why has Kansas traditionally had a visible moderate wing in there GOP?

[freepcrusher]

I mean compared to the states that border it - it kind of stands out. Also, are the moderates in the local republican party a mostly rural phenomenon or is it a mostly urban/suburban one (i.e. inside the 435)?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Kansas is a three party state: conservative Republicans, moderate Republicans... and some Democrats.

[HAnnA MArin County]

Not trying to be a douche, but *their.

[SATW]

I think the rural-urban divide has to be apart of it. I'm sure the rural parts of Kansas are more religious then the Urban (and thus more socially conservative).

Also, areas like Wichita are likely much more socially conservative then areas like Overland Park, Kansas City (Kansas side, obviously), Topeka and Lawrence.

So I can see a rural-urban, western-eastern Kansas divide playing into the odd politics there.

[smoltchanov]

^ Generally my thoughts too. There are some moderates from rural areas too (like state Senator John Doll, a former Democratic candidate in KS-01), but most come from suburbs and eastern part of the state.....

[VPH]

I think the rural-urban divide has to be apart of it. I'm sure the rural parts of Kansas are more religious then the Urban (and thus more socially conservative).

Also, areas like Wichita are likely much more socially conservative then areas like Overland Park, Kansas City (Kansas side, obviously), Topeka and Lawrence.

So I can see a rural-urban, western-eastern Kansas divide playing into the odd politics there.

I mean it really depends. Johnson County has some deeply conservative bastions. Hell, even as extremists lost big last cycle, Mary Pilcher-Cook, the legislature's most visible crazy conservative, held on. Even in some of the state's deeply conservative areas, some moderates prevailed in the primary. Mary Martha Good's win over Will Carpenter in El Dorado (Obama's mom's hometown!) is an example.

I think to some extent this has always existed because many Republicans early on in KS were of Yankee stock, and the type of Republican that lives in some areas still reflects this early origin. The geographic lines are more blurred now but this was the dynamic.

[Thunderbird is the word]

I think it's kind of like how when Democrats dominated in Dixie there were always liberal, conservative and moderate factions and even today in places like New York you see both left and right leaning Dems. Since Republicans have almost always dominated in Kansas there's going to be multiple factions within the party.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Define "moderate." Most of the country-club Republicans in the wealthy parts of Johnson County are very much in the Reaganite mold even if there aren't many Rapture-anticipating white fundamentalist Protestants or politically-motivated-by-abortion Catholics among them. Furthermore, the country-clubbers are usually the most loyal Republicans in the sense that they're always more likely to vote in Republican primaries, donate to Republican candidates and Republican-supported causes, volunteer for Republican candidates, and vote Republican at all levels of government (read: down-ballot) than the people who are more motivated to turn out en masse for Republicans when the likes of Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, Steve King, Louie Gohmert, Mike Pence, and yes, Donald Trump are on the ballot.

[Kevinstat]

Define "moderate." Most of the country-club Republicans in the wealthy parts of Johnson County are very much in the Reaganite mold even if there aren't many Rapture-anticipating white fundamentalist Protestants or politically-motivated-by-abortion Catholics among them. Furthermore, the country-clubbers are usually the most loyal Republicans in the sense that they're always more likely to vote in Republican primaries, donate to Republican candidates and Republican-supported causes, volunteer for Republican candidates, and vote Republican at all levels of government (read: down-ballot) than the people who are more motivated to turn out en masse for Republicans when the likes of Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, Steve King, Louie Gohmert, Mike Pence, and yes, Donald Trump are on the ballot.

Yeah, I think Pat Roberts may belong to the "moderate" faction.

[publicunofficial]

Kansas is a three party state: conservative Republicans, moderate Republicans... and some Democrats.

Similar reason as to why the Hawaii and Rhode Island Democratic Parties are so relatively conservative.

[freepcrusher]

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I always assumed that Kansas, like most of the neighboring states, were settled by the scots-irish.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

The "moderates" would have been right-wing Republicans 30 years ago, like Bob Dole.

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

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I always assumed that Kansas, like most of the neighboring states, were settled by the scots-irish.

-Kansas was settled by the same type of people that settled Indiana and Missouri.

[smoltchanov]

The "moderates" would have been right-wing Republicans 30 years ago, like Bob Dole.

Not all of them. Look, for example, on Barbara Bollier in Kansas state Senate. She is to the left of at least half Democratic legislators. There are other of this sort too. But generally - yes. As i frequently say - it's difficult to me to imagine people like Jacob Javits to be simply in Republican party now (and i can easily give dozen of other names too). Not long ago they and people like them were Senators and Governors.

[freepcrusher]

The "moderates" would have been right-wing Republicans 30 years ago, like Bob Dole.

i always assumed that a stereotypical Kansas moderate would not be bob dole but someone like NL Kassebaum.

[smoltchanov]

The "moderates" would have been right-wing Republicans 30 years ago, like Bob Dole.

i always assumed that a stereotypical Kansas moderate would not be bob dole but someone like NL Kassebaum.

Yes. But compared to Brownback and Kobach Dole surely looks as moderate too)))