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Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Caucus recovery and a little Republican poll

Back in full strength after the Caucuses...it really took it out of our team (just because we've been asked, one of us caucused for Barack Obama, one of us caucused for Hillary Clinton, and one of us caucused for John McCain. And, no, we don't know how Jason Croucher caucused...).

Anyway, the Republican Caucus was exciting from our point of view for a couple reasons. First, turnout was embarrassingly small (one of those times you wish Sen. Phil Journey would just shut up, huh, Republicans?). Another was that, as always in Kansas politics, the crazy right wing of the Republican Party dominated the day, and picked the candidate with the very best shot of getting creamed by the Democrats in November

Something unexpected came out of the Republican embarrassment on Saturday: A wonderful poll up that was conducted at the Riley County Republican Caucus:

  • Ryun- 53%
  • Jenkins- 14%
  • Boyda- 7%
  • Undecided- 26%
Quick comments: Those of us here would like NOTHING better than to see Jim Ryun win the nomination. The people of the 2nd District (those who aren't the radical right wing- so most of them) have absolutely no desire to go backward- they kicked Ryun out because he was a stunningly poor representative who had lost touch with the people he was supposed to be representing. Jeez, even he didn't consider himself a Kansan anymore.

But, we're all nearly certain Ryun will win the nomination...for the same reason Huckabee won the caucus: Nearly all the activists in the Republican Party are exactly as out-of-touch as Jim Ryun. While Lynn Jenkins is, obviously, a horrifyingly miserable alternative, her pro-choice views at least make her slightly less radically opposed to the people she's trying to represent.

And then you have the 7% of registered Republican activists who said they planned to vote for Congresswoman Nancy Boyda in November. Know why that is? Because Nancy Boyda is clearly the best of the three options, and there are even individuals at the very heart of the Kansas Republican Party that realize that.

It was a tiny sample, so it's meaningless in the end, but, we can't help but really enjoy watching the Kansas Republican Party shoot themselves in the foot...agian...and again.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

jim ryun is doomed if even Republicans want to keep Boyda instead of going back to him.

Anonymous said...

In the last two official polls taken in the 2nd district...the 2006 primary and general election...Jenkins got more votes than Ryun or Boyda. (All three were unopposed in the primary yet had opposition in the general.) That seems to reveal more to me than any mickey mouse poll.

Anonymous said...

ah, yes grasshopper...but did you remember that Lynn Jenkins was running statewide and Boyda and Ryun were running just in the 2nd Congressional district?

Anonymous said...

So you're saying that apples AREN'T oranges?!?

Anonymous said...

2nd district statistics per the Ks SOS website:
2006 Primary (all 3 unoppose):
Boyda primary votes 21,335
Ryun primary votes 41,941
Jenkins primary votes 43,080

2006 General (with opposition):
Boyda general votes 114,139
Ryun general votes 106,329
Jenkins general votes 132,746

Now think of another excuse....

Anonymous said...

You expect us to believe that more crazy wingnut Republicans voted for Jenkins than for Ryun in an uncontested primary - when they didn't even HAVE TO?!? We better make sure that doesn't happen this cycle. Boyda can beat Ryun in a walk, but beating Jenkins will be tough.

Anonymous said...

wow...boyda found LOTS of Republicans willing to vote for her, didn't she?

That's sad for jim and lynn...

Anonymous said...

What kind of idiot trys to screw up the pro-Boyda spin with facts and statistics?

Anonymous said...

lol...funny.

and what are lynn's name ID numbers? who ran against her in 2006?

Oh, right, no one knows

Anonymous said...

I think that was kind of the point. Everyone knows Jim Ryun, about half the people don't know Jenkins and still she gets MORE Second District votes than Ryun in an uncontested primary. That means that over 1,000 republican primary voters had to literally skip over Jim's name on the ballot and go on to vote for Jenkins ... ouch.

Anonymous said...

oh, humbug...i'm a wild crazy democrat and i don't think that means jenkins is more popular than ryun.

Jason said...

Just so you know...I caucused for Hillary Clinton.

Keep up the great work, folks!

j

Anonymous said...

Jason,
I wouldn't let anyone know that at this point.

This blog is not affiliated in any way with the Kansas Democratic Party, the Democratic National Committee, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, the Office of Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, or the campaign to re-elected Congresswoman Nancy Boyda. All commentary herein not directly attributed must be considered the opinion of the authors of this blog and not of any other individual, including Congresswoman Nancy Boyda.