If you can’t win on issues, then try winning on values. That is the approach Pete Ricketts is taking in his quest for Ben Nelson’s senate seat. Ricketts has begun running commercials in Nebraska so voters can see “what’s important” to him. If you haven’t seen the commercial, you can watch it here.
Recently, a puff piece was written by Mike Bockoven and published in the Grand Island Independent entitled “Emphasizing Nebraska values.” This story is nothing more than propaganda piece. (This poor excuse for journalism was so well researched that it mentioned Don Stenberg was running for senate but forgot to mention David Kramer is also running).
I apologize for going off on a rant. Let’s get back to the topic at hand: Nebraska values.
The main crux of his [Pete Ricketts] appeal to voters was the idea of Nebraska values, which Ricketts promises to take to Washington if elected. Those values, he said, include hard work and dedication, but also a genial nature and caring personality, values that he said are currently lacking in Washington.
“At the end of the day, Nelson is a Democrat,” he said. “I think the leadership of that party is not in line with the values of Nebraska.”
So, that begs the question… What are Nebraska values?
If a person is born and raised in Nebraska, does that mean they automatically have Nebraska values? Is there a way to measure these values?
Why does someone with Nebraska values make a better public servant than someone without them? Can a gay person have Nebraska values? If I have Nebraska values, how can I get rid of them? If I lose them, can I ever find them back?
Ricketts currently lives in Omaha. Notice he doesn’t mention Omaha values because people in rural areas will tell you that Omaha values don’t line up with Nebraska values.
In the past couple weeks, voters have witnessed that Pete Ricketts will try to campaign on Nebraska values and not on the issues. So, what can you do? As a voter, every time you hear Pete Ricketts talk about his “Nebraska values” I want you to stick your finger down your throat and induce vomiting.
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Interesting photo. Not Omaha’s Fairacres neighborhood. Looks more like Nebraska City. This blog post makes mention of that point, which is an interesting distinction. While relaxing in Fairacres and waxing on about Nebraska City, important to remember the difference between here and there is measured in more than miles.
Has anyone else notice the Wellstonesque quality to this commerical.
How dare Ricketts use the Great Senator Wellstone’s grassroots approach to camapigning. Cause God knows that the only lesson that he would ever head from the Late Senator’s tenure.
It makes me made as hell that one more republican fat cat wants to play the Ah shucks I’m just like all of you approach with the Nebraska Electorate. Luckily many of us aren’t falling for it.
Well, the ads aren’t working yet, as Nelson’s beating his ass in the most recent polls.
I wish more people who actually believed in what Wellstone wanted to do actually campaigned on progressive values. I really believe Wellstone Democrats could win here if we gave them a voice.
I agree Totally Dave. I think that progressive garssroots candidates and campaigning are what is sorely missing from Nebraska politics.
we need to pay attention to our base more.
The saddest thing about this article is that it is all but an admission by Ricketts that he isn’t running against Ben Nelson but rather against the Democratic Party. He has nothing to offer Nebraskans but an “R” by his name, and the same goes for Stenberg and Kramer. What a sad testament to their collective lack of vision and understanding of this state that they really consider a letter and another unthinking vote for the Rove/Cheney/Haliburton Agenda to represent Nebraska values.
You want Nebraska values? Ben Nelson’s 5 years in the Senate and 8 years as governor put him firmly in the tradition of fellow independent-minded Democrats Jim Exon and Frank Morrison, men who defined and defended Nebraska values while Ricketts was still in diapers with daddy’s silver spoon in his mouth.
This is the home of the non-partisan legislature. The blind, rabid partisanship being offered by these Republican candidates couldn’t be further removed from the values they pretend to uphold.
Prodding corporations to create good jobs isn’t happening in Omaha. I’ll testify to that. I’m a homeowner and won’t be able to afford to live here with a 30% rise in property tax next year. McJobs are plentiful. I’m competing with immigrants (legal and illegal) for these jobs, and I’ve earned a 4-year BS (worked in my field and a similiar one). Almost everyone I speak with (even my parents), suggest I leave the state. My siblings left 15 years ago.
Gahandi had the Seven Deadly Social Sins:
1.Politics without Principle
2.Wealth without Work
3.Commerce without Morality
4.Pleasure without Conscience
5.Education without Character
6.Science without Humanity
7.Worship without Sacrifice.
Pick a candidate any Candidate or elected Officail from the GOP and you will see these deadly Social sins acted out everyday. Democratic Values Nebraska Values Our Progressive Values are just the opposite and we ought not to be ashamed to let our Friends, Family and Neighbors know that.
Great post, Chief!
Kyle, you hit a home run on Ricketts and the GOP message.
Way to keep this clown on the ropes.
Great Business Savvy…
I think you are missing a major tenet of the Ricketts campaign.
Hmmm… Let’s see how a business man might think
I think I’ll run for Senate and drop 25 million
get elected
and vote to repeal the estate tax
when my old man’s estate of close to 1.5 billion (yes that is billion) transfers to me
I’ll make 100 million more
now that is the type of businessman we want to send to Washington?
“Nebraska values” - another thing politicians say that doesn’t mean anything. Republican campaign slogans are so mundane and recycled that they can be generated with a computer program. Don’t believe me? I busted out this perl script to prove it:
#!/usr/bin/perl -w
print(”\nRepublican Campaign Slogan Generator 1.0\n\n\n”);
print(”Enter a Republican Candidate: “);
$republican_candidate = ;
chomp($republican_candidate);
print(”Enter a Democratic Candidate: “);
$democrat_candidate = ;
chomp($democrat_candidate);
print(”Enter a Location: “);
$arbitrary_location = ;
chomp($arbitrary_location);
print(”\n\nSlogan:\n”);
print(”Vote for $republican_candidate.\n”);
print(”$republican_candidate has $arbitrary_location values.\n”);
print(”$democrat_candidate does not have $arbitrary_location values.\n\n”);
priceless Tyler, I would write it out in assembly language but I am afraid it would take up too much room. Nerdiness aside, I am tired of people claiming “rights” on a certain group of peoples “values”. Its always the republicans that do it, and unfortunately the democrats follow and do it as well. George Bush claims to represent “mainstream American values”, and then someone else will come along and say the same thing. Can we stop generalizing people and realize that the United States is made up of a whole mix of people who hold different values?
and take that cheap ass walmart hat off pete, you know your hats are probably diamond encrusted
Isn’t it though? The STDIN tags were scrubbed, but I think everyone gets the point. Politicians talking about “values” makes my blood boil. If you slit my throat right now, you’d be shot in the face with boiling blood. Government’s job is to protect the population and provide vital services, not to enforce some religion’s skewed sense of morality on everyone else. Man I hate people. Arrgh.
Glad you brought this up. I was at a Friday night fish fry this past week and as the politcians glad handed everyone, I decided then and there I would NOT vote for any politician who stated they had “Nebraska Values”. When I got home, I decided to list out “Nebraska Values” and challenge each and every politician on my list of “Nebraska Values”. It is a very rough draft, but here it is so far:
‘NEBRASKA VALUES”
· Ranked 51st (behind all other states and D.C.) in preventing unwanted pregnancies.
· Ranked 28th for the number of children in foster care.
· A child in Nebraska is abused or neglected every two hours.
· A child in Nebraska is born into poverty every three hours.
· A child in Nebraska dies before his or her first birthday every 2 days.
· A child or teen in Nebraska is killed by gunfire every two weeks.
· In 2003, of the 650,000adult women living in Nebraska, over 84,000 have been raped at least once in their lives.
· In 2003-2004 Nebraska 22 domestic violence sexual assault programs provided services to 7,799 individuals for sexual assault and/or domestic violence. Over 98.4% were women and children.
· Nebraska ranks 31st in number of teen birth rate per 1000 population.
P.S. What a friggin dork in that hat.
The babbling buffoon referred to… the pandering politician…. the multi-millionaire sent me a letter begging for funds.
Hah!!!!!
My job went overseas. Barely scraping by. And, that rich boy wants money from me???!!!
Where are HIS “Nebraska values”?
By the way, I find east central North Carolina values to be superior to Nebraska values.
I was interested to read the profile of Pete Ricketts in the Omaha World Herald today. The profile was probably accurate to a large extent as most profiles of political candidates are fairly accurate. The OWH article stated Mr. Ricketts views on taxes while addressing a group of students.
What the article failed to mention and I have only heard this second hand, so I apologize if it is an any way inaccurate and would like to hear from any of the students at UNL that attended the event, was that Ricketts changed his stump speech to accomadate the audience of law students to which he was speaking.
I don’t have the exact wording down but I was told Ricketts usually refers in his stump speech to not being a lawyer as a jab at David Kramer and Don Stenberg and since he was speaking to law students, he changed it to not a lobbyist.
Honesty is a Nebraska value first and foremost. And if Ricketts, is willing to send a different message to each audience he speaks with than that shows a lack of credibility and honesty that Nebraska voters value.
Has anyone else noticed the evil laugh Ricketts has?
PATRIOTIC RALLY IN LINCOLN
Nebraskans Fed-up with Illegal Immigration will hold a rally Saturday afternoon May 6 2006 at the Antelope Park Band shell, Lincoln Nebraska starting at 2PM.
“81% of respondents to a recent Gallup/USA Today poll agreed that illegal immigration is out of control. We are rallying for the silent majority that wants to end illegal immigration and not reward those who are in the country illegally with amnesty.”
The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that 35000 undocumented immigrants reside in Nebraska.
Nation-wide estimates are from 12 to 20 MILLION illegal aliens in the USA.
The rally will start at 2pm on Saturday May 6 2006 at the Antelope Park Band shell, Lincoln Nebraska, adjacent to the Auld Recreation Center 1650 Memorial Drive. All are welcome to attend this free event.
The rally is also intended to give tribute to current military and America’s veterans.
Show up to show your support for America
President Reagan knew of the peril in 1984: “But the simple truth is that we’ve lost control of our own borders, and no nation can do that and survive.”
Information about the invasion will be available. Talk to a refugee within his own country; forced out of his home state of California due to the horrid social and economic conditions created by a tidal wave of illegal invaders.
The threat is real and the invasion is a clear and present danger to our country, our culture, our way of life.
Don’t allow the liberal left-wing open borders mob dictate American policy. Current events are calling out for all true patriots to rally to the defense of the country.
This rally is a peaceful law-abiding gathering. Please arrive with a smile
PATRIOTIC march for Immigration reform Mon 5/1 at 10:00am at Burke High School. We will walk to Lee Terry’s office & Tranquilty Park. The purpose of this event is to peacefully dramatize the need for fair, humane, comprehensive immigration reform.
bloppo, dont ever try and dictate what makes a “true patriot”, pulling the patriot card is getting EXTREMELY old, think of different scare tactics for a change. I like Tims solution better…
bloppo,
Good luck with the rally. Thank goodnesss some people in Nebraska are realizing the problems with illegal immigration and are saying something about it!
pat
Texas
Anti-invasion protest June 10, 2006 ( am at 35th and Dodge Streets Omaha Nebraska.
Join the crowd fighting to preserve our country and culture!!!!
The May 20 rally was a great success!!!!!
Bring a smile…… we are fighting the good fight. Just ignore the hostile Hispanics shouting profanities and making profane gestures. Revel in the thumbs up and gratitude displayed by patriotic citizens!!!!
Be there or be square!!!!
I love that you expect anyone on this website to actually consider going. Just an FYI, it’s not just Hispanics that shout profanities at the racists at these protests.
profanities definitely go both ways. You shouldnt make yourself out to be the victim because i doubt your efforts are all good and innocent
Stand up for immigration reform!
Things to consider-Many who marched for immigrant rights join conservatives in calling for securing the border. We can agree on beefing up security as long as other things go with it. If you only build more fences, walls, etc YOU WILL NOT SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. While I say secure the border first, we can’t stop there.
I urge all young Democrats and all people to examine this issue carefully and get involved.
Here’s what I think needs to happen. Yes, secure the border. Yes, create some type of guest worker program. And with the 12 million here illegally, those that meet very specific criteria should have an ability to earn a path to citizenship. It is my view, that most of the illegals who come here are decent, very poor, very hard working people that want only a decent future.
Too often on this issue, the discussion only focuses on the negative economic costs to this problem. While there are well documentated costs, the positive economic costs are harder to calculate while rarely brought up. Many illegals contribute greatly to this country and its economy. Illegal workers help keep inflation down, keep certain industries afloat and competitive, pay taxes, contribute to social security, are consumers, start new businesses, increase cultural diversity, etc.
To say that illegal immigrants ONLY have a negative impact such as taking away our jobs, draining our social services, etc. is unfair, misleading, not accurate, and very simple minded.
Look at Nebraska for example. While immigrants (illegal and legal) may cost us in certain ways, in other ways they are helping vitally. Certain smaller Nebraska communities can not survive without immigrant labor. This helps all Nebraskans. Similiarly, all Omahans benefit for a striving south Omaha and South 24th street due to the influx of immigrants.
Many Republicans such as Sen. Hagel, Lindsay Graham, the Wall Street Journal, the US Chamber of Commerce, business and industry leaders have all said we need MORE workers not less, more immigrants not less in order to keep our economy strong and growing. In the years ahead the US population will be older, there will be less workers than retirees to support such things as social security. While in the next years Mexico will reach its peach in terms of younger people joining the work force. Mexico’s economy will have to grow at 7% annually to keep producing enough jobs for its people, currently it is lucky to reach 3% growth. In the years ahead, the US will need to recruit more workers, not build more walls and isolate itself.
I am a little tired hearing such nasty, negative things being said about illegals. Yes, what they are doing is not right, it is breaking the law. But, let us try to put ourselves in their situation. Like I said before i feel most of these people are good people in desperate situations.
They live among us and in the shadows. They are not “invading” us, they are not here to force us to speak spanish, etc. they just want to work. It is only when these folks stood up for themselves and called for improving this situation that all hell broke loose. No one cared about illegal immigration when their yard was being landscaped, when their roof was being put on, when their convention center was being build, when their food was being picked, etc…it was only when people said, we have dignity, we don’t want to be exploited that everyone freaked out.
I would say that most illegals particularly from Mexico would prefer to enter the US legally but the current system that we have in place is a complete mess. That’s why we need reform! If you are poor and Mexican it is basically impossible to enter the country legally. Currently there are millions, yes millions of visa applications that haven’t even been looked at. The immigration process is too bureacratic, backlogged, unfair & discriminating depending on country of origin, too confusing, etc. Right now the system encourages good people to enter illegally, we need to make big changes so that it encourages people to do it the right way.
Another thing to consider is what role has our US policy contributed to this problem. For years, we have supported right-wing, military, dictatorships connected to the elite, landowning, oligrachy class in most, if not all Central America and many south American countries. We have to share some of the blame for why these countries have not been able to develop their economies and civic institutions.
As well, our promotion of free-trade has displaced and hurt some of the poorest of the poor in these countries. Agreements such as NAFTA & CAFTA while doing some good must also be examined in terms of how do these benefit the poor. I am afraid to say, the US has a long history of exploitation throughout the region, we need now to think differently. Let us now truly recognize that the peoples of the south are our neighbors and that our survivial and well-being is tied up to theirs. We can’t escape it anymore, we are inter-connected.
I would hope to see people, especially young Democrats get involved in such efforts as fair trade coffee, Students against sweatshops, participate in cultural exchanges with different countries for example Omaha’s sister city program with Mexico or Omaha’s Archdiocese effort in partnering with a parish in Guatemala, etc.
I could go and on and on but I have written too much already. I truly hope that everyone looks into the issue of immigration more.
thanks,
Tim
“Fixing” border security does little if anything to actually solve the problem, while there are still large issues with the Mexican government and the U.S. economic policies in Mexico. The oversimplification of this issue by the right is criminal in its negligence. It has very little to do with national security - it has very much to do with terrible work conditions both here and in Mexico.
I hope all of you compassionate, enlightened Young Democrats are solidly behind Ben Nelson’s anti-drug stance, and his position on “strengthening our border” (i.e. keep THOSE people out). And by the way, was that a blue-jean jacket I saw millionaire Ben wearing in his latest ad? I sure didn’t see his limo or the mansion he lives in? Goodnes sakes!!!
I’m not entirely sure of what Pete Ricketts stands for. I need to do more research myself. But how do you passionate, caring, non-racist Young Democrats vote for someone who shamelesly sides with the party in power (those nasty R’s) and does a “deceptive” TV add in a cowboy hat and blue-jean jacket? Where is the limo? Where is the mansion? Where is his multi-million dollar (capitolist) business? Where is the outrage?????????
Ricketts is a strong conservative, strongly pro-life, low taxes, reduce government spending, secure the borders. He’s pro-business because business generates wealth. He’s both a strong economic conservative and a very strong social conservative. Sen. Nelson is much more toward the liberal side. That’s the basic choice we have.
Jim, on what planet is Ben Nelson a liberal? On just about every social issue, Ben Nelson is conservative.
Dave: Sen. Nelson is conservative on SOCIAL issues (83% rating from Christian Coalition) , but overall quite a bit more liberal than Ricketts and Sen. Hagel also.(45% rating from liberal ADA, only 52% from American Conservative Union.) Sen. Nelson runs more as a conservative, but votes toward the middle, not as a conservative.
The middle is not liberal. You’re not going to convince me or anyone else here that Ben Nelson is liberal. Invoking Chuck Hagel’s name is not going to help your argument. Hagel is a conservative as well. Just happens that he’s a moderate. Now, in relation to Pete Ricketts, Ben Nelson may look like a liberal, but that says more about Pete Ricketts than it does than Ben Nelson.
Boy, that Pete Ricketts sure is an upstanding individual! God forbid he pay taxes on the actual value of his home!
For the record, this is exactly the kind of hypocrisy we’re talking about. Ricketts paid $1.2 million for his home, and is protesting that his home is actually worth $100,000 less than that.
So, I found this blog attempting to figure out just what Nebraska values are? I still have no idea.
I am at a loss to undertand how the values of Nebraska differ (and are any better) than the values of the other 99% of the United States. Keeping in mind that Nebraska makes up a very small part of the total population.
I suppose if I had any idea of what exactly they were (are they part of the State’s constitution) maybe I would adobt them. Maybe if someone (Pete would be a good choice) would actually come right out and tell us all what they are the other 99% of the US may just say “WOW” lets all move to Nebraska. Now that would be wonderful because the economy of this state does not exactly rank in the top 10% of the US (oops an issue not a value).
Not from Nebraska (but living here for a few years) I watched in complete amazement the primary race. Pete was without a doubt the worst offender but not many of the others had much to say about issues. There are real issues facing not only this state but the entire country and meaning no offense to anyone the values of a state that makes up less than 1% of the population just does not matter.
Again can someone explain to me what are “Nebraska Values”
Thanks
Yeah, I think you’re right Gary. What the hell are “Nebraska Values?” From my experience there seem to be a lot of different type of people in Nebraska, maybe not as diverse as some places but we are; nevertheless, diverse. I think it might be more important to have human values. You know, the ones where you respect people and work hard to make the world a better place.
what about American Values? how come no one campaigns on those these days? We know what those are: helping your neighbor, generosity, strength in the face of adversity, plurality of opinion, freedom of religion and speech, hmm, coincidentally those all seem to be part of the backbone of the Democratic party. Perhaps that’s why republicans have to campaign state by state on “Nebraska” or “South Dakota” or whatever other values sound good for their commercials, but have no real substance.