You love me when all things politics are hot. Don’t forget me in July.
**
All you Missourians still stewing over those long Election Day lines can just keep stewing.
Chances of a legislative change next year in Jeff City?
About 1 in 5.
Fact: Republicans worry that advance voting will result in even bigger Democratic vote counts.
Fact: The GOP controls the General Assembly.
Fact: In January or February when you should be writing your duly elected representative about your Election Day frustrations and demanding change, you will have plum forgotten about all it.
Result: No advance voting. Unless, of course, the feds step in and require it.
**
The political lesson of 2008?
Attack early. Congressman Sam Graves painted Kay Barnes as a big-city liberal with “San Francisco values” back before anybody in the 6th District knew there was a race.
In Kansas, Republican Sen. Pat Roberts linked the words “lobbyist” and “Slattery” for all to see, thereby undercutting any late-campaign Democratic surge.
**
Key stat I: Percentage of white voters who backed Democrat John Kerry in 2004: 41.
Percentage of white voters who backed Democrat Barack Obama on Tuesday: 43.
**
Key stat II: African Americans and Hispanics made up 12 percent of the electorate in 1980…and 22 percent Tuesday.
**
1,743,819. That’s the number of votes Secretary of State Robin Carnahan scooped up Tuesday, more than any Missouri candidate ever.
**
The pressure on the Democrat to gear up for a 2010 run for the U.S. Senate, presumably against four-term incumbent Kit Bond, grows by the hour. Here’s predicting she does just that.
If Bond doesn’t go, Graves might. Note Graves’ career trajectory: state rep, state senator, congressman…and then Senate?
**
The Missouri GOP dream candidate to succeed Bond? That would be Congressman Roy Blunt of southwest Missouri who just stepped down as House whip. He’s staying in the House.
If Blunt runs, there’d be no primary. If Graves does, there probably would be.
**
By law, Obama is entitled to request a recount in Missouri because the result is within 1 percent. That won’t happen, Sen. Claire McCaskill, an Obama ally, says. No point, really.
**
In Kansas, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius already has one bag packed for the Obama administration. After all, why stick around Kansas just to make steep budget cuts that won’t make anybody happy?
Republicans point out, with justifiable glee, that Sebelius would leave with about the same number of Democrats in the Legislature as when she took office, despite a whole bunch of money spent this year.
"Whatever political success she has enjoyed has clearly been very lonely,” a GOP statement said.
**
If Sebelius bolts, Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson becomes governor, giving him some time to grow his name ID for a presumed gubernatorial battle against Sen. Sam Brownback.
**
Sebelius has one other political chit to play: She can appoint a new state treasurer now that Lynn Jenkins has won a seat in Congress. That gives the governor one more chance to build a desperately needed Democratic bench.
**
The man to see in Missouri? That would be Jeff City attorney Chuck Hatfield, who has close ties with Gov.-elect Jay Nixon and Attorney General-elect Chris Koster. Hatfield was Nixon’s first chief-of-staff in the attorney general’s office. Hatfield and Koster went to law school together, and Koster was Hatfield’s best man.
He succeeds Andy Blunt, brother of a governor and son of a congressman, as Missouri’s man to see.
**
I kid you not: A GOP flak called me election night to tell me that armed Black Panthers (guns and baseball bats) had been spotted on Kansas City’s east side.
**
Record numbers of women will be serving in the U.S. Senate and House next year, according to the Center for American Women and Politics.
In January, 17 women will be serving in the Senate, topping the record of 16 in the last Congress.
In the House, at least 74 women will be serving, and it may be more pending the out come of a couple of too-close-to-call races.
**
In case you missed it, Steve Abrams of Arkansas City, the king of Kansas creationism, won a seat Tuesday in the state Senate.
To reach Steve Kraske, call 816-234-4312 or send e-mail to skraske@kcstar.com.
Poor Kraske
Steve must not get out of KC at all. Kay Cronkite Waldo Barnes was runnig very negative ads against Congressman Graves in the St Joe market. Her ads called Graves a liar & angry congressman while calling herself a "Christian woman working to reduce the number of abortions". Graves didn't go negative Kraske - he just told the truth about Kay.