In the aftermath of the election, we've heard plenty of people bemoan that moderates do too much talking, and not enough acting. At our forum this week (lots of talking!), the audience asked what was going to happen now? There were lots of predictions (talk, talk, talk) about the budget, about the doom of rural Kansas, about the urban areas sliding after it down the Governor's glide path to zero. After the forum, some members of MainStream convened again to talk (!) and plan.

First of all, thank you to all our members and supporters for your work, your energy, your donations and yes, your votes. The election did not turn out the way many of us hoped it would. It has been a bad couple of days, and in the end, there is no way to soften the blow. We lost.

This is a guest post by MainStream Board Member Sheryl Spalding.

While the outcome of election night, statewide and nationally, was not what we were hoping for, there are a few bright spots. 

One of the political activist's favorite tropes is to cry the sky is falling. No other election has ever been as important as this one! Do you know what dire things will fall on us if you don't vote? Your children! Your grandchildren! Your parents! Your pocketbook!

But the truth is that every election is as important as this one. And every election is important.

The MainStream Coalition is in the business of educating and promoting moderate political positions and values, yes, but you are the one who has to choose for whom to cast your vote. We can try to convince you of the importance of our positions, and tell you who supports them and who does not. But we can't tell you who to vote for.

Today, October 14, is the last day to register in Kansas for the Nov. 4 general election. Our hunch is, if you're reading this, you're already registered.

But if you are not registered: GET OFF THIS SCREEN AND FILL OUT A VOTER REGISTRATION FORM! Do it online right now! Be sure to follow the instructions. 

What issue makes you vote? It doesn't matter if it's a basic right you see curtailed, opportunities limited to the few, or a ridiculously selfish stance by the extremists. Something makes you sit up. Something makes you get out to vote.

What does it take to get a moderate fired up? We work under the assumption that the vast majority of the electorate are moderate, i.e., not extremists on the right or the left. They may identify with a party, or not, but they don't identify with the spittle flying from either end of the spectrum. If everyone voted, we maintain, moderates would win. But not everyone votes. In the last general election in Johnson County, KS, one in five registered voters bothered to vote. And that number does not include those eligible voters who have not even bothered to register.

The quality and availability of health care is among the most important aspects of our lives, both for us as individuals, and for the people who depend on us: our aging parents and our children. And as a result, it is a critical issue in politics, and specifically at issue in the upcoming elections on November 4.

Last week, for reasons that may have been personal, or may have been political, Chad Taylor, the Democratic candidate running against Pat Roberts (R) for the US Senate from Kansas, dropped out of the race. The hue and cry from the extremists on the right was loud, for reasons that may have been altruistic, or may have been political.