Tales From the State Fair`

I saw numorous absurdities at the Nebraska State Fair, too many to cover in one post. (It's Friday Night, and I pretend to have a life.) One thing that sticks in my mind, since it came at the end of my visit, was seeing Ms. LaRae Eifert working the state GOP booth in the arts and crafts expo. i noticed her blond power haircut from accross the room. She was the only Republican who ran against two Democrats for the (officially) nonpartisan seat in the state unicam for my district.


My distrct (the 46th) includes both campuses of UNL, the neighborhoods of Havelock, University place/Weslyan U., and various shanties in between. Ms. Eifert lives in the furthest northeast corner of the district, in what is easily the most affluent part. (Not that ther's anything wrong with that...) She told the Lincoln Journal Star that "unlike my opponents, I don't have some liberal agenda." She received the endorsement of the state elephants. (Remember, our statehouse is nonpartisan, all parties can do is endorse). She was also endorsed by Nebraska right to life. In most sections of Nebraska, this would be more than enough to trounce the competition. Unfortunately, a neighborhood full of college students and immigrants seemed strangely unafraid of a liberal agenda. Eifert finished dead last in the primary. So the general election will consist of hot, Democrat-on-Democrat action.

I bring up Miss. Eifert because of what she told me at the fair. I pretended to be a supporter and asked her a couple of questions about the campaign. She said that these days, even in local races, you need the money. This was a strange answer, since all of the candidates (Ms. Eifert and Ms. Carol Brown are small business owners, Ms. Danielle Nantkes is a lawyer) sit on the border line between the middle and upper class. They should have had a similar amount campaign funds. If Eiffert had milked her GOP "endorsement" for all it was worth, she could have even had an advantage in funds.

Perhaps, Ms. Eifert, you just ran into one small, glorious corner of Nebraska who won't buy your bullshit.