Huge Gain in Democratic Self-Identification in Kansas

The Gallup folks are out with a new poll on partisan identification. They asked voters which party they identified and then asked the self-identified "independents" which party they leaned towards.

There's been a significant gain in Democratic identification nationally and in many states. Nowhere is this gain more dramatic than in Kansas.

It may be time to through out the old conventional wisdom based on voter registration. That's usually broken down along the line of, something like, 47% Republican, 29% Democratic, and 27% Independent.

Here's how the Gallup poll break down for Kansas.

Democrats and Lean-Democratic 48%
Independent Independents 8%
Republicans and Lean Republican 44%

Combine this with GOP infighting and the low approval rates shown for Senators Pat Roberts and there is reason for Kansas Democrats to set their sights high in 2008. Even though Robert s will be 72 in 2008, he's apparently running for re-election. He already has a campaign website up and running.

Not only should the Democrats mount a serious challenge for the Senate seat, they ought not to restrict themselves to defending Dennis Moore (KC and suburban Johnson County) and freshman Nancy Boyda. They should also go after Wichita's ultra-conservative Todd Tiahrt.