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Kansas 2010 Gubernatorial Race

Johnyt101

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I have a feeling that a Pro 2A candidate can win in Kansas in 2010 being that Kansas is a GOP strong hold. Are there any strong pro 2A candiates thinking about running?

I am not from the state so I am not too familiar with the politics there, but is a strong conservative like Sam Brownback considering running?

If a pro 2A candidate wins, is it realistic to see Kansas get Gold Star Status or see any number of pro gun laws pass? Just curious.
 

Walleye

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I haven't checked up on anyone who might be running, but I sincerely doubt we'll get a gold start status. That would hinge on the state congress changing a number of laws around, and that's unlikely with all the people in the KC and Wichita areas.

In most of their books, the family protection act is good enough.
 

MuellerBadener

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Yeah, Kansas may be solid red, but there's a lot of RINO blood in that color.:banghead:

Brownback may be a possibility as his presidential hopes seem to be done.
 
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KansasScout

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Brownback is pretty much considered a sho in for Govenor. The Dem's are in a bad state now with no talent of note to run for state wide offices. Sebelius would get stoned if she tried to return.

There are some good Pro Second amendment Dem's around in Kansas tho. The gal out of Atcheson was instrumental in bringing in CC. Candy something...:)
 

ACEllis

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I ,for one, don't care what letter someone has or doesn't have after their name. Vote on the issues. Type casting someone based on an affiliation is ethnocentric and dangerous. I'll gladly support an executive leader if they are honest and don't bow to outside pressure and influence. If they can lead from the heart through logic and genuine open-mindedness, I would be proud to vote for them.

Not to say there aren't some issues I'm inflexible on...

AC
 
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KansasScout

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I have no idea why voting based on a candidate is "ethnocentric"

Huh??

Most Democrats and many RINO's are pro gun control. We use labels to help us understand the world in more efficient ways so we don't have to spend untold hours on minor details to avoid them. With all the millions of data bytes we have to absorb and process in a day, labels help us keep track. Not that labels are perfect but they are not evil

Your use of"ethnocentric" implies the use of labels are racist which is just baloney
 

Damiansar-15

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I agree with scout...

Ace,

Sounds like you need to develop a global mindset on politics and stop pursuing a utopian view on how one should vote. There is absolutely nothing wrong with profiling people, groups, backgrounds, etc... with labels, because this helps people acknowledge differences, learn more about them, and adapt, if necessary, to influence the situation favorably.
 

ACEllis

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Ethnicity, culture, values, religion.... ethnocentrism doesn't just involve race. It means more than the Latin breakdown of the word implies. Not that the racist tag doesn't to apply some on both sides of the aisle, but to suggest an affiliation makes a person such is ludicrous.

I work in Public Safety, have a gunsmithing degree, and do part-time selling and teaching about firearms. It aggravates the living PISS outta me whenever someone approaches me in a conversation and thinks they can safely assume my beliefs and politics. No one, not a single one, not even my own mother can accurately say what I believe until I express it.

"Too much information to absorb" is the same justification used to vote on 1000+ page Spending Bills (your tax dollars) or National Security initiatives (your rights) with only a few days to read and analyze. So I guess that makes it okay to sell your vote to the chosen head of your party, right? Back in the days before the internet, all political information came from hour blocks of broadcasted media and daily delivered print. Breaking stories are now sent around the world 24/7/365 directly to your home, office, and cell phone now. We are all a lot better off now then when our parents were our age, in regards to obtaining information. My personal favorite website for quick reference is http://www.ontheissues.org. I must have been responsible for half their website hits during the election.

I understand where you are coming from, KansasScout. Labels are the chapters to the complex novel that is life, but more often then not, those labels become pejorative and begin to fester an "US vs. THEM" mentality. There is a lot more than two sides to an issues. Not black and white on a 2-dimensional spectrum, but more akin to shades of gray and a handful of goofy polka dots on a Rubik's cube. I die a little on the inside every time I read on this forum this sort of comment, ":cuss:libs at it again. there so stupid! :banghead:"

Of course it is a safer bet to put money on a Republican/Right-wing/Fundie/Neo Conservative being more for the 2A than a Democrat/Left-wing/Hippie/Radical Liberal (doesn't some of that sound insulting?) I'm open-minded but I'm not so much my brain falls out. If those political compass tests have any merit, I fall in the Mid-Left Leaning Libertarian column, near the same point the Dalai Lama is placed. You know what? I don't necessarily disagree with it. He's always been one of my favorite figures, so I guess I'll wear that "LIB" badge with pride.

AC
 

Damiansar-15

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Acellis,

Just curious? Why do think the Dalai Lama leans to the left from a political perspective. The Dalai Lama visted my graduate school, e.g. Thunderbird School of Global Business. His views on sustainable prosperity, freedomand peace seemed more aligned with a typical conservative capitalist than a liberal progressive. I highly recommend the book Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg. I believe more self proclaimed liberals would actually call themselves conservative Republicans after reading this great work...
 
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KansasScout

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I understand more clearly what your trying to say Acellis. I appreciate the label you gave yourself as a "Libertarian" who leans left.

For a time in College, I became a Marxist and then gave that up when I realized Jesus would frown on my taking up my place at the barricades with a AK-47.

I am most happy to link arms with you in the defense of our liberty.

If you wish to impose socialism on me I will fight you. While the idea of socialism sounds really nice, the truth is, it does not work well and punishes success.

And yes, in spite your what you might think. It is US against THEM.

Those who endevour to limit my liberty become my enemy worthy of my contempt.

You can consider them well meaning do gooders in need of enlightenment but I do not.

Still, we can agree to disagree here and discuss all this calmly. I am glad your on our "side" at least for the second amendment.
 

ACEllis

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The Political Compass I was referring to. Not a long or difficult quiz and there are no wrong answers (is it really a quiz then?) http://www.politicalcompass.org/analysis2

I think this would explain a bit, Damiansar-15, of my perspective towards what is left vs right and what is anarchic vs fascist. There are a lot of different ways to map politics, and this is the simplest one I've found that explains it's reasoning behind it's view. The exam itself had questions that made me realize I am contradictory and even hypocritical in my own views. Every answer moves you either up or down and either left or right on the scale. It works like your traditional calculus graph, 0/0 is absolute center and movements adjusted them to the negative and positive, 10.0 being maximum. I was a -4.00/-6.10 (moderate-left libertarian). Nothing in the chart indicates right or wrong, nor does anything instantly throw a person heavy to one corner. Also, this is from a world perspective, not a United States one. Our people we consider far left are considered moderate right-wing in many places. Both the vertical and horizontal scale positioning of the average citizen from any country will likely be affected by a country's culture, religious values, past and present governmental practices, and various other factors.

I've heard of the book Liberal Fascism and seen it on shelves, but I'm not a big reader. I lack the patience and have grown too accustom to vivid stimuli to get into reading. The curse of my generation. :p I recall seeing an interview with the author on The Daily Show a few years back and it did sound fascinating, but I tend to shy away from any read (when I do pick up a book) that has a provocative title. But I shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, pun intended. I did make an exception for the provocative title, More Guns, Less Crime, but I don't need to justify that purchase here.

-------------------------------------

Time for more of my opinion, which I'm sure many people are sick of, but I think most people who take the Libertarian name are anything but. Three years ago, you say Libertarian to someone and they'll ask you if that is the new Russell Crowe movie. Now it's a mainstream word to anyone who barely even follows politics. Most of those LINO's (thought I would try it out, haha) I see are conservatives who no longer want to be identified as a Republican. Let's face it, GOP is a tarnished brand. That brand is trying to reinvent themselves now, so in the mean while you have all these "independents" who would rather jump into the life raft just in case the ship is sinking and then paddle back to the ladders once the holes are patched up.

Our tax dollars go towards efforts that are suppose to assist both communities and individuals that most of us take for granted. Food stamps, Medicare, Public Transit, Public Access TV, etc. Unemployment being the big one that everyone wants to change but never get rid of. None of the things I listed I use personally, but I know those who do. Some abused it, some used it until they could make it on their own. Socialism is a word that needs a diet. The "S word" is so bloated and blown out of proportion. Let me explain. Think of two opposing view points like a game of tug-o-war. Every time one side loses some footing and the status quo moves in their opponents favor, the losing side grunts three times as loud and tries to channel their anger strength to get it back. The line may have moved only an inch, but every ounce of effort is made to try and get it back, and in the process people say and do things that are unnecessary, self-damaging, or just plain foolish. More often than not, the sky is not falling and that slippery slope is more of a dry step. I prefer cautious optimism for most things and steadfast resistance for others (Cali SKS ban being an example of a real slippery slope. Give an inch to some groups and they'll try and take a mile.)

We're all 2A fans here. We can debate the best way to counter anti-2A laws and activity until our ears bleed. In the end, we all have the same final goal. To be safe, secure, and left alone to live our lives as we choose. So cheers KansasScout, we are brothers in the same battle. Much like MLK Jr. and Malcolm X were both huge players in civil rights with very contrasting ideas of how to accomplish the same thing, but I'd like to point out only one of them ended up with a holiday and not because he was abrasive in his approach.

AC
 

Damiansar-15

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Interesting perspective...Definitely an increasingly popular one that the GOP is going to need to figure out if they want to be a viable party in the future...Definitely need to get rid of the Rockerfeller Republicans...

BTW, I think the survey is a very cool concept, but I could not take the quiz...many of the questions were impossible to answer, because I kept saying to myself, "it depends". It was almost like asking a gun guy to agree/disagree with the statement, "The .45acp is a superior to the 9mm for my caliber of choice"...Some folks could answer this easily, while other would want to use both for different situations. The question about inflation vs. unemployment was an example of this, because often times depending on the political/economic situation of a country, leaders will manipulate policy to make appropriate adjustments to a country's situation.

I believe the Poli-sci guys who put this together needed Economics and Business guys to help out with process/structure... For example, they should have had a neutral/NA option from which to choose. I think if they could leverage more sophisticated survey formats, weighting, etc..andsalvage the questions with better phrasing to get more accurate results on what they are trying to measure...

See below a link to a very good analysis tool that is widely used by global business and universities to measure culture orientation. Similar survey question format, approach, etc...could be applied to the survey you posted...

http://www.diversophy.com/xtras/coi.htm

Although different,Gapminder.org is another site that I think you would appreciate from a Political/Economic perspective...

http://www.gapminder.org/
 
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EpicSystems

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I have the pleasure to brief on our Data Visualization software "Trend Compass".

TC is a new concept in viewing statistics and trends in an animated way by displaying 5 axis (X, Y, Time, Bubble size & Bubble color) instead of just the traditional X and Y axis. It could be used in analysis, research, presentation etc. In the banking sector, we have Deutsche Bank New York as a client.


This a link on weather data :

http://www.epicsyst.com/test/v2/aims/

This is a bank link to compare Deposits, Withdrawals and numbers of Customers for different branches over time ( all in 1 Chart) :

http://www.epicsyst.com/test/v2/bank-trx/

Misc Examples :

http://www.epicsyst.com/test/v2/stockmarket1/
http://www.epicsyst.com/test/v2/tax/
http://www.epicsyst.com/test/v2/football/
http://www.epicsyst.com/test/v2/swinefludaily/
http://www.epicsyst.com/test/v2/flu/
http://www.epicsyst.com/test/v2/babyboomers/
http://www.epicsyst.com/test/v2/bank-trx/
http://www.epicsyst.com/test/v2/advertising/

This is a project we did with Princeton University on US unemployment :
http://www.epicsyst.com/main3.swf
A 3 minutes video presentation of above by Professor Alan Krueger Bendheim Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University using Trend Compass :
http://epicsyst.com/trendcompass/princeton.aspx?home=1

Latest financial links on the Central Bank of Egypt:

http://www.epicsyst.com/trendcompass/samples/balance-sheet
http://www.epicsyst.com/trendcompass/samples/banks-deposits-by-maturity/
http://www.epicsyst.com/trendcompass/samples/egyptian-banks/
http://www.epicsyst.com/trendcompass/samples/currency-by-denomination/

I hope you could evaluate it and give me your comments. So many ideas are there.

You can download a trial version. It has a feature to export EXE,PPS,HTML and AVI files. The most impressive is the AVI since you can record Audio/Video for the charts you create.

http://epicsyst.com/trendcompass/FreeVersion/TrendCompassv1.2_DotNet.zip

All the best.

Ossama Hamed
Technical Director
Epic Systems
www.epicsyst.com
 

Damiansar-15

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Nov 25, 2009
Messages
199
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Mercer Island, WA
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Very cool...do you have any thing on the airlines, e.g. Revenue Passengers Boarded, Yield data, Capacity Data, Utilization, etc... I work in the Technology industry and my clients are airlines. I constantly analyze the industry and look for was to help my clients...
 

Johnyt101

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Feb 19, 2008
Messages
85
Location
, Illinois, USA
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So does it look like Sam is a shoe in then? If he gets elected any chance he will improve on open and concealed carry laws? Maybe Kansas can help jump start the Constitutional Carry movement kind of like Florida jump started the shall issue movement in the late 80s.
 
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EpicSystems

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Thank you for your interest in Trend Compass.

I will be more than happy to cooperate with you in visualizing data for the airline sector since there is a tremendous amount of data that is ideal for visualization. If you have some data available you can send it to me and I will run in for you on Trend Compass.

This is a sample on real data :

http://www.epicsyst.com/test/v2/airline/

All the best

Ossama Hamed

trend@epicsyst.com
 
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KansasScout

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There is no question it will be Brownback. By a huge margin too. Kansas will have no democrats in state office after the next election.

Those who were going to run for congress as Dem's are quitting!
 
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