August 15, 2018 - Competent Conservatism Model? - MMJ Fists Fly - More on McDowell - Leadership Talk and more...

Schmitt’s UnTrumpian Demeanor

This clip is making the rounds on Twitter.  It’s State Treasurer Eric Schmitt talking to the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance. 

It feels – and sounds – completely out of step with the zeitgeist of our time. A tearful politician saying that “the beauty that we can find in our differences is something that can change the world” is about as unTrumpian as you can get.

And yet Schmitt’s brand might end up being well positioned for future cycles.

He’s been quiet, focusing on his office and duties, instead of wading into other issues or controversies.

One Republican thinks this could be called “competent conservativism,” and thinks that Governor Mike Parson is a practitioner as well. 

There’s a school of thought that believes this will be a natural reaction to the Trump years. Voters will be fatigued from the chest-thumping bombast (think: Greitens machine-gunning), coupled with seemingly endless scandals and controversies.  Without abandoning their conservative values, they’ll want something quieter.  
Such a moment could be in 2020 or 2024, or could come much sooner… If Republicans suffer big losses in the mid-terms and Trump’s bullying behaviors are blamed, conservatives might be looking for alternative models of Republican governance.

Leadership Race Talk

I haven’t done full spreadsheets looking at leadership races yet.  However in conversations over the course of the last week a few consensus opinions are emerging among building denizens.

Sen. Caleb Rowden is now considered the clear favorite to win Floor Leader in the Senate; and Rep. Travis Fitzwater is expected to win the Pro Tem position in the House.

Additionally – this wouldn’t qualify as “consensus” – it does seem to me that Sen. Bob Onder is probably pleased with the Senate primary outcomes; it may have provided a nice boost to his Senate Pro Tem bid.

MMJ Fists Fly

It now seems clear that the three medical marijuana campaigns are going to slug it out from now until November and potential beyond that depending on that outcome. 

The first punch has been thrown: Joplin News reported that Brad Bradshaw, the founder and funder of one of the three medical marijuana proposals, sued to knock the other two off the ballot. See it here.

On Facebook MMJ advocate Eapen Thampy says he thinks this news means that “the likelihood of Missouri voters not approving medical marijuana on the November ballot went up significantly yesterday. There are a couple likely scenarios:

1) Bradshaw gets both New Approach Missouri and Missourians for Patient Care initiative petitions disqualified from the November ballot. In that case, it's very likely voters reject Bradshaw's Find the Cure initiative at the polls (the best precedent for this analysis is Ohio in 2015, where voters rejected a marijuana constitutional amendment that would have put licensees directly in the Ohio Constitution. Bradshaw's initiative would put him in the Missouri Constitution as the individual in charge of medical marijuana in Missouri).

2. Bradshaw only gets one initiative knocked off the Missouri November ballot and drops multi-million dollar check to go negative against the other campaign. It makes a difference if the initiative is New Approach Missouri or Missourians for Patient Care. If NAM is disqualified, I think voters are somewhat likely to reject both Bradshaw's initiative and MPC. If MPC is disqualified, I think the voters pass NAM and reject Bradshaw's initiative.

One outcome is already baked in: a month delay as these lawsuits are evaluated by the courts will hinder fundraising and messaging for both NAM and MPC….”

Who Can Sue McDowell?

One reader sent me this statute that seems to indicate that it’s up to other candidates to challenge Saundra McDowell’s qualifications.  And that their time to do so is limited – within 5 days after certification.

115.526.  Qualifications of candidates may be challenged, by whom, procedure — disqualification, when. — 1.  Any candidate for nomination to an office at a primary election may challenge the declaration of candidacy or qualifications of any other candidate for nomination to the same office to seek or hold such office, or to have his name printed on the ballot, and any candidate for election to an office at a general or special election may challenge the declaration of candidacy or qualifications of any other candidate for election to the same office to seek or hold such office or to have his name printed on the ballot.  Except as provided in sections 115.563 to 115.573, challenges shall be made by filing a verified petition with the appropriate court as is provided for in case of a contest of election for such office in sections 115.527 to 115.601.  The petition shall set forth the points on which the challenger wishes to challenge the declaration of candidacy or qualifications of the candidate and the facts he will prove in support of such points, and shall pray leave to produce his proof.

  2.  In the case of challenge to a candidate for nomination in a primary election, the petition shall be filed not later than thirty days after the final date for filing for such election.  Except as otherwise provided by law, in the case of challenge to a candidate for election to an office in a general or special election, the petition shall be filed not later than five days after the latest date for certification of a candidate by the officer responsible for issuing such certification.  In the case of a disability occurring after said respective deadlines, the petition shall be filed not later than five days after the disability occurs or is discovered.  Answers to the petition may be filed at the time and as provided in sections 115.527 to 115.601, specifying the qualifications of the candidate for holding the office for which he is a candidate for election or for nomination.

Also

Another Missouri Supreme Court case circulating (see it here) has a seemingly much narrower reading of what qualifies as residency.

And

Galloway tweets that she’s looking forward to debating “the GOP nominee,” implicitly asking “Who knows who the nominee will be by then!?”

New Committees

Jeff Francis formed a candidate committee (Campaign To Elect Jeff Francis) to run for House 23 as an Independent.

$5K+ Contributions

SaferMo.Com - $40,000 from American Council of Engineering Companies.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Patricia Yaeger.

MOScout Reminder

As part of the website overhaul, The MOScout Weekly Summary will now be opt-in for MOScout subscribers.  If you would like to continue to receive this, let me know by sending me an email (dave@moscout.com).