Deception is a Kansas "value"? : Kansas Values Institute gives Derek Schmidt "100% Kansas Values Rating"
Deception is a Kansas "value"? : Kansas Values Institute gives Derek Schmidt "100% Kansas Values Rating"
This rating was in a KVI 2014 primary election ad, which is part of their history of deceptive political ads.
In 2014 Kansas Values Institute gave Attorney General Derek Schmidt a “100% Kansas Values Rating” in a political flyer to influence voters in a Kansas House primary election.
But the purpose of the flyer had nothing to do with Derek Schmidt.
KVI used the names of Attorney General Derek Schmidt, Congressman Kevin Yoder and State Treasurer Ron Estes as Kansans with a “100% Kansas Values Rating” to convince voters their candidate, Jameia Haines, had similar views.
At that time KVI wanted to knock conservative State Rep. Amanda Grosserode, out of the legislature (she was re-elected).
Deceptive Kansas Values Institute Political Flyer from 2014
KVI used Derek Schmidt’s name since most Republicans were likely to agree Schmidt deserved a 100% rating based on the checkboxes in the ad.
Two of the criteria for this 100% rating KVI gave Schmidt included:
“Investing in our schools and increasing local control”
“Balance the budget and eliminating deficit spending”
Deceptive Kansas Values Institute political ads in 2022
KVI is now criticizing Schmidt in daily TV ads for supporting “some of the largest cuts to schools in Kansas history” and a “budget deficit [that] ballooned” under Gov. Sam Brownback.
These 2022 KVI claims about Schmidt are contradicted by the KVI “100% Kansas values rating” they gave to Schmidt in 2014!
Who runs KVI and who pays for these ads?
KVI president, Dan Watkins, was described as “the wonder boy of Kansas Democratic politics in the late 1970s.” Watkins was part of Laura Kelly’s gubernatorial transition team in 2018.
Briefly, KVI has been funded by teacher unions, other unions, abortion-related organizations, “dark money,” and the Democratic Governors Association.
Some of their current donations will be known in two or more years. KVI’s IRS 990s from 2020 and 2021 are still not available to the public through the IRS.
This article provides additional details:
History of KVI Deceptive Ads
Deceptive ad from 2012 about State Senate candidate Jim Denning
Put a stop to attack ads, Goodland Star-News, Aug 8, 2014.
Voters: Watch for ‘phony’ pro-life cards, High Plains Daily Leader & Southwest Daily Times, Aug. 1, 2014.
Kansans For Life and the Kansas GOP have issued warnings to candidates and others across the state that dirty politics has entered races throughout Kansas via fake campaign cards being mailed out by a group identified as Kansas Values Institute.
KNEA PAC gives $120K to Kansas Values Institute. Is deception a ‘Kansas value’?, Kansas Meadowlark (Earl Glynn), Aug 3, 2014.
Kansas Values Institute, using at least $120K of funding from the Kansas NEA PAC, mailed a number of “educational” flyers to potential Kansas primary voters in recent weeks. These flyers likely may confuse a number of Kansas voters about what issues political candidates and groups are for or against.
Issues/hypocrisy used to confuse voters mentioned in the article include:
abortion
not reading a bill before voting on it
school funding
Medicare
increased property taxes
lobbyist spending
Kansas Governor’s race
Related
The Federalist, Democrats Are Desperate To Distract From The Real Issues Plaguing Voters As Nov. 8 Nears, Oct. 17, 2022.
Evil... the Dem's ads in KS this cycle are bordering on outright Slander. The attacks on Adkins about abortion are ao disgustingly weasle-worded, like "she supported a bill that would have allowed politicians to ban abortions for victims of rape" ... such a slimy statement, no where has Atkins herself actually ever say she supports such bans... but whatever. And then the pro Sherice Davids ads are just pathetic.