GOP Senator Roy Bunt and Rep. Ann Wagner are pairing up. In a series of glossy mailers the two jointly take on various policy issues like health care and energy policy about which they spoon out predictable GOP talking points that have mostly been repudiated ad nauseum.
But why together? A money saving twofer? Eh … maybe. But they’ve both got big campaign war chests, bigger than the other guy in both cases, and Blunt is now getting all that dark money support from out-of-state billionaires and their pet PACS.
Maybe the beleaguered Blunt hopes that some of Wagner’s surburban cachet will rub off by association. Wagner’s odds of being re-elected are pretty good. Blunt? Not so much. Today on the Diane Rehm show a prognosticator actually said that Blunt would probably go down. Democrat Jason Kander may very well take his place in Washington.
Wagner only has to please the more moderate, but still relatively conservative, surburban constituents in the second district. She’s good at playing it safe and dishing out treacle that goes down smoothly in that environment. She may do Big Banking’s bidding, for example, but she always couches her efforts to help the big guys as somehow beneficial to the little guy . Her syrupy newsletters rarely even bother to mention her hardcore legislative activities except every once in a while and in the mildest of terms.
Blunt on the other hand, engaged in a state-wide race, has to satisfy both sides of a splintering GOP. On one side he’s got the Trump brigade – which hasn’t been too happy with his corporatist, big-money first approach since their earlier Tea Party days. On the other side are GOP centrists who aren’t too pleased by his detente with the Trumpist barbarians at the GOP gate.
Of course outcomes are often unexpected. Could Blunt possibly put an unwelcome spotlight on Wagner and her retrograde policy positions?
In a just world, maybe.
WOW! Not a single mention of Bill Otto in your whole story!!! Way to spread the word!
No wonder races are not even registering when a site that is supposed to be for Missouri and Progressives won’t even talk about Democratic candidates who are not Statewide. But 7 mentions of his opponent, ever hear of trending?
Uh, we’re pedaling as fast as we can.
Ouch. That “supposed to be for [about] Missouri” comment really stung. Not really.
We’re flattered that you believe we wield so much influence and power that our sloth will condemn down ticket candidates to anonymity.
If you believe we’re doing such a crappy job you can always start your own blog. Maybe other people will read it. Or not.
Can’t make every point and cover every angle in every post and in this one I was mostly concerned with Blunt. Focus is actually supposed to be a desirable characteristic of writing. Sorry you’re disappointed.
You, of course are right that one reason Wagner is likely to prevail is that Otto has gotten so little support. I’ve certainly done the best I could do by telling it the way I see it when it comes to Wagner as you no doubt know if you read this blog regularly.
Sorry to come off so harsh.
Maybe this is something that is not understood. Every mention of a name registers in big data analytics. So, I believe all of us who are trying to help our Progressive candidates online need to be aware and think about that. Bill Otto is not getting his name trending because people are more interested in doing hit pieces on his opponent. Today more than ever, there is no such thing as bad press. How many times did the annoying orange get his name out there during the primaries? The estimates are he got $2B of free media just during the primary season.
Let’s try to talk about our candidates and the great things they are doing. Bill Otto has been fundraising and campaigning harder than any Congressional challenger in the State. He has been written off by people automatically believing that the gerrymandering is too powerful to overcome. If we support the idea of safe districts they will continue to be so.
Bill Otto has a great story, stands at the right place on the issues, is a hard worker and will be a great Congressional Representative. Let’s spread his story, not hers, please.
You make a good point about how data analytics work. However, it strikes me that Bill Otto has bigger problems than whether or not a small blogger happens to mention him. Until the state’s Democratic apparatus makes winning potentially gettable, primarily surburban districts like the 2nd a priority and apportions financial and organizational support to reflect that fact, he and others like him will continue to have difficulties.
I also have to add that while I appreciate how important it is to support good progressive candidates like Otto in any way possible, my reasons for writing in this blog is not simply to drive big data but to talk about issues from my perspective. And I think there’s room for different approaches. Foolish perhaps, given the small readership we have, but there it is.
And it might be apropos to note that, in spite of the free media, it really looks like Big Orange might lose nationally in a landslide. Perhaps some of the negative coverage (and there was plenty) did have some influence?
I read this blog regularly and look forward to gettin’ me a little willykay. Succinct. Weighty. Sweet!
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