Kansas City loves Jason Kander.
Mr. Kander is now a Mayoral Kingmaker . . . By a rather significant margin.
The young statesman is brilliant, ambitious and now has a great deal of momentum.
To wit . . .
KANSAS CITY POLITICAL EXPERTS ARE NOW DISCUSSING JASON KANDER AS A LIKELY REPLACEMENT FOR CONGRESSMAN EMANUEL CLEAVER!!!
Behind the scenes, everybody agrees that Congressman Cleaver is tired of the game. He has built an impeccable career and a legacy that makes all of Kansas City proud. Very solid talk that he's moving closer to retirement abounds.
Here are just a few reasons for Kander's move to Congress, I've got plenty more and we'll revisit this topic soon enough . . . So:
Jason Kander is a Georgetown Lawyer . . . He didn't come back to Kansas City because he loves you as much as you love him. He came back from D.C. to be sent back to D.C. and anything less would be a waste of his talent.
Kander now has credibility among so many African-American voters thanks to his affiliation with Sly James -- That'll help run in Congressman Cleaver's Former District. An endorsement from the soon-to-be Mayor James would the right way to start a campaign as well.
Finally . . .
Who else is there? The Democrats were devastated in November and I can't think of anyone who now wields as much new found power as Jason Kander.
You d-bags tell me . . .
I still think that as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus that he will want to stay at least another term. Just my thought, but then again I thought Burke was going to win mayor yesterday.
ReplyDeleteMike Sanders is next in line .
ReplyDeleteCleaver's district will soon be "redistricted" to encompass either some of the northland or more to the south. Either way, that district will be gaining republican cotes, not democrat. Cleaver won in 2010 but with a surprisingly weak showing, and considerable likelihood of doing even worse in 2012.
ReplyDeleteIf the Dems are smart, they will give Cleaver a gold watch and fire him with the hope that a younger person can do better.
Mike Sanders may be next in line but the line will end with him if that is the choice. Go young or get used to a Republican.
ReplyDeleteKander needs to grow a mustache. Sanders needs to wash his hair.
ReplyDeleteKander is a FAR BETTER choice than Mike Sanders.
ReplyDeleteGood for Kander.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Cleaver can make up another story about being spat upon.
ReplyDeleteMARK FUNKHOUSER4CONGRESS!!!!
ReplyDeleteHe'd fit in perfectly!
Depends on what your looking for in a candidate.
ReplyDeleteKander is great at raising money and self promotion but doesnt have a legislative accomplishment to call his own
Sanders has the countywide name rec and little controversey but he has no imagination and very little charisma
Talboy is an insiders insider, he knows everyone but being leader of a weak caucus doesnt do much
Holsman is a work horse and chairs two committees in a republican controlled legislature but he has a young family and cant or wont raise money to be considered serious
Jan marcason would be a formidable opponent but she has never had a real race and the kanders would eat her for lunch
My money is on jolie justus, she is popular and has been effective in the senate her problem will be redistricting because she may be too liberal for the new map
Victor callahan might also run but i doubt he gets any traction outside eastern jack
All of this is a meaningless exercise because cleaver serves another 6-8 years
Rumor has it that Kander's wife is WHITE.
ReplyDeleteKander vs. Sanders vs. Terry Riley = win for Terry Riley
ReplyDeleteWhy the hell is Kander getting all of the credit for Sly winning? Oh right, he's telling everyone that will listen that it was all his doing.
ReplyDeleteKander is a serious candidate for Congress. Tough to say how well he would fair because his money could go to Sanders or another candidate. He could be a pretty good choice.
Sanders is the leader until something changes (ie a possible Lt. Gov run). Dems love him, he gets some respect in eastern Jack, and he has strong backers. In an election where almost every Republican won, he didn't even have to campaign hard to get re-elected.
Jan Marcason could be a strong candidate. She has wound up on several national boards/committees recently and she represents the right part of KC. Would probably be the only female in the race.
Holsman has nowhere near the support. Justus would never run because she knows she can't win; too bad too.
If you look at Jason's record he starting to a line more and more with the Republicians.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant at what?
ReplyDeleteI have heard the rumors about Kander wanting to "quietly" move Cleaver out of the way. His leaking this story to you is proof that this is more than mere speculation. Jason needs to keep his ambition in better public check. I'm sure Cleaver is thrilled to hear about Jason's interest in his demise. BTW, if Sanders were to run against Kander, Sanders is sitting on an 80% plus name ID with ONLY a 7% negative (recent mayoral election polling - and the best of any local poli by a huge margin). He would be very tough to beat. However, with two young kids, I don;t think his heart would be in it.
ReplyDeleteBTW, Justus would be great and I think in a few years she would be ready. She could work a deal with Sanders and Callahan I'm fairly certain.
ReplyDeleteMay the best man win and assume position at the taxpayer trough.
ReplyDeleteA close examination of Kander's marquee piece of state legislation (Election Ethics Reform) shows it is deeply faulty and in some cases, silly.
ReplyDeleteThat tells me that Kander needs a little more seasoning before he is ready to tackle D.C.
"He conducted classified intelligence investigations regarding groups and individuals suspected of espionage, narcotics trafficking, corruption, and facilitating Al Qaeda and the Taliban."
ReplyDeleteThat would be most of the Republican Party wouldn't it?
4:33 PM
ReplyDeleteMore reason to send Kander to D.C. he'll have a more target rich environment to practice his craft in then he had in Afgahnistan.
Kander's self-promotion (yes, he is a poser) and ambition are well recognized in political circles, but the electorate are fairly ignorant of him.
ReplyDeleteAnd I would guess he would have the support of then-Mayor James (Sly?).
But as others have already pointed out, the real key to should he or shouldn't he will be redistricting.
Congressman Kander . . .
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of that.
And for all you naysayers, unless you've seen Kander's work up close and personal, all of your comments are meaningless. Jason Kander has more ambition, talent and accomplishments than any one of you, or, all of you combined posting comments here on TKC.
Kander is still an unproven commodity.
ReplyDeleteSure, he can help an older, established and solid candidate win a race against a flunky incumbent and then a non-combatant opponent.
But he hasn't played hard and rough with the big boys as a minority party member yet.
And he certainly hasn't proven he can safely and effectively wield any of his new-found power.
Kander would be wise to lay back; watch the redistricting; use his new-found power to help old friends and make new strategic friends; and to build his name recognition with some high profile, bigger success stories (preferably in KC).
Or go to Jeff City and bring home some jobs- or else don't come home.
4:45 must be Diana posting again.....
ReplyDeleteKander is saber rattling against Cleaver in order to forced the Congressman's hand to help Kander become County Prosecutor.
ReplyDeleteSanders folks are really quoting polls on TKC? No that's not Calvin (yeah right)
ReplyDeleteJason Kander is a smarmy little prick who's biggest accomplishment is "ethics reform" that makes it EASIER for campaigns/PACs to hide the source of their $$$.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is, he actually WAS writing something legit until someone strong armed him and he re-wrote the bill into the bastardized state it is today.
Kander himself has to be smart enough to know that his "biggest accomplishment" is nothing more than a fraud, and a way for corrupt politics as usual to continue. And his wife's a cunt.
Her face looks like it was smacked with an iron skillet, fo' sheezy.
ReplyDeleteYep, jealousy at its best in here. Keep on posting all of you haters. Jason Kander looks better with each nasty, vile comment you post.
ReplyDeleteAin't happening.
ReplyDeletePay your dues, Mr. Kander. Pay your dues. You aren't that charismatic to jump line just like that.
ReplyDeleteI remember when Jason Kander's wife pulled strings and had Beth Gottstein's campaign manager arrested on trumped up charges that were later dropped when Diana was running the campaign against Beth.
ReplyDeleteDiana Kander is getting a bad reputation at an early age. Too bad, I used to like her.
ReplyDelete4:45: "Jason Kander has more ambition" "than any one of you, or, all of you combined posting comments here on TKC."
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely noone doubts that Jason Kander has more ambition than, well, just about anyone in the entire universe. Kander's ambitiousness knows no bounds; indeed, I think his over-ambitiousness is precisely what lots of people (or maybe just one or two, posting repeatedly, since I find it hard to believe that any state rep anywhere in the world inspires this much emotion) on here are commenting about. The question is whether his ambition matches up to his actual abilities, accomplishments, and potential. I honestly don't know the answer to that. Every interaction I've had with him (not many), the only thing I've taken away is that he's mildly personable/funny and possessed of an enormous, transparent, wear-it-on-his-sleeve ambition.
Those of us that have been around the block a time or two have seen plenty masters of the universe before.
ReplyDeleteWhether in politics, business, finance, government or the military, the self-promoting self-important eventually self-destruct.
The Kanders are no different.
They should spend more of their time working on the quality of their character with the Torah and the Old Testament.
Otherwise, all that one needs to do is to wait and watch while the Peter principle runs its course.
Great photo of Kander smugly enjoying the point he made while the other 8 people in the photo ignore his and engage in their own private conversations.
ReplyDeleteWill Beth run against him in the primary?
ReplyDeleteI am disappointed that Jolie Justus extended trust to the Kanders when they have tried to destroy her at every turn, starting with their support of Jason Klumb.
ReplyDeleteJolie is stupid.
New found power? Jason Kander is enjoying his '15 minutes' of fame. All pomp and circumstance and no substance. He will be irrelevant this time next year.
ReplyDelete7:41 is the smartest person in the room.
ReplyDeleteI thought 7:59 was.
ReplyDeleteCleaver is an absolute disgrace. A fine line between a crack dealer and a U.S. Rep. He built his wealth through the bible. He should be ashamed.
ReplyDelete@7:44
ReplyDeletehaha! good catch on the picture.
I still say Kander's wife being white is a problem.
ReplyDeleteHaving Kander and Sanders in a primary opens a real opportunity for Justus. Being a woman and much more liberal than those 2 creates a path for primary victory even in a redrawn district.
ReplyDeleteSly and Jolie go back much further than Sly and Kander, even though Kander was quicker to endorse. My bet is that Sly stays neutral in a primary between those two.
My guess is that Cleaver serves at least 1, more likely 2, more terms and that is an eternity in KC politics. There will be a very strong push to keep the 5th a minority seat which means if Sly is still a popular mayor, he may be in the race himself.
Jolie Justus would be GREAT, and the BLACK COMMUNITY, would get a GREAT EDUCATION on REAL RESPECTFUL REPRESENTATION. (JOLIE IS GOOD TO GO!) I would campaign for her.
ReplyDeleteEven Mike Sanders, I have good words for, on a matter of respect towards winning a spot in the hearts of the minority voices, which was an effort to show inclusion.(good political move in the books) Sometimes a person can do things and it goes a long way toward progress. I guess I have a little respect for the man.
Yes, I am Black, and Cleaver should go, should be there now.
Sander's gambling problem will keep him from reaching any higher office.
ReplyDeleteThe Kanders with their lies, ambition, and tactics will continue to disgrace Kansas City on an even larger scale if given any opportunity to represent in Washington. He is just another slick politician who accomplishes very little in a suit.
ReplyDeleteKander needs to address the accusations of War Crimes in Afghanistan. He refuses to provide official records of what he did in while deployed in Afghanistan -- he says it is classified. War stories told on the stump are not enough Jason, provide the official records of your duty.
ReplyDelete