Note: For readability — the columns are better lined-up vertically at our original article at our site.

I’ll break down these results for you over the next few days.  But here are the detailed results of a recent poll conducted in Overland Park, Kansas, a large suburb of Kansas City, MO.

Part 3 of results

Telephone survey among likely 2012 voters in Overland Park, KS.  Conducted Tuesday, August 9, and Wednesday, August 10, by the State and Local Educational Foundation of Kansas.  Margin of error +/- 5.4%.  Party breakdown:  51% Republican, 29% Unaffiliated, 20% and Democratic.  55% Female, and 45% Male.  50% over the age of 50, and 50% under the age of 50.

For accompanying information for comparison and background purposes, click here.  To view part 1 of our results, click here. To view part 2 of our results, click here.  More information about survey methodology can be found at the bottom of this page.

Question: “In general, how would you describe your political views?”

Ideology (all voters): Count Percent

- Very conservative:                               55      16.2%

- Somewhat conservative:                 107      31.5%

- Moderate:                                           123      36.2%

- Somewhat liberal:                              40      11.8%

- Very liberal:                                          15        4.4%

Total:                                     340       100%

Among Republicans               Count Percent

Very conservative:                        46      26.4%

Somewhat conservative:            69      39.7%

Moderate:                                      51      29.3%

Somewhat liberal:                         8        4.6%

Very liberal:                                     0           0%

Total:                             174       100%

[Note: Sample size=174; Margin of error=7.6%]

Among Unaffiliateds               Count Percent

Very conservative:                         6      6.1%

Somewhat conservative:           27    27.6%

Moderate:                                    44      44.9%

Somewhat liberal:                     16      16.3%

Very liberal:                                    5      5.1%

Total:                               98       100%

[Note: Sample size=98; Margin of error=10.1%]

Over age 50                            Count  Percent

Very conservative:                        30    17.7%

Somewhat conservative:            54    31.8%

Moderate:                                      60    35.3%

Somewhat liberal:                       17    10.0%

Very liberal:                                    9        5.3%

Total:                             170       100%

[Note: Sample size=170; Margin of error=7.7%]

Under age 50                         Count  Percent

Very conservative:                       25     14.7%

Somewhat conservative:           53     31.2%

Moderate:                                     63     37.1%

Somewhat liberal:                       23     6.2%

Very liberal:                                     6     3.5%

Total:                             170       100%

[Note: Sample size=170; Margin of error=7.7%]

Question: “I will now list the names of several public figures and groups, and we would like to know your opinion of them. It’s OK if you have not heard of them.  What is your opinion of…?”

Sam Brownback Count Percent

Very favorable:                              66    19.4%

Somewhat favorable:                 111    32.7%

Somewhat unfavorable:              49     14.4%

Very unfavorable:                          76    22.4%

Heard of, but no opinion:             34    10.0%

Have never heard of:                       4    1.2%

Total:                             340       100%

Among Republicans            Count  Percent

Very favorable:                           56        32.2%

Somewhat favorable:               69        39.7%

Somewhat unfavorable:           20        5.9%

Very unfavorable:                      19        10.9%

Heard of, but no opinion:          9          5.2%

Have never heard of:                 1          0.6%

Total:                            174       100%

[Note: Sample size=174; Margin of error=7.6%]

Over 50                                  Count  Percent

Very favorable:                          33        19.4%

Somewhat favorable:              53        31.2%

Somewhat unfavorable:         18        10.6%

Very unfavorable:                     49        28.8%

Heard of, but no opinion:         16        9.4%

Have never heard of:                 1          0.6%

Total:                             170       100%

[Note: Sample size=170; Margin of error=7.7%]

Under 50                                Count  Percent

Very favorable:                           33        19.4%

Somewhat favorable:               58        34.1%

Somewhat unfavorable:          31        18.2%

Very unfavorable:                      27        15.9%

Heard of, but no opinion:        18        10.6%

Have never heard of:                  3          1.8%

Total:                             170       100%

[Note: Sample size=170; Margin of error=7.7%]

Conservatives                        Count  Percent

Very favorable:                            55       40.0%

Somewhat favorable:                71        43.8%

Somewhat unfavorable:            16        9.9%

Very unfavorable:                        10       6.2%

Heard of, but no opinion:           9          5.6%

Have never heard of:                   1         0.6%

Total:                             162       100%

[Note: Sample size=162; Margin of error=7.9%]

Moderates                              Count  Percent

Very favorable:                            11        8.9%

Somewhat favorable:                34        27.6%

Somewhat unfavorable:            20       16.3%

Very unfavorable:                       35        28.5%

Heard of, but no opinion:         21        17.1%

Have never heard of:                   2          1.6%

Total:                             123       100%

[Note: Sample size=123; Margin of error=9.0%]

Kris Kobach Count  Percent

Read More →

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Click here to read this as a Web-friendly Email.

Benjamin Hodge

Kansas GOP Delegate, 2009-’10
Kansas Representative, 2007-’08
JCCC Trustee, 2005-’09
Web site: KansasReform.com
Phone:  (913) 259-4236
Email: contact@benjaminhodge.com

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

An update to our PAC board’s make-up

PAC advisory board heading into 2012: Rep. Mike Kiegerl, Michele Lockwood, Sen. Kay O’Connor, and Joel Yourdon

This is a team effort.  In this nation-wide limited government movement, and within our group at the Kansans for State and Local Reform PAC, it’s a team effort.  We all work together as much as possible and win, or else we don’t win.

I’d like to thank the group of five advisory board members who made a significant impact in regional political races in 2010.  This year, you’ll some of the same names, with some new names.

Heading into the budget battles of 2011 and 2012, and then into the elections of April, August, and November 2012, I’m pleased to update you on the membership of our advisory board:  Rep. Mike Kiegerl, Michele Lockwood, Sen. Kay O’Connor, and Joel Yourdon.  If we endorse a candidate or a position statement, it will be with the support of the majority of these respected Kansans.  I’m thankful for their support and time.

In closing, I’d like to say two things:

1. I want to explicitly invite you, the reader, to join us in working to elect fiscally conservative candidates, and to establish good-government policies.  Whether it’s with your time, energy, ideas, or dollars, we value your input.  Feel free to Email or call me (contact information is above).
2. I’d like to remind you that we’re a non-partisan PAC.  I view this as a strength.  While I am personally a Republican, I am not a “Republican first.”  In Kansas, we have a lot of Republicans in elected office, but we don’t have many who believe in limited, efficient government.  Liberalism is liberalism, waste is waste, and corruption is corruption, regardless which political party is responsible.  Our PAC will work to elect candidates of any party affiliation who support limited government, who support the US Constitution, or who — in the words of Jack Cashill — want to do more than to merely be a part of the regional Republican “Build Stuff” establishment.

Thank you for your time, as always.
Sincerely,

Benjamin Hodge

Kansas Representative, 2006-’08
Trustee, Johnson County Community College, 2005-’09
Voicemail: 913-259-4236
contact@benjaminhodge.com
www.benjaminhodge.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hodgekansas
YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/benjaminhodgeks
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/benjaminhodge

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The biggest November 2 upset in the state of Kansas, and in the Greater Kansas City area, was Jason Osterhaus’ 53% to 47% defeat of Larry Winn for the Johnson County Commission.  The margin was 1400 votes.  It wasn’t even close.

There are seven county commissioners and six districts, with each district representing more voters than a Kansas Senate district.

Larry Winn probably spent about $70,000 over the course of the entire election.  Jason Osterhaus spent $10-15,000.

Larry Winn is a perfect example of a “Republican in name only”:

• He supported Democratic Congressman Dennis Moore over Kris Kobach in the 2004 general election.
• This year, he endorsed Democratic incumbent Lisa Benlon in Kansas House district 22 (Overland Park) over Republican challenger Greg Smith (Smith won 51-49%).
• Larry Winn is a socialist.  Larry Winn agrees with Johnson County Republican Chair Ronnie Metsker that government should determine the educational choices for children, even though this is best determined by parents.  Larry Winn also opposes property rights.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll discuss some of the factors that led to Osterhaus’ victory.

Today, I’ll discuss the partisan breakdown of the race.

My PAC (Kansans for State and Local Reform) had endorsed Jason Osterhaus.  Throughout the election, we performed automated, push-button polls in order to both measure Osterhaus’ progress.  Our final poll was performed the day before the election, on Monday, November 1.

At the end of the day, Jason Osterhaus won because the message got communicated to voters that Jason Osterhaus was the economic conservative choice, the pro-life choice, the choice for property rights, and the Republican choice.  Consider these cross tabs from the Nov. 1 poll:

- Among Republican voters:  Discounting undecided voters, Jason Osterhaus received 64%

- Democrats: Discounting undecideds, Jason Osterhaus received 30%.

- Independents: Jason Osterhaus and Larry Winn tied at 50%, discounting undecideds.

About the poll:

• Voters were called only if they had voted in at least two of the last three general elections (among November elections in 2008, 2006, and 2004).
• Two-thirds of likely voters are over the age of 50.  In this particular poll, 67% of voters were over 50 (we asked in the poll if the voter was over 50 or under 50).
• The female-to-male ratio in this poll was 56% female to 44% female (we asked if the voter was male or female).
• Final sample size of 270 (margin of error 6.1%).
• According to voter registration, the partisan breakdown in this poll was:  Republican (55%), Democrat (29%), Unaffiliated (16%).  I do not yet know what the final turnout breakdown was in this county commission district.

Read More →

Monday, October 10, a phone call was sent to voters from Kris Kobach, in support of economic conservative Jason Osterhaus.  Osterhaus is running for the 4th District County Commission seat.  The seat is open; current Commissioner Ed Eilert is not seeking re-election and is instead running for the at-large county chair position against incumbent Chair Annabeth Surbaugh.

This phone call was paid for by the Kansans for Government Reform PAC, which I chair.  Last week, we paid for a message from Darla Jaye, in support of Jason Osterhaus.

Listen to the Kris Kobach call by clicking here.

Listen to the Darla Jaye phone call by clicking here.

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Great news: Republicans are running in every one of the 22 state representative seats in Johnson County.

On June 7, I wrote how there was not yet a candidate in District 24, where GOP County Chair Ronnie Metsker resides.  I said that he should run, if nobody else will.  An update:  Republicans have a candidate — Michael Foltz from Roeland Park — though I don’t yet know what he believes.  I hope that, unlike Metsker, he will be willing to tell others what his philosophies are.

With District 24 filled, this means that Republicans have a candidate for every one of the state representative seats in Johnson County.  There are 125 total Kansas House seats in the state, and 22 of them include Johnson County voters.  In 2012, after redistricting, I expect another 3-5 seats added to that Johnson County total.

After election day in November 2010, we’re going to have the strongest group of conservative, pro-freedom legislators in the history of Johnson County.

Visit the county election page to see the list of candidates.

Read More →

Click here to view a Web page version of my recent Email on this topic.

Listen in tonight at 6 p.m. on 980 AM radio, as Darla Jaye interviews Catholic lawyer and former Johnson County Community College student Kathy Brown.  Click here to listen live at KMBZ’s Web site.

It is amazing, the ongoing unethical and incompetent leadership of JCCC leaders President Terry Calaway, elected Trustee Board Chair Jon Stewart (below, right), and Board Vice-Chair Don Weiss (below, left).

It all ends up hurting students, and it ends up costing taxpayers millions of dollars through wasteful expenses.

Sam Brownback shares responsibility for promoting this anti-educational environment at JCCC, because Brownback inexplicably placed corrupt JCCC Trustee Lynn Mitchelson on his campaign committee.  Mitchelson even supports the college’s no-bid contract to dishonest attorney Mark Ferguson, who is a law partner with Kansas Democratic Party chairman Larry Gates.

Kathy Brown was a student during the first semester of 2009.  She accuses JCCC of two separate First Amendment violations.  Fifteen months later, JCCC leaders still have offered her no meaningful explanation or solution.  Yet these same leaders recently responded to illegal immigrant students within three days, when they wanted to attend a conference at taxpayer expense.

A year ago, I had no idea how accurate I was, when I described the law-breaking at JCCC under President Terry Calaway, Board Chair Shirley Brown-VanArsdale, and Vice-Chair Lynn Mitchelson as “the cover-up is worse than the crime.”  That was when they wasted thousands of dollars covering up their law-breaking after they broke the Kansas Open Meetings Act (it’s pretty clear that many of them didn’t even know the law, despite being public officials for years and years).  My comment was also made after it had been proven that Calaway’s choice for Dean of Arts and Sciences Betty Furtwengler (right) had violated the First Amendment by punishing a professor for merely criticizing the human rights records of Muslim-controlled nations.  Furtwengler’s department is the same department under which Kathy Brown was a student.

I was a public representative at JCCC through the end of June 2009, yet Terry Calaway, JCCC’s lawyer Mark Ferguson, and elected leaders Lynn Mitchelson and Brown-VanArsdale violated their ethical duties to inform me of Brown’s complaints.  Yet they did take the time to send me a taxpayer-funded “cease and desist” letter that was based off of knowingly-false premises, and that threatened me with a taxpayer-funded lawsuit if I were to continue to accurately accuse them of engaging in unethical, dishonest behavior.

Keep in mind, also, that many of these hostile, anti-educational actions by JCCC leaders occurred after the college added the Orwellian job of “Dean of Learner Engagement” within the administration.  The job was given to the pro-union (NEA) faculty member Rick Moehring (right), who was so aloof that he then interviewed with The Kansas City Star to tell us how (in his mind) he got the job, and during one of America’s weakest economies ever.

What was the most important influence in your ability to achieve this particular position?
“Passion and ideas. I have a strong passion to see students succeed and love the process by which ideas become innovation.”

What is your best advice for others interested in moving up?
“Two things. First, my time in leadership within the faculty taught me that, as a leader, people need to be able to trust and respect you, your motives, and your ideas. Develop yourself as a leader now. If you cannot convince people to follow you early in your career, an administrative position will not help.
The second is summed up nicely by Eric Hoffer, an American social writer and philosopher who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1983: ‘In times of drastic change, it is the learner who inherits the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.’”

JCCC’s motto is “Learning comes first.”  No, it does not.  These people are not serious educators.  They are unconcerned about student performance, and they are unconcerned about representing the interests of the voting taxpayers.

Listen in tonight at 6 p.m. to Darla Jaye’s show.

Links to related stories:

• Kansas Watchdog: JCCC, LUNA, La Raza and alleged discrimination against students lacking documentation
• Kansas City Star:  JCCC tries to find way to send students, including illegal immigrants, to conference
• Kansas Watchdog:  Former student pushes JCCC ‘Discomfort’ complaint
• Nice Deb:  JCCC Student Discovers Campus “Discomfort Doctrine” Only Applies To Conservatives

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