – the one with an incredible sense of duty, integrity, and honesty – was standing with his wife and two of his children on a stage at the Airport Hilton in Wichita, KS.
I have never believed in a candidate like I believe in Todd Tiahrt.
We may not have won the primary last night, but I wouldn’t trade this summer for anything in the world. It’s impossible to describe in words how thankful I am for the incredible things I’ve learned and, most importantly, for the amazing people I’ve met. I look on many of them as my new extended family.
It’s hard to let go of an idea – of a campaign – you believe in and have dedicated hundreds of hours to.
We had the right candidate. Todd IS the right man for the job. It just didn’t happen – from the way the numbers looked early-on, the only plausible explanantion is that God has a much better plan for Todd Tiahrt than the U.S. Senate.
As for party unity? I will never vote for the Democrat, but there’s about zero chance of me voting for Jerry Moran. Besides, what’s the difference between him and Lisa Johnston? Not much.
We ran a good race, but sometimes the good guys don’t win, and sometimes we can’t explain it, gut-wrenching as it may be.
Please continue to keep the Tiahrt family, the State of Kansas, and our nation in your prayers. Despite this devestating setback, we will succeed in restoring our nation.
Volunteerism
Posted by caleb on Jul 24, 2010 in Election 2010
Over the course of this year, I’ve published several articles chronicling my volunteer efforts to help elect Todd Tiahrt as our next U.S Senator from Kansas. As a former civics teacher of mine once told me, “It’s citizen involvement that will turn things around.”
Volunteering is important to me; you’re giving something of yourself freely to help further a cause in which you deeply believe. Some of us are super-dedicated in our volunteerism, while others take it even further, deeply sacrificing with all they have to work for what’s right.
One such example is my good friend, Michelle Hucke.
It was surprising, therefore, to learn a few weeks ago, that Michelle was being targeted by “Moran fans” as a supposedly-paid staff member on the Tiahrt campaign – an accusation based entirely on an article I wrote.
So, because these people are apparently incapable of doing their own fact-finding, I’m going to make things crystal-clear for them.
Michelle Hucke is, in fact, the volunteer Southeast Kansas Coordinator for the Tiahrt campaign – a position that she holds with entirely no financial or other compensation. As a student at Pittsburg State University and a newlywed, she’s, according to her own words, “not able to donate money to the campaign”, so she donates her “time and energy instead.”
Recently, Michelle wrote several letters to the editor. Hopefully, this helps re-assure those newspapers those letters were, in fact, genuine and also helps the public realize they’ve been duped, yet again, by a Moran campaign that digs no deeper than glossy campaign mailers (or their inane cartoon-style ones, either).
Tiahrt tours Southeast Kansas
Posted by caleb on Jul 9, 2010 in Election 2010, Local and State Politics
On Thursday, July 8, Congressman Todd Tiahrt (R-KS04) completed his tour of Southeast Kansas with multiple stops in Parsons, Oswego, and Pittsburg.
I caught up with the Congressman as he was touring downtown Oswego, KS, my hometown. Michelle Hucke, Tiahrt SEK Coordinator, and I (the lowly Labette County coordinator), along with Brie Bringle and Tom Bringle, Mayor of Oswego, introduced Todd to all of the local merchants and business owners in the community.
Mr. Tiahrt also toured one of the largest and fastest-growing industries in Oswego, the Boss Tank division of Tank Connections.
Later that afternoon, he held a town hall in Oswego – most likely the first event of this nature held in Oswego in at least a few decades. Even in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday, he still had almost 1.5% of the entire population of the city attend – that’s the same attendance, per capita, as the Karl Rove event in Wichita!
Voters in Oswego are very excited about Todd. In fact, as you drive through the community of roughly 2,000 inhabitants, you’ll see Tiahrt yard signs all over the place; there’s even a giant 4×8 sign downtown. As for Todd’s opponent, he’s never heard the term “SEK” and his travel (or lack thereof) to the area shows it.
That evening, the Congressman hosted a “meet and greet” and town hall in Pittsburg, KS with the Southeast Kansas Conservatives group. With only hours notice, people packed into the meeting room the organization had reserved on Broadway in Pittsburg.
The photograph above (I apologize for the poor quality) was taken at the very beginning of the Congressman’s speech and from the front of the crowd. If you could only see how every seat surrounding Todd was filled! In fact, as people continued to come in throughout the evening, they had to sit behind just to have a place to sit. That’s how excited we are in Southeast Kansas about Todd Tiahrt.
You could feel the electricity and excitement in the air as Todd spoke about our need to rid ourselves of unnecessary government involvement. He said, “If the cost of a regulation outweighs its benefit, let’s get rid of it!” He also talked about the urgency with which he fought against Obama’s health care plan, and how we must repeal the atrocity called Obamacare as soon as is humanly possible. Truly, the Congressman was on-fire last night.
One woman raised her hand and talked about how, as “embarrassed” as she was to admit it, she was a registered Democrat. She said that she was ashamed of what her party was doing to the nation, and that she had been planning on re-registering as a Republican. The woman said after hearing Todd speak, and seeing the integrity with which he conducted himself, she was convinced and that she’d be voting for him on August 3. Talk about awesomeness!
The excitement on the ground was palpable. Basically everywhere we went, if you mentioned the name “Tiahrt,” eyes lit up, and people were anxious to speak with Todd. If you have ever had any doubt about the winner of August’s primary, cast it out. Todd Tiahrt will be our next U.S. Senator from Kansas.
Tiahrt wins Olathe GOP Straw Poll
Posted by caleb on Jun 26, 2010 in Election 2010, Local and State Politics
This weekend was a busy one for those of us volunteering for the Todd Tiahrt for Senate campaign. I took the two and a half hour trek up to the Kansas City Metro Friday night to help out with the numerous events the campaign had planned.
This morning, Michelle Hucke, George Weston, and a few others walked in the Edgerton parade. We met many families in Edgerton, and greatly enjoyed the time we spent there.
I’ll post a picture as soon as it comes up on Facebook
The biggest news of today, however, came out of Olathe, KS, where the Olathe Republican Party hosted their annual picnic and bell-weather straw poll. This yearly event has become a solid indicator of the end result of races in Kansas.
Today, in a stunning and thunderous victory, Congressman Todd Tiahrt won an incredible 73.6% of the straw poll vote, beating Congressman Moran’s lackluster 26% and leaving the other two candidates to mop up the rest.
This absolutely phenomenal outpouring of support by voters from all across Kansas is just another indication of the tidal wave of momentum that’s building in the Tiahrt campaign. We had supporters from as far away as Western Central Kansas, from Pittsburg in the South, from El Dorado, and, of course, the majority from the JoCO and KC Metro area – but even if you just included our KC Metro supporters, we still would’ve won over 69% of the vote. There were literally hundreds of “red shirt” Tiahrt supporters in the crowd!
Todd Speaking in Olathe
When Todd got up to give his speech during the candidate forum section of the event, he could barely get a word in edgewise over all of the screaming, cheering, and applause. In fact, the crowd was so thoroughly excited that he almost went over his allotted time trying to finish his speech! When he finished, we left the stage to a solid several minute refrain of “TIAHRT! TIAHRT! TIAHRT!” chanting coming from every “red shirt” Tiahrt supporter under the pavilion. Needless to say, the (very few) supporters of our opponent didn’t stay for very long afterward.
Kansas needs a conservative Republican representing them in the United States Senate, and that’s why I’m supporting Todd Tiahrt. That’s why Gov. Sarah Palin, Karl Rove, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Dr. James Dobson, and the Kansas Federation of College Republicans are, too. Won’t you join us?
The future of our nation literally depends on it.
Todd Tiahrt and Me (#RealDeal)
Posted by caleb on Feb 17, 2010 in Local and State Politics, Restoring the Conservative Movement
For the sake of transparency, I wanted to let my readers know that I’m now volunteering with the Todd Tiahrt for Senate campaign as the Labette County coordinator and as part of the broader Southeast Kansas Power Team, headed by my good friend Michelle Hucke. I also wanted to say up front that I am receiving no financial or other compensation for this volunteer position or for any Tiahrt articles, images, or other items on my blog, Facebook, or Twitter.
But while we’re on the subject, I want to tell you why I support Todd.
I hope it’s become apparent to my longtime readers and Twitter followers that I’m not about furthering any one person’s agenda just because their rhetoric sweeps me off my feet. For me, it’s all about the conservative movement and how we, as citizens, can bring our government back inside the bounds we’ve set for it.
Every once in a great while, there comes about a candidate that truly has the ability and backbone to work for this same grand goal. In this Senate primary, that man is Todd Tiahrt.
As I hope you have seen, I don’t back candidates lightly. If you recall, it took me weeks to decide whether or not I would help the (pre-Palin) McCain campaign by doing anything besides voting for it. It wasn’t until after Palin was named VP nominee that I even campaigned for it instead of simply against Obama.
Once you meet Todd and his family, you instantly understand. Instead of the usual political garbage, you get authenticity and a feeling that you’re speaking with someone who’s actually listening, not just doing the head-bob that politicians are so good at. Fifteen seconds later, and after his surprisingly firm handshake, you realize he’s just like you; you come to understand that he could just as easily be your children’s football coach or the man who owns the local real estate agency. That’s because that’s who Todd is: a genuine, caring, and intelligent man who is one of us. Instead of D.C. changing Todd, Todd has changed D.C.
For me to support, endorse, and actually work for a candidate, I have to truly and wholeheartedly believe in them and what they stand for. #RealDeal is not just a Twitter slogan. I hope my support solidifies that idea for you, because it’s completely true.
Todd Tiahrt is that man, and he’s the real deal, Kansas.
Kansas Days 2010
Posted by caleb on Jan 31, 2010 in Local and State Politics
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.
