Sunday, July 02, 2006

Kansas vs Missouri


Kansas vs Missouri

I’ve always had a very traditional view of Missouri and Kansas. Being a Missouri resident, I tend to view to state line as something much more significant than a line on a map. The suburbanization of Kansas City, with the majority occurring in Johnson County, Kansas is a very significant social commentary about this region.

What is concerning me a lot these days about Missouri and Kansas is how the Missouri political environment is starting to reflect Kansas. The Democratic Party is slowly being minimized in Missouri. Rather than seeing debates among Democrats and Republicans, Missouri is being treated to the Kansas-style struggles of social Republicans versus economic Republicans. This debate is raging in Missouri’s 8th Senate District as social conservative Matt Bartle is being challenged by fiscal conservative Bob Johnson. The Democrats are no were to be seen and it goes without saying that Bartle v Johnson is the real election. Whoever wins this contest will be the next Senator.

I really don’t want to get into my personal views on this debate. However, let’s just say that I’ll be voting in the Republican Primary this summer. One candidate seems to jump on any passionate issue to divert attention from the more important and pressing issues of the day. I know which way I’ll vote. I just fear that Lee’s Summit, fancying itself as Johnson County-East will push the election in an undesirable way. There are too many children without healthcare, instances of unwarranted corporate welfare and other such problems to be thinking abut whether two unrealized cells are a “human” or whether it should be illegal to burn a flag. Just my two cents.