Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

COLUMN: Blunt must stick to his conservative roots
By Henry Atkinson
The Maneater (U. Missouri)
03/17/2006

(U-WIRE) COLUMBIA, Mo. — Three events led me to believe that Gov. Matt Blunt would do a good job. First, I saw him in person at the 2003 Missouri Boys State gathering, a one-week immersion into civic participation and overall fun. The young secretary of state, an MBS alumnus, was there to hand out various awards and to give brief remarks. He looked like a leader and spoke with simple conviction. I remarked to a neighbor, "There is the next governor of Missouri."

Over a year later, I shook his hand at a student rally right here on the MU campus. He looked at me and said, "Hi, I'm Matt Blunt." He had a look of dedication that I thought would lead to a great reversal of the four regrettable years of the Bob Holden administration. Finally, I remember Blunt's inauguration on Jan. 10, 2005. As he gave his inaugural address, I essentially thought, "I cannot wait to see how Blunt restores Missouri to greatness."

Alas, a funny thing happened on the way to the restoration. Unemployment has fallen to 4.7 percent under Blunt, in part because he has resisted tax hikes and regulation, making Missouri more hospitable for job growth. He has reduced bureaucratic red tape in state government and pushed for property rights regarding eminent domain - with help from Rep. Steve Hobbs, R-Mexico, my state representative. Blunt has also reformed workers' compensation and kept his promise to increase K-12 education spending. The governor has signed legislation restricting abortion, a must for any conservative to hold on to the base. Yet according to a recent Survey USA News Poll, Blunt's approval rating stands at 33 percent, fifth worst in the nation and only seven points ahead of the second-worst approval rating.

But why does Blunt suffer from Holden-esque approval ratings? My take on the whole affair rests on two principles: 1) Blunt has strayed from conservative principles and 2) The Blunt's advisers are not good at public relations. The latter point is most evident in last year's Medicaid cuts. They were necessary because an increase in taxes or massive cuts would have been needed elsewhere, as Rep. Ed Robb, R-Columbia, a former MU economics professor, has pointed out. But Blunt did not make his case on that issue, leading to a portrayal of the governor and state Republicans as evil, anti-disabled, anti-poor budget-cutters. The governor's public image has never recovered from the whole Medicaid issue.

The first point troubles me most. Blunt opposes school vouchers, which would help lower-income students and increase competition among schools. That hurts him among free-marketers. However, most of the straying lies in Blunt's actions regarding abortion and embryonic stem-cell research - in the interest of disclosure, I am a member of the Mizzou Students for Life and College Republicans. Blunt supports embryonic stem-cell research, which usually destroys human embryos and refused to sign a bill similar to the new South Dakota law, which would ban abortions unless the life of the mother was threatened. These actions simply do not fly with pro-lifers, the foundation of his base.

Blunt must turn things around. Despite rumblings from various sources, I believe that the only two candidates able to defeat Blunt in a primary are Columbia Rep. Kenny Hulshof and State Treasurer Sarah Steelman. Attorney General Jay Nixon polls well as the Democratic nominee against Blunt. For the sake of the Republican Party, and most importantly, the state of Missouri, I sure hope Blunt can turn this performance around.

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