Straw votes change from week to week

Nevada Daily Mail

Judging from straw polls taken July 24 and 31 during political forums in the Nevada High School auditorium, the adage that an election "is the photograph of one day" has a good deal of validity.

Local voters' week-to-week preferences on Missouri House and Senate races and contests for the U.S. Senate and Congress were similar in some respects but differed inasmuch as some candidates who showed up and spoke did better in the second poll than those who didn't come.

Republican State House hopefuls Barbara York, Randy Pike and Bill Yarberry tallied 16, 9 and 1 votes, respectively, on July 24, a week before they spoke; and in a poll taken during and following their July 31 discussion of the issues, York tallied 19, Pike received 9 votes and Yarberry received 4 votes.

Just after GOP Missouri State Senate candidates Ed Emery, Scott Largent and Dave Morris had addressed the Nevada-Vernon County Chamber of Commerce-sponsored forum July 24, Emery received 21 unofficial expressions of support, Largent received 7 and Morris 0. Drexel Democrat Charlie Burton, who did not participate, got 2.

Having had a week to think it over and absorb another spate of political advertising, people attending the July 31 forum gave Emery 20 votes, Largent 7, Morris 2 and Burton 1.

The U.S. Senate race involving Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill had shown Republican Todd Akin out front with 17 votes, trailed by McCaskill with 7 and Republicans John Brunner with 4, Hector Maldonado with 3 and Sarah Steelman with 2 after the July 24 forum; however, a week later, Maldonado, the only one on the ticket who took part July 24, led with 9 votes to Akin's 8, Brunner's 5, McCaskill's 4 and Steelman's 2.

Republicans Mark Memoly, Mark Patrick Lodes and Robert Poole and Libertarian Jonathan Dine all scored goose eggs, Vernon County Clerk Tammi Beach reported.

The July 31 congressional forum was absent the leading candidates, Republican incumbent Vicky Hartzler and Democrat Teresa Hensley, who cited prior commitments in notes to the chamber; but Republican Bernie Mowinski, Constitution Party representative Greg Cowan and Libertarians Thomas Holbrook and Herschel Young showed up and spoke.

Admittedly a small sample but perhaps relevant nonetheless because most of the people who attended were interested in the races and had studied at least some of the candidates, July 24 congressional results were Hartzler, 23; Hensley, 6; and Cowan, 2, with none for the others.

Seven days later with the Aug. 7 party primaries approaching, Hartzler garnered 25 to Hensley's and Cowan's 2 each and 1 each for Mowinski and Holbrook.

Nevada-Vernon County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Gina Ensor said Thursday that the forums were intended to point up the duty citizens have to familiarize themselves with the candidates and make informed decisions. "We were grateful to get the candidates we did and hear them speak," said Ensor.

"We have had the mobile register to vote booths with Tammi, but we were pleased to have the opportunity to hear the candidates being asked questions and having to respond in the moment.

"We see them at various events in the community, but it's often more casual where they don't talk about their views and where they stand."

Ensor said the forums encouraged a serious approach to voting. "Don't vote for somebody just because your best friend or father is voting a particular way," she said.

"Vote for that person because they coincide with your convictions, beliefs and views and you have made up your own mind about them."