In 2014 we posted almost nine hundred stories on government and politics here at Show Me Progress. A significant number documented the scourge of unlimited money in Missouri politics. Other posts covered the people and events who affected and will affect the people of Missouri.

Our top ten traffic generating posts from 2014:

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1. The Evolution of Rick Brattin’s obsession with evolution (February 15, 2014)

The promotion of ignorance by one of the Missouri General Assembly’s leading intellectual lights.

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2. Bad things happen when good people vote (June 17, 2014)

Competing early voting ballot initiatives – one real, one fake.

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3. Rep. Rick Brattin (r): Ready! Fire! Aim! (January 16, 2014)

A list of bills filed in the House by one of the General Assembly’s leading intellectual lights.

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4. Close to Home (July 17, 2014)

A personal story about the death penalty in Missouri.

From a comment: “…The critical question is not whether they deserve to die.  It us whether we deserve to kill.  It is not about them; it is about us.”

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5. #YesAllWomen — Because it Happens to Every Woman (May 27, 2014)

Another personal story.

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6. SB 509: the moment when all hope for the future of Missouri died (May 6, 2014)

We were in the side gallery of the House and caught the moment with a camera when Representative Keith English was escorted to the floor by a member of the republican majority to cast the deciding vote to override Governor Jay Nixon’s veto of SB 509, a law with far reaching negative consequences for civilization as we know it in Missouri. If you think that’s all hyperbole you haven’t been paying attention.

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7. Attorney General Chris Koster (D) in Warrensburg – March 22, 2014 (March 23, 2014)

A supporter’s modification of an old campaign sign piqued the interest of media across the state.

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8. Don’t pick a fight with someone who buys electrons by the terabyte and is obviously baiting you (August 6, 2014)

Representative Keith English, another of the General Assembly’s leading intellectual lights, made the mistake of picking a fight with Blue Girl on Facebook.

Vivian: Big mistake. Big. Huge….

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9. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): the human face on the consequences of your rigid ideology (October 18, 2014)

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) met Randy Huggins’ grandson for the first time at the lineup before the start of the University of Central Missouri homecoming parade.

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10. Nate Irvin (D) in the 4th Congressional District (August 7, 2014)

The unknown, grossly underfunded, and eminently more qualified challenger to Representative Vicky Hartzler (r).

From the Kansas City Star (October 24, 2014):

….We can’t think of a single reason to recommend sending Hartzler back to Washington for a third term….

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Previously:

The Political Year in Pictures – 2014 (December 26, 2014)

The Political Year in Pictures – 2014, part 2 (December 30, 2014)