When State Auditor and gubernatorial candidate Tom Schweich died, Missourians were in shock. Tom’s energy and enthusiasm were obvious and contagious, and the sudden loss left a gaping hole in the Governor’s race. We were all shocked and sorrowed at the loss. Some were angry. We all know the story; although Tom took his own life many were upset at the Jeff Roe/Catherine Hanaway negative ads that made fun of Schweich. It was a dark time for Missouri Republicans.
I first heard Tom talk at Paul Curtman’s Defense of Liberty Dinner several years back and I was impressed. He had an impressive list of accomplishments as State Auditor and one could not help being moved by his enthusiasm. The keynote speaker that night was John Brunner, who had run for US Senate in 2012 but lost the primary to Todd Akin after a bit of clever marketing trickery by Claire McCaskill. Claire got Republican voters to choose Akin over Brunner because Akin was an easier candidate to defeat. Akin quickly proved her correct.
John Brunner was not going to run for Governor against his friend Tom Schweich. But when Tom died, that changed. It was at another Dinner shortly after Tom’s death that I remember approaching John and asking him to run for Governor. I would like to think it was me who convinced John to run, but I know there were many, many more like me asking him to step up. We needed a good constitutional conservative outsider and John was perfect.
John Brunner did step up. He didn’t have to. John doesn’t need a job. He isn’t launching a career. He has a very comfortable life with children and grandchildren and lots of good friends. He could have chosen the easy path and politely declined. Campaigns are exhausting and expensive and people attack and insult you. The process is hard on your family. You have to constantly ask for people’s help and put your life on hold, and in the end you may not win. John could have just said no, but he did not.
In the last year I have attended numerous debates and watched a lot of interviews with all of the Republican candidates for Governor. They have laid forth their plans and visions for Missouri. I listened carefully and ended up at the same place I started; I support John Brunner. I would now like to explain why you should support him as well.
John is a businessman. He understands how to create jobs and grow a successful business. None of the other candidates have this vital experience and Missouri desperately needs someone with the skills to get our economy moving. Missouri is 47th in economic growth and we need a Governor who will reverse the disastrous trend set by the Jay Nixon administration.
John is a leader. From his experience leading marines to his job as a successful CEO, John Brunner has spent decades leading and motivating others to lead. Leadership is not a quality that we can afford to have our next Governor learn on the job. We need a Governor who can lead our state starting his first day in office, and John Brunner is ready to lead.
John is a man of character. He is a Christian, but to John that means more than just warming a pew on Sundays. He has been called not just to be a person of faith but to put that faith in action in missions across the globe. John walks the walk, caring about people with needs, whether physical or emotional or spiritual and he acts on that concern to actually try to meet those needs. One of the qualities a Governor needs is a genuine concern for the welfare of the people of your state, and for John this comes naturally.
John is a champion of Liberty. If you listen to John speak for very long you will hear his love of freedom and his unequivocal support of individual liberty. There is a reason John Brunner was endorsed by Rand Paul. I have listened quite carefully to the other candidates and while they all give occasional lip service to freedom they clearly don’t have the passion for liberty that John has. In fact, some of these candidates have pretty strong authoritarian tendencies, seemingly to see who will prosecute and incarcerate the most Missouri citizens, as though it is some sort of a contest.
John is the strongest candidate in the general election. Chris Koster is a trial lawyer and career politician. John is a businessman, an outsider, and a marine. The comparison between Brunner and Koster heavily favors Brunner, but the other candidates have too many similarities to Koster to draw a stark contrast.
John cannot be bought. In an age where politicians seem to care more about donors than citizens it is refreshing to know that there is one candidate that will not enter office owing large favors to wealthy donors. John Brunner will have no special favors to repay. Other candidates have accepted massive donations from individual donors who will be expecting a little something in return. We don’t need that.
John unites people. This election cycle is one of the most divisive in my lifetime. It is easy to sit back and be critical of things like the Mizzou debacle or the Ferguson situation that was so mishandled by Jay Nixon. I am often guilty of having a divisive attitude myself. But as I have watched John Brunner over the last year I have come to realize that he does not share my divisive opinions. Instead, he will surprise me by, for example, meeting with the University President and discussing ways to move forward and make things better, rather than somehow “punishing” the University, which would be counterproductive. I have learned a lot about myself by watching John take a more productive, less divisive position than I may have. A Governor does not have the luxury of sitting back and being critical, and I truly appreciate John’s more positive, “can do” approach.
John shows up. Seems like a simple thing, but apparently Jay Nixon has trouble with the concept. We need a Governor who will show up at Ferguson or Mizzou and address problems, rather than being absent. Showing up is only the first step, but it is a necessary one if one is to actually solve problems (apparently Eric Greitens has the same problem as Jay Nixon; he has a real problem showing up). Again, I have been observing John over the past year and his energy and enthusiasm levels are amazing.
John is a manager. Governors manage state government. We do not know exactly what issues might arise in our state in the next few years, whether a Ferguson or a Mizzou or a weather disaster. A Governor needs to be prepared to manage whatever issues arise, as well as overseeing the day to day business of state government. These skills are different than those needed in the legislature, for example, and John is uniquely qualified to manage state government.
John is a lifelong constitutional Republican. John Brunner has been involved in local and state Republican races for many years, supporting constitutional and limited government conservatives. We know what John’s values are and have watched him support good candidates here in Missouri. He has not recently switched parties or philosophies, nor has he recently discovered a love of liberty or the constitution. John’s principles go back decades, not months like some candidates.
It is said that integrity is when your thoughts and words and actions are all the same. A person of integrity has “integrated” their values into their whole being, where there is no conflict between what you say and think and do. In the past year I have observed John closely and he is a man of integrity. What you see is what you get with John, and that is perhaps the most powerful recommendation I can make about anyone.
Throughout this campaign season, in the midst of a highly charged and divisive political climate, I have seen lots of people with different views, who support different candidates in other races, come together to support John Brunner. If you are a constitutional free market libertarian-leaning Republican like me, then John Brunner is your obvious choice for Governor. But John is also the choice of citizens from across the Republican spectrum who just want to put Missouri back on the right track.
On Tuesday, I encourage you to vote for John Brunner for Missouri Governor.
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