My family and I love it here in Kansas but the Conservative politics can be very discouraging. However, the news that Democrat Chad Taylor has dropped out couldn't make me happier. He created a smooth sailing path for Pat Roberts to continue to pee in our Kansas cornflakes. Now that he is out of the way, Independent candidate Greg Orman is the obvious choice for those of us who care about Kansas.
Many are saying Greg Orman isn't Progressive enough. And I suppose Pat Roberts is? Greg Orman is our only choice if we want to change our Kansas Senator. For those of us who live here, this is a chance for change. One we have waited for a long time. Don't let your search for perfection leave you with nothing.
I have scoured Greg Orman's website, watched videos of his interviews, and read his words. I have done the same with Chad Taylor. Their political differences on many issues have more to do with campaign language than actual policy. Orman may not be a radical lefty, but neither was Taylor. I may not agree with Orman on all issues but I can't think of a single candidate where I do. Not in Kansas anyway.
So what do Greg Orman and I agree on? Citizen's United and Hobby Lobby are a pretty good start! What Republican is campaigning against Hobby Lobby? Or Citzen's United? That is a fairly left-of-center position and it shows guts to campaign on it in a state that treats talk radio like it's legitimate news. Do not kid yourself into believing that the average Kansan has been given an honest version of events for those two Supreme Court decisions. The media here is some of the most biased in the nation.
Another example is VAWA, the Violence Against Women Act. Pat Roberts voted against it, Greg Orman would be another vote for it, having already recieved the endorsement of Women For Kansas, even before Taylor dropped out. That is a big change not only for national policy, but for the representation of Kansas values.
Greg Orman does not hide from a woman's right to choose, posting on his website under the heading "Reproductive Rights"...
“We’ve spent a lot of time over the last two decades debating whether or not women should have the right to make decisions about their own reproductive health. As a man, I’ll never have to face some of the decisions that women have to make. I know the women of Kansas are smart, and I trust them to make their own decisions about their reproductive health.
I believe it’s time for our government to move past this issue and start focusing on other important issues, such as healthcare and higher education affordability, tax code simplification, and fixing our broken immigration system.”
Is that better than Pat Roberts? Then celebrate, because there is a chance for change in Kansas.
What about immigration reform? I don't need to tell you that Pat Roberts is a xenophobe, he has the voting record to prove it. Greg Orman has been clear in his call for comprehensive immigration reform and the need for a path to citizenship. Here is a direct quote from his website...
Our policy must be practical. It’s just not practical to say that we’re going to find and send back to other countries 11 million undocumented people. We’ve got whole industries in Kansas that would go away if we attempted to introduce such an unworkable policy. Towns like Dodge City and Garden City and much of the agricultural community in Kansas would be absolutely devastated.
Finally, our policy must also be fair to taxpayers. The 11 million undocumented individuals in America should be required to register with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by a certain date, pay a fine or perform community service as an acknowledgment that they’ve broken the law, hold down a job, pay taxes, and obey our laws, and ultimately, at that point, if they want to get in line and apply for citizenship, they should be able to do so.
That is a gutsy stand for a politician in Kansas, where Koch brother money rains from the sky on xenophobes. You can find Democrats all over the country that don't have the guts to make that statement. Is that better than Pat Roberts? Is it a victory for Progressives? Of course.
What about background checks for gun purchases? Where does Greg stand? Here is another direct quote taken right off his website...
Both times that I bought a handgun, I was required to go through a mandatory background check to ensure that I was a U.S. citizen who hadn’t been convicted of domestic violence, subject to a restraining order for harassing, stalking, or threatening behavior, incarcerated for longer than a year, dishonorably discharged from the military, or determined to be mentally defective. Over 700,000 people who met the description above have been prevented from buying firearms at licensed dealers since the background check requirements went into effect.
The idea that those 700,000 people could simply head to a gun show and buy a firearm without the same background scrutiny doesn’t make sense to me. While there are likely other illegal ways for criminals to get firearms, we shouldn’t make it easy for a violent offender or a mentally ill individual to get a gun. The for me took a few minutes and ultimately resulted in me being able to buy my handguns without delay.
Senator Pat Roberts has opposed every kind of sane gun legislation ever put up for a vote. Greg Orman supports background checks. Greg may not be a progressive on every issue, but he is more progressive than Pat Roberts on every issue. And he is not bought and paid for by the Koch brothers, a unique qualification for a Kansas politician.
It is time that the representation of Kansas in the Federal government come into line with the will of Kansas voters. National Democrats need to wake up and smell the coffee! There is a pickup opportunity in Kansas if the Democratic party and it's donors are smart enough to help. Instead of nitpicking his platform to death let's compare it to Pat Roberts. Then the decision should be easy.