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Share ThisSep 25, 2008
Columbia Daily Tribune - Ninth District: An impressive win for Baker
In her effort to succeed Kenny Hulshof as representative from this Ninth Congressional District, Judy Baker had a formidable hurdle. In the primary election she faced Steve Gaw and Ken Jacob, two fellow Democrats from her general neighborhood with longer and more advanced state legislative records and, one would imagine, superior name recognition throughout the district. Moreover, the fourth contender was the only Right to Life Democrat, a niche he often touted.
That she was able to win a decisive victory bodes well for her vote-getting power, but she will face a different kind of challenge in the general election. Among Democrats she did not have much of an ideological challenge. Against Blaine Luetkemeyer, the Republican nominee, she will face the wrath of God.
If one message resounded in Luetkemeyer’s successful primary election campaign, it was his Right to Life bona fides. He was, by God, the only candidate endorsed by Missouri Right to Life, the mischievous organization responsible for so much of the recent turmoil plaguing Missouri legislative politics. He beat back four other candidates similarly determined to let Right to Life orders affect their lawmaking decisions, including Rep. Bob Onder, the architect of the grievous but blessedly unsuccessful bill in last year’s session to identify abortion "coercion" a crime.
In other words, Luetkemeyer beat back a world-class contingent in his claim as the Right to Life candidate.
Judy Baker is the wife of a mainline Baptist preacher in Columbia. How interesting for her to be the champion of religious separation in the coming political race, but without ceding an atom of her religious belief system, whatever it is, she believes in keeping it out of public policymaking.
It will be interesting to see how this race evolves. The Ninth District is home to many religious conservatives who see nothing wrong with making public policy accordingly. Baker herself is more a moderate than a flaming liberal. She is closer to traditional Missouri political centrism than today’s breed of religious right-wingers. But in the coming campaign, count on Luetkemeyer to tout his religious conservatism and don’t sniff at the votes this message might attract. To win the district, Baker needs to pile up a strong vote margin in places like Boone County, where we know her well and generally believe in divorcing sectarianism from public lawmaking.
Everyone calls for political change. Not much new in that. Nothing against Christianity, you understand, but this year we do need a decided shift away from Christian-right conservatism in our legislatures, and on this count the choice is clear. When it comes to making public policy without undue religious flavor, Judy Baker will be a more wholesome influence. Think of federal laws that might be debated restricting freedom to do stem cell research.
Also, her solid record as a legislator and her admirable personal attributes argue for her election.
Let us assume Blaine Luetkemeyer is of estimable moral quality, but let him proselytize from the pulpit, not the halls of Congress.
