The Missouri Democratic Party has posted a video on its Website portraying the Republican candidates for governor as, well, not ready for prime time. The video (see below) is a collection of shots taken mostly by tracker Vinay Vaz, who has been paid to follow the candidates and record their every move.

(Brief side note: When I first moved to Jefferson City, I realized I was in the same apartment complex as Vaz, who is always carrying a camera. Freaked me out. You never know when the trackers might get bored with the politicians and turn their cameras elsewhere!)

The video portrays Sarah Steelman as a bumbling speaker who can’t get a sentence out and Kenny Hulshof as a candidate who speaks (well) but never has anything to say. (In a touch of irony, that’s the same criticism U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Springfield, leveled at Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. when the presidential candidate was in Missouri on Wednesday. Blunt has endorsed Hulshof.)

Some of the pieces, when put together, are clearly used for dramatic effect and are taken a bit out of context. But, based on my memory of some of the news conferences, there are some direct hits as well. For instance, in a bit from the tape, I ask Hulshof at one of his first news conferences what he thinks specifically about Insure Missouri. He says that he’ll be putting out specific health care proposals in coming weeks. Hasn’t happened yet.

And Steelman? Well, even her own camp admits that she’s not always great on the stump. Though they’re trying to get a lot of mileage out of the Glenn Beck interview.