Well, the primary election is over. Your thoughts? With an exception or two, there wasn’t a whole lot of significance on the local level ballot, which likely explains why turnout was lower than local officials had predicted, coming in at 27% compared to the predicted 34%.
In the final few closing weeks of the campaign, a good portion of Republicans across Missouri apparently decided not to risk the embarrassment of having the controversial Eric Greitens as the party’s nominee for US Senator. Just a few weeks ago, Greitens was atop the polls, slightly ahead of Eric Schmitt and Vicky Hartzler. But then a vast majority of Republicans seemed to make a concentrated effort to jump on Schmitt’s wagon. And as a result it turns out Tuesday’s race wasn’t even close, with the state attorney general cruising to an easy victory.
We can say goodbye, at least for now but likely forever, to the statewide political career of Eric Greitens. Not many folks are upset about that. Maybe Donald and definitely Don, Jr. but not too many other folks. At least if he decides to claim the election was stolen and storms the state capitol, Greitens will have some friends with experience who can advise him how to do that.
Between the Lines opinion: The Democrats’ only chance to win that US Senate seat in Missouri was if Republicans nominated Greitens.
Between the Lines opinion: The Democrats’ only chance to keep the White House in 2024 will be if the Republicans nominate Trump.
Congratulations to Jason Maki of Platte County for being honored as a statewide Sunshine Hero by the Missouri Sunshine Coalition. Check out more details in the news story on the front page.
It would be hard to believe there has ever been a person more deserving of this award. Fantastic work, Jason Maki. What Maki did in exposing the shady and less than transparent ways of a previous regime at Parkville City Hall was truly above and beyond. He put his money where his mouth was, and even served as his own attorney. In the court proceedings he stitched a clown suit on Parkville’s high-priced legal team and walked away with the highest Sunshine lawsuit settlement in state history.
You followed the story for years in real time by reading news coverage in The Landmark, the only media outlet that stayed on top of this situation every step of the way.
It’s a big week around your ol’ Landmark, but what am I talking about? Every week is a big week when you’re involved in a consecutive publishing week string that’s now in its 158th year. The pressure, you know. You don’t want to screw up and accidentally end that streak or something.
But it’s a big week because in this edition is the 500th Rambling Moron column written by Chris Kamler. You’ll find it, like you have the previous 499, in the upper right hand portion of page 3.
Be sure to check out Chris’s 500th entry. It’s a keeper. We even gave him a little more space than usual to mark the milestone.
In conjunction with this momentous occasion, you can now get Kamler’s new book–titled My Best 10%–which is a collection of some of his favorite columns out of his first 500. But with a twist: the twist is that Kamler took the time to offer some updated 2022 commentary after each entry. That, my friends, was a stroke of genius. Great stuff.
There’s also plenty of new and fresh information you’ve never seen in print. Such as how Kamler came to be connected with this fine newspaper in the first place. What prompted the start of this journalistic fire? How did this connection get so out of control?
It’s all in the book. That as much as anything is reason to get a copy.
There’s also a fresh preamble written by Kamler. And I have to specifically mention–well, I don’t have to, but I want to–that also in the book is a foreword written by yours truly. I think it’s the best foreword I’ve ever written. In addition, an epilogue by Kamler is fresh and waiting to be devoured by you, and there are also some classy mentions by Kamler in the acknowledgments portion of the book.
Anyway, here’s the bottom line: Get a copy of this book. You won’t regret it. It’s available on Amazon where the paperback version is only $7.99 plus tax, if you’re into paying sales taxes and stuff. The hard cover version is $19.99.
If you’re an Amazon rookie, just go to Amazon.com and enter the words “Chris Kamler book” in the search box. You’ll see it come up in your search results.
And if you don’t want to go through Amazon, just stop in The Landmark office and we’ll get you hooked up for basically the same price. And you’ll be able to lay your hands on Kamler’s piece of literary art right away.
More Landmark books:
Two hard cover books by The Landmark’s award-winning photojournalist Bill Hankins are available in The Landmark office at 252 Main St. in Platte City.
Landmark People Volume 1 is available for just $5 and Landmark People Volume II is offered for just $15. And Bill is doing something special with the proceeds. Proceeds from the books purchased in The Landmark office will go to our annual Landmark English Award, a monetary scholarship the newspaper presents each year to a senior at Platte County High School.
Landmark People tells a variety of stories that make up the rich history of the county. They are stories of family, hope, love, death, tradition, work and play. You will recognize many of the local Platte County faces profiled in Hankins’ wonderfully photographed and written books.
You’ll want some copies for the family bookshelves.
(You can find Ivan Foley on the street pimping copies of his co-workers’ books, or just email him at ivan@plattecountylandmark.com)