‘Lobbyist’ became Jim Slattery’s first name

The political lesson of 2008? According to Kansas City Star columnist Steve Kraske, it’s “attack early.” He noted how Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., “linked the words ‘lobbyist’ and ‘Slattery’ for all to see, thereby undercutting any late-campaign Democratic surge.”
Slattery, who was the Topeka area’s congressman from 1983 to 1995, has no interest in running again for the U.S. Senate, according to spokeswoman Abbie Hodgson.

5 Comments

  1. Royall
    Posted November 16, 2008 at 7:05 am | Permalink

    The lesson of the ‘08 campaign is that Kansans vote Republican even when the candidate has performed poorly (Roberts) or when the candidate is unprepared for the job (Palin).

    Roberts attacked early and it worked in Kansas because voters were being told what they wanted to hear, anyway.

    McCain attacked early nationally and lost.

  2. BlueJay
    Posted November 16, 2008 at 8:04 am | Permalink

    What’s the matter with Kansas?

  3. Political_mama
    Posted November 16, 2008 at 9:29 am | Permalink

    Graves, the beloved republican governor also became a lobbyist. But I’ll bet anything those republicans would be willing to overlook it. They sure were with Bush.

  4. Monkeyhawk
    Posted November 16, 2008 at 9:41 am | Permalink

    I’m a Democrat but I never got the idea Slattery wanted it enough.

    The silly commercials needed to be backed up with rallies and free media opportunities.

    He snuck into my town one day and got the requisite story in the next day’s paper. It’s not as if there is a strong Democratic organization in this little corner of Kansas (in 1936, Alf Landon carried Maine, Vermont, and Allen County), but we could have filled a coffee shop for an hour if we’d known he was coming to town.

    I’m still unconvinced Sam Brownback will honor his pledge to retire from the Senate in 2010.

  5. Phantom
    Posted November 16, 2008 at 9:48 am | Permalink

    There may not have been enough money invested in the Slattery campaign. I think it was lost before it ever began. Seemed like a very low profile campaign.
    Only bested by Betts campaign.