Saturday, August 19, 2006
Seer Lunacy
Cindy Duckett, the famed Prophet of Kansas, has produced another prognostication for our edification. In the recent primaries for the Kansas Board of Education, conservative candidates Ken Willard, of Hutchinson, and John Bacon, of Olathe, survived, while their compatriots, Connie Morris and Brad Patzer, went down in defeat to moderate Republicans.In the general election, Willard will be facing Jack Wempe and Bacon will be up against Don Weiss. both Democrats. According to Cindy: "I think John and Ken are really secure." Of course, Cindy said this about the primaries:
"I don’t think we’re going to lose any seats," she said. "As we’ve seen before, I think conservative voters are motivated; moderates aren’t."
And why is that?
"Where do conservatives gather?" Duckett said. "They gather in church. They meet, they talk, they get motivated. Now, where do moderates meet?"
She paused.
"That’s just it," Duckett said. "They don’t. They may go to church, but they’re not motivated by church."
Opps.
Seriously, though, as Pat Hayes at Red State Rabble has pointed out, it would be an important victory for good education if these two races could also be won. With an 8-2 majority for the idea that public education is not a subdivision of the local church, another reversal of direction in the board as a result of the 2008 elections would be prevented.
And that's something else Cindy is predicting ("The pendulum will swing in two years.") and we wouldn't want her to ruin her record, now would we? Besides:
[Duckett] said the GOP primary didn’t represent an anti-conservative swing.
Morris was weakened by charges of exorbitant travel expenses, while Van Meter’s district had no incumbent, she said.
"I’m not sure it is a backlash against conservatives. The primary elections were really about competence," she said.
'Connie, dear, is your back hurting? Here, let me twist this nasty ol' knife and see if I can make it more comfortable . . . ' Such an upstanding and loving citizen should get everything that's coming to her.
If, over the next few months and not just in Kansas but in Ohio and Florida too, the intrusion of sectarian religion into public education policy can be shown to be a political "third rail" that results in defeat at the polls, it will be a signal well sent to the professional politicians to steer clear.
If you live in those places, vote! And get like-minded friends and neighbors to vote. If you don't live there, think of contributing to candidates who will support science and oppose taxpayer-financed religious instruction.
Get more information here:
Kansas Citizens for Science
Help Ohio Public Education
Florida Citizens for Science
Or generally see Red State Rabble.
