Change climate one hurdle for whomever GOP picks

The current clamor for change in American politics could spell problems for whomever the GOP eventually nominates for governor, according to an analysis in today's Kansas City Star:

One other hurdle for Republicans is the “change” climate now dominating national politics. Democrats fit that demand for new direction better than any Republican because the GOP has been in control the last four years, said state Auditor Susan Montee, a Democrat.

“I think that we’ve seen that we’re ready for a change,” Montee said. “We’ve seen it on the national level with record turnouts of Democrats in Iowa and New Hampshire. Everybody is ready for something new and different.”

With President Bush as its leader, the Republican Party “is in some kind of shambles right now, not just nationally but here in our state,” Montee said.

As more proof, she pointed to the Missouri defections of state Sen. Chris Koster and Chris Benjamin, a former chief of staff to House Speaker Rod Jetton, to the Democrats.