I think Kansas is creeping towards more purple. If anything cause of Joco and the abortion vote show there are some undertones that are more pragmatic than just up down Republican. I think maga just goes against the pragmatist inclining of most people, let alone Kansans.
FTR I think any flip is probably a decade plus away
The Governorship has had about as many Dem terms as Rep going back to the 50's - so yeah, the pragmatism is there. Granted, Dem in Kansas has been more traditional populist, and the legislature and national offices have been solidly true to their archetypes.
Yeah for sure, and really I think a discussion on the election last night kinda highlights this. It's not so much a Kansas thing (though it is) but it was sort of funny, but also sort of hit me when they were talking about how MO voted for abortion and minimum wage increase yet voted for Hawley/Trump. And they couldn't like, figure out how that could be be (and to be fair it's a fair point). Though one did slightly remark that it seems like it's a very national/brand vs local dichotomy and I think that's closer to the truth, but I also think it's a symptom of the general "popular vote" vs "states/reps/electoral college" break.
Like most people want things like abortion, minimum wage increases, and stuff like that, and if you put it to a vote it'll probably pass, but it seems like it only works at local levels, for whatever reason it has to come down low, not up high. And maybe that is a disconnect dems have to either reconcile or understand. It's almost like the shift is more local kinda of autonomy feeling rather than feeling like you mandate it country wide.