Ken shares his thoughts on political news and history in his blog.
You all know by now — because you’ve been hearing it over and over — that the last time a Republican lost a Senate race in Kansas was 1932. The last time a Democrat was beaten in a West Virginia Senate campaign was 1956. These are serious milestones and we’re watching to see if these …
With most attention this year squarely on which party will control the Senate, it is understandable that the 36 states holding gubernatorial elections are taking a back seat. But between the recent “fangate” flap in Florida and the presidential hopes of Wisconsin’s Scott Walker — not to mention that two of the last three presidents …
Read moreMost Eyes On Florida & Wisconsin Among 36 Governor Races
If you’re a partisan — a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat or Republican — you’re probably a nervous wreck these days. With just over two weeks to go and with all the twists and turns and surprises, the battle for the Senate is nothing short of nail-biting-to-the-bone, if not heart-stopping. If you’re a political junkie — like we …
Read moreOdds Still Say GOP Takes Senate, But Wild Cards Remain
Let’s be honest here. This is the most topsy-turvy election cycles in years. So many conflicting polls, so many surprises, so many twists and turns. To make it even more perplexing, now you have to submit your predictions for some of the closest races in the country. It’s the Political Junkie Midterm Elections Contest! We’ve …
Here’s how senators up in 2014 voted on President Obama’s plan to train and arm Syrian rebels. The measure passed on Thursday by a vote of 78-22. (The House passed it the day before on a 273-156 vote). DEMOCRATS: YES: Booker (N.J.), Coons (Del.), Durbin (Ill.), Franken (Minn.), Hagan (N.C.), Harkin (Iowa)*, Johnson (S.D.)*, Landrieu …
Read moreHow Senators Up This Year Voted On Arming Syrian Rebels
You remember Ben Paulen, right? How could you not? He was a member of the Kansas legislature, served as the state oil inspector for a time, then was elected lieutenant governor before winning two terms as governor. During his tenure, according to the National Governors Association website, “a state gasoline tax was sanctioned, a new …
Labor Day is a time to relax and think about all the people who came before us who worked hard for so little money. Sort of like me. And that leads to this feature in Political Junkie. Every so often we come across campaign buttons for candidates we’ve never heard of. How do we identify …
There’s a devastating scene in Michael Moore’s 2004 documentary film, Fahrenheit 9/11, in which President George W. Bush, on vacation in Kennebunkport, is telling reporters that “we must stop the terror” and “I call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers” … and then seconds later he adds, “Now …
Read moreIt’s Not The Vacation, Mr. President, It’s The Tone
Both parties are expecting some amount of turnover in November, especially in Senate races, but also in contests for governor and the House. But it’s hard to recall a season in which so few incumbents got knocked off in the primaries. Not counting Louisiana, which holds its “jungle” primary on election day, there are seven …
One thing Republicans have going for them in the battle for the Senate is that most of the closely contested races are in states won by Mitt Romney in 2012. In varying degrees of vulnerability, states like South Dakota, West Virginia, Montana, Louisiana, Arkansas, North Carolina and Alaska are considered prime Republican pick-up opportunities. President …
Read moreColorado, A Purple State Trending Democratic, Site Of Key Senate Race