The Emporia Gazette

May 28, 2012

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Last Wednesday’s Gazette was very typical of the media coverage of the Kansas primary election this summer. On the front page there were articles with color photographs on two of the multitude of Republicans seeking the First Congressional District seat being vacated by Jerry Moran. Other candidates for this office have been featured on the front page of previous editions. And there has been considerable coverage of the slugfest between Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt, who want to be the next Senator from Kansas.

A small article about a debate among three of the Democratic candidates for Senator was buried on page 16.

Granted, the Republicans are making this primary election more exciting. Casting slurs against each other with wild abandon, they are falling all over each other to see how far to the right they can go in an effort to win the votes of the Tea Party faction.

Unfortunately, they are ignoring the vast majority of the electorate, who are much more moderate in their thinking. And with the media focusing on a small group of right-wing extremists, most voters are unaware that the Democrats also have primary contests. There are five candidates for U.S. Senate, and two for Secretary of State, among others. Equally important, the Democratic primary is an open primary. Voters not affiliated with any party may vote in the Democratic primary.

It’s important that everyone be familiar with these candidates, because on Nov. 2, the vast majority of American voters will reject the Tea Party candidates and their “Slash and Burn,” “Throw the baby out with the bathwater” mentality and elect moderate-thinking people to represent them in Washington and Topeka. And they can take that first step to November by voting in the Kansas primary on Aug. 3.

William L. Ballard

Treasurer, Lyon County Democrats