“Some will say now that I am calling America a Christian nation. So I am. And some will say that I am advocating Christian nationalism. And so I do.” Missouri Senator Josh Hawley.
As someone who believes in the principles of democracy, it's hard to get too excited about the elections here in Missouri this year. No presidential candidates came to campaign this year, either for the primary or general election. The results are pretty much already pre-determined, both statewide and in carefully gerrymandered legislative districts. Sometimes I wonder why I even should vote, but then I remember Amendment 3 and some of the other ballot issues that matter.
The one statewide race for political office that motivates me more than any other is our Senatorial race between Josh Hawley and Lucas Kunce. Mr. Hawley has been a uniquely embarrassing symbol for the state of Missouri. Don't forget that besides crime and tax rates, the rest of the world judges Missouri by the people we elevate to the national stage. We can keep lowering taxes year after year, but if our spokespeople are bad, that's what a lot of potential residents, tourists, and businesses will focus on. Our schools are not great, women's healthcare is on the decline, and affordable childcare continues to be an big issue here, so we need all the good vibes we can get.
Up until 2012, Missouri was seen as a moderate state with beautiful Ozark streams and boring but effective politicians. Since then, we've joined our neighbors to the north in Iowa in a race to the right to see who can be the most MAGA. Hawley was elected in 2018, and he has joined the likes of JD Vance, choosing performative politics in place of legislation and compromise. Performative politics emphasizes purity and attention, while compromise is seen as weak and boring.
We got to see just how performative Mr. Hawley was on January 6th when he raised his fist in the air to egg on the rioters and protesters at the capitol, while later being caught on camera dashing out of danger when they took his advice. He was the first US Senator to object to the counting of electoral votes, preferring to toss out an entire election without any proof of fraud.
After that act, his main sponsor, John Danforth, called Hawley "the worst mistake I ever made in my life." One of his main donors, David Humphreys, called for him to be censured by the Senate. When his cowardly dash was shown on national television during the January 6th hearings, he became a laughingstock nationwide. And so did the state that sent him to Washington. Imagine what the world will think of us if we send him back and let him pull the same stunts again when the votes are to be counted in January.
It's a mystery to me why this senate race hasn't gotten any national attention. It's assumed that he will sail through to re-election and this seat is listed as "Safe R" everywhere. Not what you want to hear if you want your legislators to care about what average Missourians think. The right-wing bubble that he inhabits discounts the concerns of most of us.
Hawley is known as a pariah in the senate just like Ted Cruz, which means that he can get very little done for Missouri in a body that requires compromise and collaboration to pass laws. His recent stance in favor of Christian Nationalism concerns me the most. Non-Christians now number almost 4 in 10 Americans, and that number is rising. If America becomes a Christian nation, what happens to all of them? Re-education camps? Deportation? Shunning from job and housing markets?
As a moderate, I've always appreciated Missouri's cautious middle path. We were once a bellwether state. (And the Ozarks are truly magical!) But seeing someone like Josh Hawley waltz into re-election without so much as a second look makes me wonder what we are becoming. I voted for Jack Danforth, but I can never, ever vote for this ugly version of boogeyman politics that Mr. Hawley represents. I don't know much about Lucas Kunce, but he seems to be a decent guy who has served his country with distinction. He has my vote.
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