The Relevant Elephant does not take the endorsement of candidates lightly. In fact, it’s not something we do often, and we will never endorse someone simply because he or she is a Republican.
We do, however, want to promote candidates with true conservative values and a compelling vision—those that are relevant to young voters. Because the stakes are so high in Missouri’s Gubernatorial race, The Relevant Elephant is endorsing a candidate.
Over the past couple of weeks, The Relevant Elephant has interviewed State Treasurer Sarah Steelman and US Congressman Kenny Hulshof. Missouri would be in good hands with either of these candidates at the helm (especially when you consider that Jay Nixon is the alternative). That having been said, we believe that one candidate is the best choice for the fall election and the future of Missouri.
Relevance is less about style and more about substance. There is one candidate who has truly proven his relevance to young voters in Missouri: Kenny Hulshof. 
When it gets right down to offering real solutions and achieving real results, Kenny stands out. That’s what really matters.
Missouri’s next Governor is going to face some very difficult decisions regarding education, illegal immigration, and health care. Kenny has offered voters a clear plan, explaining how he will address these challenges.
Hulshof has cast the right vision for Missouri, especially for young conservatives. Anyone can talk about attracting quality jobs to the state, but Kenny has a plan for attracting quality careers to Missouri. He cares about empowering young Missourians not just to survive, but to thrive.
Most importantly, Kenny has proven to be a man of principled integrity. In 2005, he was the Congressman tasked with the investigation of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Hulshof’s report essentially took down his Congressional leader. It couldn’t have been easy, but Kenny’s uncompromising ethical leadership in that situation is a reflection of the kind of clear-headed leadership he’ll take to Jefferson City.
The Relevant Elephant strongly endorses Kenny Hulshof. We encourage you to rally behind him, both in the primary and the general election. Kenny will keep Missouri from returning to the days of bloated budgets, record job loss, and higher taxes.
Kenny Hulshof has the moral integrity and conservative values to lead Missouri into the next decade. Let’s elect a Relevant Elephant as the next Governor of Missouri.
You can visit Kenny’s website, become his fan on Facebook or MySpace, or watch his videos on YouTube.
You guys made the right call. Kenny is the clear choice in the primary and to defeat Jay Nixon in November.
I do in joy how “The Relevant Elephant does not take the endorsement of candidates lightly.” When they had the opportunity to interview Rep. Hulshof on June 6 and Mrs. Steelman on June 18, then they made an endorsement only a week later? That does not seem like a lot of time was taken to think about who the true Missourian for Governor is. Sarah is serving Missouri and continues to serve Missouri as a whole not just a part of Missouri such as Kenny has done for the past 12 years. Was it not Hulshof that said that he would leave office for the Presidency of the University of Missouri? That to me does not seem like he is that committed to the future of Missouri that he claims to be.
Ben,
Your comment might make sense if the interview was the only available material that the site could use to evaluate the candidates… but it’s not. Both candidates have been actively campaigning for longer than the one-week period you cited, and information is readily available about both of them. And based on your logic regarding Kenny “only serving one part of Missouri”, we shouldn’t even consider electing any of the available presidential candidates, because as senators they “only served one state”. Great logic. Also, even if Kenny did say he would leave office for the Presidency of MU, which I haven’t heard, how does that show a lack of commitment to Missouri? Last time I checked, MU trains and equips many future leaders in our great state. I don’t see how that is a less-than-noble calling.
Either way, I think Kenny’s the right man for a million reasons. The relevant elephant, I think you guys made the right choice. All I ever hear from the Steelman camp is whining, bickering, and a lack of logic or reasoning. That’s not the kind of governor I’m looking for.
Good call on Hulshof. I support him fully.
Ben,
Hulshof served the entire state as a Prosecutor under Attorney General Jay Nixon before he became a Congressperson.
With your logic, Sarah Steelman should not have run for state treasurer, because she did not serve the entire state as a state senator; just her district. I guess Sen. Gibbons should not run for AG, since he only serves one part of the state? What about Brad Lager for Treasurer?
As for the University of Missouri System Presidency position, that would definitely qualify as a position that serves Missouri as a whole, and would be a commitment to the future of the state. The University System has four campuses: KC, St. Louis, Rolla, and Columbia, and the President oversees all of them. Students from every county in the state go to the flagship campus in Columbia. How is being the leader of the state university system with over 40,000 students, a majority of them Missourians, not serving the citizens of Missouri?
Maybe you think the Presidency was for only the MU campus, with your comment about serving the entire state? The position was for the System President; not the head of the MU campus, which is led by Chancellor Brady Deaton. Deaton is accountable to the System President, who is Gary Forsee.
Logical Fallacy
Ad Hominem:"argument to the man”, “argument against the man”
Ben,
Nothing against you my friend, but provide some factual statements about this candidate’s views and ties to the government. You immediately placed Kenny into a circle of distrust based upon your opinion of him leaving office for another career. You argue that Kenny is unfit to lead based off of a previous statement that he made. You then proceded to connect this “statement” with untrust and unreliability. Sir, you cannot make such an outrageous claim.
Dig deeper into the soil my friend. I like Kenny, and I realize that not everyone will agree with me. But stick to the issues, and not over-the-top remarks.
Ben,
Your argument against Hulshof being governor is exactly what I would expect out of the Steelman camp.
You see, Kenny has this annoying little habit of acknowledging that either candidate would make a fine governor. He is running based on his record and his ideas for the state. He has consistently shown himself to be ahead of the curve in laying out a clear and concise path for where he wants to lead the state.
Sarah, on the other hand, has used the brilliant tactic of running an almost completely negative campaign. On the rare occasion that she states something she would do as governor, it’s usually a month or so behind Kenny, and essentially Kenny’s package with a different color paint job. When Kenny announces an endorsement, she feels the need to slander not only Kenny, but the endorser as well. When she attacked Kit Bond, a man who has served this state well since the time Sarah was 11 years old, she lost any vote I might have been willing to give her in the general. Although I have to give her credit, her usage of a son as a prop in a photo-op was tremendously classy.
Note my personal distaste for Sarah and what I’m about to say next, because this is what your candidate’s negative campaign is doing to many people within the Republican Party.
When I started this election cycle, I was more than willing to have either Kenny or Sarah on my ballot come November. I thought both were tremendous public servants, but that Kenny offered a better vision. However, I started to pay attention, and when she decided to violate, on multiple occasions, the Eleventh Commandment of the man she espouses to adore...well, let’s just say that I’ve already spent all the money I can on Pepto-Bismol for my having to choke down voting for McCain on election night, I wouldn’t be able to spend any more money to be able to stomach Sarah, and I don’t think Nixon would be NEARLY as bad for the state as I think Obama would be for the country. I cannot stand voting for someone who shows themselves to be so abjectly vacant of any class or dignity. The style of politics she is practicing during this campaign physically leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I can handle it during the general election-after all, it’s Democrats vs. Republicans, and there are SERIOUS gaps between what Democrats believe and what Republicans believe. But, when a person is so willing to open friendly fire with a RPG launcher in order to advance their own career, I don’t think that person should be rewarded with my “least of two evils” vote.
If she wins, the Libertarian can consider one more vote racked up in November.
Great endorsement. I was with Congressman Hulshof and Blunt the other night in Springfield as they spoke to a group of health care providers. Across the board, Kenny understands what is important to this state. All opinions aside, Kenny is a family man, a conservative, and a good down home Missourian. I don’t think you can find a better man for the job than Kenny Hulshof.
Greetings;
Having been a past resident of the Great State of Missouri, and a staunch Conservative by nature, my interest in the Governors race is of much interest to me.
Of the two choices you list I would be very concerned that life-long political candidates are not the best choice, and having a lawyer in for political office is life having the fox watch over the chicken coop.
If we need lawyers to help interpret the laws, the laws need to be simplified, not the voter. The road to tyranny is paved with those that know what is best for everyone else. Well poppycock to that.
Of the two candidates it would seem the lesser of two evils would be Sarah Steelman. Based only on the information in their sites it appears she would be the best at respresenting the people, and would bring a more common sense vision to this valuable and powerful post.
“Kenny has proven to be a man of principled integrity”
if you consider that a large amount of “right” voters are pro-life, Holshof’s plan to possibly treat the unwanted unborn with the same “human treatment” as people on death row, that is unthinkable!
His “pork project” vote adds steelman ran on aside, it looks more like he’s acting in self-interest, and not principled integrity.
watch steelman’s interview on glenn beck on youtube for her “principled integrity”. like i said in the interview post, being treasurer you find out who your friends are and you find out who wants favors from you.