• About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Pickem Terms and Conditions
Sunday, July 13, 2025
The Platte County Landmark Newspaper
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Pickem!
    • Weekly Pickem Updates
    • Results by Week
    • The Leaderboard
    • Pickem Rules and Help
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
  • es_MXSpanish
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Pickem!
    • Weekly Pickem Updates
    • Results by Week
    • The Leaderboard
    • Pickem Rules and Help
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
  • es_MXSpanish
No Result
View All Result
The Platte County Landmark Newspaper
No Result
View All Result

John, Jack and the Senate

Guy Speckman by Guy Speckman
July 20, 2022
in Ponder the Thought
Senate
6
SHARES
140
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email

Jack Danforth was a Republican United States Senator representing Missouri from 1976 until 1995. He was everything people loved in a senator back then. Born and raised in St. Louis, attended Yale Law School as well as Yale Divinity school. White, male, deep voice that only spoke in measured terms. Nothing off the cuff, pure 1980’s type senator.

I once attended a meeting at which he spoke. Some Rotary group or chamber of commerce organization at the Wilson Motel in Maryville. He commanded the room. How many senators speak at “motel” diners these days? I’ve digressed.

RelatedNews

Aging out, gay politics and senate seats

Electric bills, Luke Duke slide and such

Mowing, school funding and such

Fast forward 30 or so years and Jack is back. He threw in five million of his own dollars to get involved in the Missouri Senate race. I kind of feel sorry for Jack and I really feel sorry for his five million dollars, because he would have had more fun burning it in his backyard. Being a Divinity school graduate, I assume strip clubs were not an option for burning through his cash, but I think the resulting disappointment will be similar.

Somebody, or just advanced age, convinced Jack that his measured, deep tone seriousness would play well in 2022. Unfortunately for the electorate, that train has left the station. Reasoned thought from a noble source has limited demand these days.

He kicked in his cash and then made a commercial where he sits in a rocking chair and stares seriously at the camera and tells us we are all in this together and we need to vote for an Independent. Mind you, it’s a horrible commercial in the modern era of 10-second attention spans. I watched the entire commercial multiple times and I still had to look up who he was supporting. Dude’s name is John Wood. Seems like a good guy, former U.S. District Attorney, etc. etc., also a guy that is going lose a lot of Jack Danforth’s money running for United States Senate.

This ain’t your granddad’s senate race. This race features blue jean, sport coat wearing, gun toting, obstacle course running Eric Greitens. It features ultra conservative, sue-your-local-school-district Eric Schmitt, Vicky Hartzler and an auctioneer/Congressman and Trumper from Springfield named Billy Long, who is exactly what you would expect from a guy that is named Billy Long and an auctioneer in Springfield. That’s just the Republican side of the equation.

Throw in a Busch Beer family legacy, Trudy Busch Valentine and former Marine Lucas Kunce among a bevy of Democrats and Jack’s money looks like it’s gone to me. Rest in peace.


Speaking of Trudy, she’s Gussie Busch’s daughter and I’m not sure how much it costs to buy a United States Senate seat, but you would think that she’s got the amount available. I’m not much on Democrat politics, but in an effort to be fair, I will continue to drink Bud Light throughout this election season to show my willingness to help all of these candidates.

That’s what people say about me, “fair to the core.”

Yes, I’m aware the Busch family sold the company, but I’m in this for the spirit of the moment.


You guys ever wonder what happened to break dancing? Me too.


In case it was bothering you, Jack Danforth’s real name is John Danforth, and I don’t know why they call him “Jack” and it is kind of bothering me. My internet tells me that “Jack” is a nickname for “John” from way back and it eventually spun off into its own name. Kind of like “Frasier” spinning off from Cheers or something.

Anyway, you can call him Jack or John, I suppose he won’t mind as long as you vote Independent.

(Jack Speckman can be reached at gspeckman@me.com or drinking Bud Light and working on his break dancing)

Tags: elections
Guy Speckman

Guy Speckman

Guy Speckman is a Landmark contributing columnist with his Ponder the Thought column. Speckman is the former owner of the Savannah Reporter, where the column appeared for nearly two decades. Speckman is a former city government manager, serving as city administrator in Maysville, Plattsburg and Savannah before entering business. He is a graduate of Northwest Missouri State University (1989). He is originally from Plattsburg, Missouri. He and his wife own and operate a real estate valuation firm and a daily legal newspaper and are the parents of two grown children.

Related Posts

Hearing loss

Aging out, gay politics and senate seats

by Guy Speckman
July 9, 2025
0

I think I have aged out of fireworks. All fireworks. These things sneak up on you, but I participated in not one single firework involved activity this year and it was a glorious time for me. Fireworks are like motorcycles...

Crazy quilts Platte County museum

Historic ‘crazy quilt’ exhibit ready at Platte County museum

by Landmark Digital
June 26, 2025
0

FROM NOW THROUGH SEPTEMBER From now through September, the Ben Ferrel Platte County Museum in Platte City is featuring the exhibit “Crazy Quilts and the Creative and Courageous Women Who Made Them.” Twenty quilts are displayed with stories representing our...

Don’t know if you’ve heard but. . .

Protests, dinner parties and such

by Guy Speckman
June 20, 2025
0

Just reread my column from last week, I was in a dark place, you probably should have sent help. Try to be a better reader going forward. I did not make it out to any protests last week. I voiced...

Platte County Board of Services

Success stories from 50 years of PCBS

by Debbie Coleman-Topi
June 6, 2025
0

SERVING THE INTELLECTUALLY AND DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED Before his family discovered the Platte County Board of Services, Chris Ringot lived at home with his parents, working jobs such as sacking groceries and dishwashing. His mother, Mary Ringot, said while the jobs...

Next Post
Parkville Farmers Market

What lies ahead for the Parkville Farmers Market?

Popular News

  • Police

    Driver, 18, killed in Hwy. 45 crash

    106 shares
    Share 42 Tweet 27
  • Platte City Lions Club has pulled the plug

    40 shares
    Share 16 Tweet 10
  • Parkville chooses plan for easing congestion

    14 shares
    Share 6 Tweet 4
  • Nathan Willett says he’ll run for state senate

    12 shares
    Share 5 Tweet 3
  • County, city extend lease on former City Hall

    9 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 2
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Pickem Terms and Conditions
Call us at 816-858-0363

Copyright © 2019-2020 The Platte County Landmark Newspaper - All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Online
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Pickem
    • Results by Week
    • The Leaderboard
    • Pickem Rules and Help
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
  • es_MXSpanish

Copyright © 2019-2020 The Platte County Landmark Newspaper - All Rights Reserved