(Syndicated to Kansas newspapers Sept. 5, 2016)
It’s now officially campaign season—though some of us wonder whether the real high-intensity campaigning couldn’t be put off until maybe the first of October—and it’s also the time for figuring out just what breed of Republicans is going to be running things.
Some giant issues aren’t likely to be solved while Gov. Sam Brownback finishes out the final two years of his final term, so some observers are hoping they have enough gas to keep the car idling in the garage for the next two years.
Everyone under the dome is expecting more Democrats in each chamber, and the division between moderate and conservatives is likely to shift slightly but probably not yield majority-sized moderate/Democrat linkups.
Probably the key for Republicans in virtually all House and Senate races is to remain polite to the governor but not show up close enough to him that a chat in the hallway or at a parade or at the grocery store turns into a “Brownback and lackey” photo for Democrats’ campaign use.