What are the odds of the MO Democrats taking back either chamber of the legislature anytime soon ?

Slim to none for some time. When straight party voting went away, it removed a huge Dem advantage.

First, to the subject of the posting, Judy Baker is well-qualified and, whichever party is in power, if they chose from among their ranks well-qualified people, we are all better served.

As to Democratic control of the state legislature, keep in mind the GOP effectively controlled legislative redistricting (got their map) in 1981, 1991 and 2001, so the map is overwhelmingly in their favor.

Also, the Democrats’ only discernible campaign theme across Missouri legislative campaigns, “We’re slightly less corrupt than the Republicans,” does not hold up well in the light of recent criminal cases involving Democratic legislators. (Over time, both parties have had their share of legislators going to prison or otherwise in legal hot water, but the last several have been Democrats).

One last point. In the 1920’s, when the GOP decided immigrants were the cause of all problems in the country, and hit them hard with Prohibition (read your history, it was aimed at immigrants) and the Immigration Act of 1924 that tried to keep out immigrants from Catholic countries and Asia, the Democratic Party embraced immigrants and, through about as direct a causality as can be measured by political science, became the de facto majority party from the 1930’s through the 1990’s, some 60 YEARS!

Now, the GOP again is the party that hates immigrants, but the Democrats are too timid to embrace immigrants, and are blowing a chance to reclaim a generations-long majority.

> First, to the subject of the posting, Judy Baker is well-qualified

Really? According to her own website, she has a BA in education studies from Mizzou, and an M.Div. from Southern Theological Seminary. She has worked in “administrative roles” at two Georgia healthcare facilities, and as director of operations at a facility in Jeff City. So she has no education in business or healthcare management, and some OJT at three facilities. Considering that the federal government is trying to take over the healthcare industry, it seems like we should have people with extensive education and experience serving in these positions, not somebody with no relevant education and limited OJT.

Nick:

As the excerpt below illustrates, she has more experience in healthcare than your post leads most to believe. She owns a consulting firm that primarily focuses on health care consulting–i.e. helping hospital administrators figure out ways to CUT COSTS (a major part of healthcare reform, i’d say). She also has a Master’s in health administration from MU–see this link: http://house.mo.gov/bio/?year=2008&district=025.

“Upon arriving back in Missouri, she joined MU’s University Physicians practice plan, first serving as director of operations at Capital Region Medical Group in Jefferson City during the University’s management of the facility and then as interim executive director of the entire practice plan until 2002. She left the University at that time and found her own consulting firm, now Cura Advantage. In addition to operating her business, she has served as part-time administrative director for ACTS International, a not-for-profit, humanitarian organization dedicated to building partnerships that benefit the country of Georgia, and as an adjunct professor teaching managerial economics at Columbia College. She formerly served as vice chairman of the Missouri Petroleum Storage Tank Insurance Fund.”

InreplytoNickKasoff - Thanks for the link to her bio. That Masters in Health Administration certainly makes her more qualified, though I still don’t know that I’d say “well qualified.” But I have a question: Why, when running for Congress in a year when healthcare was a big issue, did she omit this degree from her campaign website?

http://judybakerforcongress.com/meet-judy-2

Nick, I have no particular inside knowledge, but if in fact Baker left the master’s degree off her campaign resume, it might be because, especially in states like Missouri, voters don’t like well-educated candidates; the late Bill Hungate was Congressman in the 9th for 12 years and, while he freely admitted to be a “country lawyer” from rural northeast Missouri, he never, ever noted in campaign materials that is law degree was from Harvard.