Wichita native Mark Parkinson switched his party affiliation to Democrat Tuesday, adding to the speculation that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will name him Wednesday as her running mate, Associated Press reported. Parkinson, who now lives in Olathe, is the past chairman of the Kansas Republican Party and a former GOP state lawmaker. So if he is Sebelius’ pick, it will be a remarkable political crossover — though some GOP conservatives already considered Parkinson a traitor for encouraging Johnson County District Attorney Paul Morrison to switch parties and run as a Democrat against Attorney General Phill Kline.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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39 Comments
Interesting …
Many here have bemoaned the lack of a middle ground on issues; perhaps that is what Sebelius is trying to reach.
Why is the switching of political parties such a big deal? It’s not like he’s switching his entire moral and ideological beleifs. He’s switching which box is checked by his name. More republicans than democrats get elected in Kansas. Too many people vote straight party ticket without knowing and or caring who’s running or what their stance is.I really don’t see the big whoopee here.
When a Republican asks another Republican to change parties in order to run against an idiot, such as, say, the current AG, I gotta take a good look at him or her. An interesting developement.
You mean to tell me that there is not one qualified dem in all of Johnson Co? Does she really need to run from being a Dem to win this year?
the truthiness,We only have five!
Yes
I once was a Republican here in Kansas. Then the dominionists took over the Party.
Democrats can’t run as Dems and win in KS, they must have an R. Makes sense. Good riddance.
Ben,Those folks are not really running anything. The insurance companies just let them, and us, think they are.
Keep saying that Blowjoe.Just keep that up, and one of these days, WE’LL be the majority party in Kansas lol
Though Parkinson and Morrison are certainly the high visibility candidates who have switched parties, there is also a Sedgwick County Statehouse candidate – Walt Chappell – who has also switched from R to D. The significance of these conversions is that it signals what rank and file voters are also doing – they are abandoning the Republican Party in droves because they can no longer stomach aligning themselves with a party that has so many things wrong with it, and it presages election results this fall.
Kelly,
Please quit with the hyperbole.
Please provide even a scintilla of evidence that voters are leaving the Republican party in “droves.”
Galt, that will likely come in November at the ballot box.Sebelius will win re-election, Dennis Moore will win by his most comfortable margin ever, and while Todd Tiahrt will win re-election, it will be by a narrower margin than usual…perhaps, his closest race since 1996.Ryun will win re-election, but only because the Democrats are running the wrong candidate.I don’t have the foggiest idea what will happen in the AG’s race, but I sense that will be as close as 2002.
Moderate Republicans like Morrison, Parkinson, and Chappelle wouldn’t be switching parties if they didn’t know what is perfectly obvious–they don’t want to be associated with the flat-earth wack-o nut-case fundies.
The see the Democrats as more of the party Eisenhower than the Republicans, and they’re right.
JohnGalt proves again that “reality has a left-wing bias.”
OH. MY. GOD.Walt Chappell switched parties? THE Walt Chappell? Anybody have Karl Rove’s number? Oh, the humanity! Walt, we hardly knew ye! Walt!:-)
Wait till he knocks of that wench Brenda Landweher, poster child of the flat-earth fundie wack-os.
Then you’ll know his name.
I’m not a Sebelius fan, but also wonder why she wouldn’t pick a Dem this time around as the next Gov-in-Training. Tis a mystery, except that the core values and beliefs of the Republican platform (excluding extremist, of course) provides a better leader for Kansas.
Probably because Sebelius is more Republican than Democrats. Meaning she leans to the right.
Same with Clinton. The leftist on this blog should be scorning at Sebelius and Clinton, because they are far from their side and on their team.
Good luck!
Ben Huie,So, instead of working within the Repulican party to remove the “dominionists”, you switched parties? And how did that help keep the “dominionists” from overtaking the party? Agree with your frustration, but how about working with me (and several others) to extract the dominionists cancer from the Republican party? The party of self-empowerment/determination/freedom vs the party of hand-outs/welfare/I’m-OK-You’re-OK seems like a cause worth fighting for.
Agree w/you Joe, except where her ‘right’ tendencies would get her in trouble with Veep status in Hilary’s eyes. Why didn’t Sebelius show some leadership and do her job by proposing an Education budget? Too much of a political hot potato for her to spend political points?
I’m with you ID. We need to send the dominionists back to the left wing of the Democratic Party for which they came from.
Hijackers and posers.
ID–
The Democrats are not the “welfare” party.
We are the party that believe “we’re all in this together.”
The most expensive “welfare” we have today is the 30,000 dollars a year we spend to keep people in prison.
Democrats belive it’s better to spend a little on education and medical care for the poor than to spend it on incarceration.
ID! Sebelius is a shrewed and skillful politican. She knows what she is doing. Walking the fine line of “safe” Democrat is just a misstep away from disaster.
So she took the safe route. She took the safe route and stood on the sidelines. She knew she had a much better change to be re-elected by not doing a single thing or taking a leadership role then stepping on a single interest group toes.
ID–
Seibelius DID pick a Democrat, Parkinson.
We don’t require that you have to be born into the “dynasty” like a Bush to be a Democrat.
No Lefthook. You have to be a Kennedy, Daily, Gore, Landrieu, and Sebelius.
Just still stunned about the news on Walt. I mean, Mr. Chappell. Wow.
The Republicans became the majority party in 1994 when they lurched to the right.
Many Republicans didn’t like Reagan’s tilt to the right either.
Fine, let them leave. The Republican party in Kansas might be a smaller majority (might) but it will still be the majority.
Please give me an example of a personal running as a liberal has won anything in Kansas.
The Republicans have historic majorities in the KS House and Senate and is it not b/c many ran on education or abortion choice, taking away gun rights or raising taxes.
What is KS’s platform? Did she even mention she was a Democrat at her announcment last week?
I “left” the right 20 years ago. This guy is just late waking up.
Galt,First it was the pro choice Republicans.Now, it’s the Republicans who don’t toe the line on other issues.Next, it’ll be the Republicans who still think abortion is appropriate in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.You’re just going to keep marching to the right until there’s nobody…left.
Let’s see when Parkinson chastised the Governor for picking a Republican as her running mate four years, was he right before he was wrong? LOL
It is a shame that the Governor cannot find a Democrat that she considers acceptable to run with her. What does that say about the Democrats? This is all about her. She does not care who she steps on to get to the top. She has stepped over all of her fellow Democrats once again to get what she wants.
Joe, I am with you. Where is the big press that Walt Chappell has changed parties? Who is Walt Chappell? Should anyone care?
Lefthook, why do you call her names? Has she done something to you that you can’t get over or what? Is it because you just can’t handle a successful and strong woman? Heh, heh
First………..Brenda Landwehr is more than a “wench”. She is a liar and a bully. I could go on for hours about her. Hell, her FAMILY doesn’t even like her. Enough said.
Second……….Kathleen Sebelius is truly a brilliant politician. Who else to pick as her running mate than a person who is totally fed up with nut-cases who have hijacked what he once thought was his “party”. More and more alleged “Republicans” are coming to this conclusion. Their party has left them behind in its lurch toward a philosophy supporting a theocratic dictatorship.
Third………..wait until November and see the fallout in Kansas and nationwide for the Republicans. We will see who is crying then. Sebelius will be easily re-elected and many of the RW whack-jobs will need to go find real work.
The big risk is that the Dems will just choose to not vote in the Gov race. Perhaps they will think that the Gov does not need Dems to win, so why vote for her?
To those who keep saying “why couldn’t Sebelieus find a democrat to run with,” she did find a democrat.
The guy became a democrat on Tuesday.
She’s obviously sending a message that Democrats have become the centrist party in Kansas, the reasonable people who are willing to compromise to get things done–and she’s right.
Why didn’t Sebelius show some leadership and do her job by proposing an Education budget?
Once again, real slow for you, it is the CONSTITUTIONAL duty of the LEGISLATURE to fund education. Dont blame the gov when the republicans control BOTH houses in kansas, and they still cant find their asses with both hands when it comes to obeying the law and funding education.
But please, continue to blame the gov. BTW, how is that working for you all?
heheh. just beat that dead horse some more.
I dont think the democrats are trolling for republicans. I think the republicans are abandoning their sinking kansas ship like the rats they are, and swimming around in the soup. Kathleen just fishes out the good ones and brings them on board.
Of course, as a “leftist”, I wonder where the REAL democrats in kansas are supposed to go?
Green?
Hi, FrmGrl. Good to see you.
I’m going to send you an e-mail in a minute.
You Go!! KFG
You use the same rationale for Bush, right KFG? You’re a joke.