A good friend excels in sales, in a mature industry with plenty of competition. I recently asked for an update. He explained that he landed seven new customers in July: “A good year is 40.”
Meanwhile, let us not forget that Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe made his bones selling vehicles. First in the Dave Sinclair group, eventually at his own Chevrolet dealership in Jefferson City (as well as Osage Ambulance in Linn, MO).
As governor he’s trotted out those sales chops on a number of recent occasions…
Calling a special session to keep the Kansas City Chiefs in Missouri;
Pushing Amendment 4 to limit voter ability to change the state constitution.
Punishing GOP legislators who didn’t strongly support Amendment 5’s income tax murder; and,
Placing his wife in charge of the Amendment 3 effort to end legal abortion and to attack trans folks.
The used car selling governor planned on all these things as achievements, plaque on the wall type of stuff.
Of course, despite Secretary of State Denny Hoskins dithering, eventually the challenge to the redrawn Congressional Districts will make the ballot – either via the referendum demanded by 300,000+ voters, or, as a new citizen initiative petition. Governor Kehoe will have to attack that too, just as hard as he pushes November’s Amendment 3.
You might think that as a salesman Kehoe should recognize a bad deal or a browser pretending to be a customer. Alas, despite having bulletproof majorities in the Missouri House and Senate the governor can cajole and demand, yet he can’t close the deal with the important customers. He couldn’t get the Hunt family to sign-up and voters keep rejecting his great ideas.
Where does that leave us?
First, the state faces two years of intense pain.
Despite income tax destruction going down in flames, the governor thinks that’s Missouri’s future. Even the Republican leadership won’t put “5a” on the ballot for several years but let’s not be surprised if Kehoe comes out strong for a reduction in the state income tax, say from 4.7% to a flat 4%. (impact on schools, health care and state employees be damned). Remember, per the guv, Missouri has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. He’ll prove that by drastically reducing income. The cuts will hurt many struggling people. Pray for state workers too,
Expect further funding for private school tuition out of state General Revenue, more restrictions on local control in St. Louis and Kansas City, a continued resistance to appointing Democrats to Democratic slots on state boards and commissions, and, ignoring calls for special elections when House or Senate seats are vacated mid-term.
Second, the bizarre failure of the average Missourian to blame the Republican regime and its minions for problems and ignoring the will of voters will continue.
Yes, I expect more blue Representatives and Senators in Jeff City next year. I do not expect a Democratic majority until – at best – after the 2031 redistricting. Unfortunately, turning out a governor running for a second term hasn’t been a Missouri thing. There is a better than even chance that Mike Kehoie will be governor until January 2033.
That’s several more years of trying to sell Missourians used cars leaking oil and grinding starters.
Glenn Koenen
The illustration for this article was generated by Microsoft CoPilot AI.