Forget The Beltway Pundits-- Could Kathleen Sebelius Win Back Voters In Kansas' Senate Race?

In 2002, Democrat Kathleen Sebelius, then the state's Insurance Commissioner, was elected Governor of Kansas over fringe Republican extremist Tim Schallenberger, 441,858 (53%)- 376,830 (45%). She ran on a platform that was pro-Choice, anti-capital punishment and against people carrying concealed weapons, called for a $1,000 per student increase in public education spending and refused to take the conservative "no new taxes" pledge.

Her 4 years in office made an excellent impression on Kansas voters and in 2006 she was reelected with a whopping 491,993 votes (58%) against Republican state Senator Jim Barnett's 343,586 votes (40%). She led in every single poll taken in 2006, almost all of them by GOP polling firm Rasmussen.

Not everybody remembers all that. But everyone remembers that Obama appointed her Secretary of Health and Human Services in 2009 and that she was charged with implementing the Affordable Care Act. Some Catholics are also aware that the fascist Cardinal Raymond Burke, recently fired from his key job and sidelined by Pope Francis, had denied her the right of communion.

Yesterday, the NY Times reported that Sebelius is considering running for the Kansas Senate seat currently being contested by out-of-touch, doddering incumbent Pat Roberts and extremist kook Milton Wolf.

Several Democrats said this week that Ms. Sebelius had been mentioned with growing frequency as someone who could wage a serious challenge to Mr. Roberts, 77, who is running for a fourth term and is considered vulnerable. One person who spoke directly to Ms. Sebelius said that she was thinking about it, but added that it was too soon to say how seriously she was taking the idea.

Beltway pundits, of course, say she has no chance at all. That's what they do. "Sebelius is not (popular) in Kansas anymore" and "[s]he is the person most closely associated with Obamacare's implementation" is how its viewed Inside-the-Beltway. That's true, but she has 'til June 3 to decide and then 'til November to remind Kansans how much they liked her-- and what a good job she did-- when she was governor. And who will she be running against? One of two Republicans who are absolutely destroying each other now. Beltway knows best? Rarely.

And a lot could happen between now and then… including the continued success of the Affordable Care Act that will eventually (but how soon?) make her into an American heroine. And don't you think Kansas voters would love the idea of electing their first Democratic senator since… the 1930s!


UPDATE: Sebelius Won't Run… Maybe

The NY Times is reporting that Sebelius isn't running, kind of. "Secretary Sebelius is continuing her important work at H.H.S. and is not considering a run for the Senate," the spokeswoman said. OK, but what about after her replacement is confirmed and she isn't continuing her important work at H.H.S.? Will be consider a run then?