Oct. 29, 2002 | KU Radio News Line

Audio


Contact: Frank Barthell, University Relations, (785) 864-8869.

Radio News Line text:
KU political scientist examines the three political parties in Kansas

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR ALLAN CIGLER AGREES WITH OTHER POLITICAL OBSERVERS THAT THERE ARE THREE POLITICAL PARTIES IN KANSAS: DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS AND THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT WING OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

IN SOME PARTS OF THE STATE, CIGLER SAYS, THIS CONSERVATIVE THIRD PARTY RECRUITS ITS OWN SLATE OF CANDIDATES AND RAISES MONEY FOR THEM. CIGLER SAYS THIS GROUP MAKES UP ABOUT A THIRD OF THE REGISTERED KANSAS REPUBLICANS.

CIGLER SAYS SEVERAL ISSUES SPLIT THE TWO WINGS OF THE KANSAS REPUBLICAN PARTY.
Cigler: "I think the thing that divides the Republicans more than anything else are social issues, starting with abortion. In recent years they have included what's taught in public schools and the appropriateness of gambling as a revenue-raising thing." (14 sec.)

CIGLER SAYS THE STATE'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN DEMOCRATS IN OTHER STATES. ON CERTAIN ISSUES, HE SAYS, SOME DEMOCRATS ALIGN WITH THE STATE'S CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS.
Cigler: "In many ways, many of the Christian conservatives, economically, are in situations not all that different than our traditional image of the Democrats. They're not particularly supportive of pro-business initiatives. They both have tinges of what's often called populism. There is real resentment toward elites in populism, and some of the Democrats and some of the Christian right people share those views." (24 sec.)

CIGLER SAYS THE MAINSTREAM WING OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TENDS TO BE MORE SUPPORTIVE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES AND MORE LIBERAL ON SOCIAL ISSUES.
Cigler: "A lot of Republicans in this state, particularly in the suburban areas, are pretty liberal in terms of social issues. Even in presidential elections, for example, Clinton did pretty well in Johnson County, largely because of the Republican women's vote." (15 sec.)

CIGLER SAYS REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE TIM SHALLENBURGER FACES AN UPHILL BATTLE ATTRACTING THESE MODERATE REPUBLICANS.
Cigler: "The problem is when you go from the primary to the general election, you move from being a factional leader to sort of a grand coalition leader, and you've got to moderate your view. But as you moderate your view, you alienate the very people that are your core supporters." (14 sec.)

CIGLER SAYS SHALLENBERGER'S RECENT WAVE OF ADS CRITICIZING DEMOCRAT KATHLEEN SEBELIUS' VOTING RECORD WILL HAVE LITTLE IMPACT ON THE VOTERS.
Cigler: "Will it make any difference? I suspect it won't, largely because I don't see that many undecided voters out there. His major hope to win is that this is a low-turnout election and his people turn out a great deal. Democrat moderates who are not wide-eyed liberals tend to do pretty well when the Republican party is divided." (17 sec.)

IN ANOTHER RACE, DEMOCRAT DENNIS MOORE IS RUNNING AGAINST ADAM TAFF IN THE HEAVILY REPUBLICAN THIRD U-S CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. DESPITE THE REPUBLICAN NUMBERS ADVANTAGE, CIGLER PREDICTS A CLOSE RACE BECAUSE, HE SAYS, MOORE HAS SUPPORTED PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH ON A NUMBER OF KEY ISSUES.
Cigler: "He has taken issue positions that are quite compatible with that constituency, everything from supporting the Bush tax cuts. He was one of the first Democrats out there saying that he supported Bush on the Iraq initiatives and so forth. He's taken the position that has actually angered Democrats in the district when he supported trade with China." (20 sec.)

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