Conservative

Jackson: GOP candidate needs to make changes to win Congressional election

Currently, the Congressional elections seem to be favoring the GOP, with political analysts expecting the GOP to have at least 53 seats in the Senate, according to Real Clear Politics. From Joni Ernst in South Carolina to Cory Gardner in Montana, the GOP will be cleaning up this election cycle.

But one seat in Kansas is being fought over in an unexpectedly fierce battle between current Republican Incumbent Pat Roberts and independent challenger Greg Orman. The Wallstreet Journal reported on Oct. 9 that “Polls show as many as a third of Kansas Republicans are abandoning Mr. Roberts—a share big enough to give the election to Mr. Orman if he consolidates Democratic and independent support.” Roberts needs to ramp up his campaign to avoid losing the seat at all costs.

Roberts has been the senator of Kansas since 1997 and is the quintessential career politician, benefitting from what used to be an incredibly safe state for the Republican Party. But currently, he is losing what should be a pretty safe seat because he’s seen as an old dog with no new tricks. Losing to challenger independent Greg Orman, who is seen by many as an out of touch millionaire that dodges questions about his specific policy ideas, would be an embarrassment to the Republican Party.

The first thing Roberts needs to do is show the people of Kansas that he isn’t a complacent career politician. He needs to be much more assertive. He’s always been seen as a quiet Senator but he needs to make himself the center of attention if he wants to win this election. He’s started doing this recently, vowing that he would “block all legislation in the Senate with a prolonged filibuster if President Obama tries to transfer detainees from Guantanamo Bay to the United States,” according to an Oct. 10 article from The Hill.

Roberts also needs to better appeal to the Tea Party. Even though Ted Cruz and Sarah Palin have both endorsed him, the Tea Party still doesn’t favor Roberts. However, Roberts is leaving votes on the table by not having the entire right with him.



The Republican Party is still projected to gain seats this fall even if Roberts loses. However, to see a three-term senator lose to someone who can’t even define his policies is appalling. Roberts needs to play to his strengths and build upon them. He needs to use his longevity in office as a plus, as well as continue to be a consistent force for things like second amendment rights when compared to a fence-sitting candidate like Greg Orman.

Roberts is fighting for his political life but he needs to fight harder. He has clearly been doing something right for the past 17 years — he just needs to remind voters of what that is.

Rami Jackson is a junior entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises and policy studies major. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at rdjackso@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @IsRamicJ.





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