FOX "Your World with Neil Cavuto" - Transcript: 2014 Elections
Interview
NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: We have got another development to tell you of the political variety, and it's causing chaos in Kansas. It's a race that could decide whether Republicans take the Senate or not, and now a state court ruling whether Democrats have to place a name on that ballot or not.
Now, if they do, that could help Republican incumbent Pat Roberts, who is in the fight of his life.
To the Kansas Republican governor, who is also in the fight of his life, in a state that now is -- I don't know, Governor, in an anti-incumbent mood, or what is going on?
GOV. SAM BROWNBACK, R-KAN.: Well, who knows for sure. I know people aren't happy with President Obama, and they're not happy with the overall direction of the country.
And we're trying to set a different course in the state of Kansas, pointing out getting taxes down, growing the economy. And I think overall we will move forward, we will move forward positively, but right now people are -- they have a negative view overall of what is taking place in America.
CAVUTO: All right, now, a lot of them are saying that it's your fault because you had those tax cuts, and they didn't allow the revenue that you thought and that there is hell to pay. What is happening?
BROWNBACK: Well, think of Reagan in 1982.
He gives his tax cuts in 1981. Tax cuts take a little bit of time to be able to generate and move forward. Ours are started and moving forward earlier. People early on are saying, well, wait, wait, this isn't working quite right. But, by 1984, if you give it a couple of years, people are saying, no, that's going the right direction.
And we had to make a number of changes in the state of Kansas. We had to change our pension system, which was in the bankruptcy zone. And now it's not. We had to change our Medicaid system, which we weren't able to make all of our payments.
CAVUTO: Right.
BROWNBACK: So we had to make a lot of changes. And now people are looking at it and saying, OK, I think this is moving in the right direction.
But any time you make change in politics, people get antsy about -- about that change taking place.
CAVUTO: What is weird, Governor, about Kansas now, it has always been seen as a safe, reliable Republican bastion.
And now I'm just wondering if we can read anything into clearly not whether they're blaming you or whether they're blaming Republicans that are in power there, but we are seeing Democrats who in power in other states feeling it, too. Is it just anti-incumbent, mad-at-the-world kind of deal?
BROWNBACK: I think there is some of that out there, Neil, undoubtedly, because people don't like the direction the country is going.
And they're not only mad about it anymore. They're just -- they're -- I -- what -- what do we do? It's -- you know, people are really concerned just about the overall direction. So, if you're in power, then, I think people tend to look at it and say, well, I'm -- I'm questioning you as well.
CAVUTO: Well...
BROWNBACK: I think at the end of the day, though, Pat Roberts is going to move on through this solidly. And so am I.
CAVUTO: Well, what happened there? Now, the argument was that the Democrat took himself off the list. You can't just do that, that the court just state, they have been arguing back and forth as what is going to happen.
To me, it looks, Governor -- and you and I have been discussing briefly in the break -- that there won't be a Democrat on the ballot, just the independent. So, the independent is the guy who is now giving Roberts the run of his life. Right?
BROWNBACK: Yes.
But we will see, because there is also a statute that says you shall have a candidate on the ballot.
CAVUTO: Time's a wasting here to put it on, right?
BROWNBACK: And it is. So, that's what the courts are ruling on. It's whether or not they shall have a candidate on that ballot.
CAVUTO: All right, now, the argument for another candidate is they would divide up that other vote. And it would be good for Roberts.
But do you have a sense that he's in trouble, that you're in trouble in this environment?
BROWNBACK: You know, I just -- I think it's a tough environment right now. I really do.
CAVUTO: Yes.
BROWNBACK: Overall, we have unemployment at 4.9 percent, record number of people working in the state of Kansas. We have cut everybody's income taxes. We're paying our bills. We have got money in the bank.
So, I'm looking at it and saying, this is what is taking place. Now, the other guy is saying, look, I don't like any of the changes you made and I want to go the Obama direction, two-time Obama delegate. And so we will have a choice election at the end of the day.
(CROSSTALK)
CAVUTO: But you have had a fielder's choice of top Republicans campaigning for you. Who was the most important asset for you? Has Christie helped you? Everybody...
BROWNBACK: You know, it's a diverse state.
So Chris Christie helps me some maybe on my left. Rick Perry was just in, helps me some on my right. Rand Paul is coming to the state. You -- really, the Republican Party is a broad-based party.
CAVUTO: Yes.
BROWNBACK: And particularly in a state like Kansas, it has a breadth to it, and you try to appeal to all branches of it and independent and Democrat voters, too. We just announced Democrats for Brownback last week. So, we're getting them on board, too.
CAVUTO: Yes. You got to get the moderate Republicans, though, because they were the ones who ran to your opponent. Or some of them did, right?
BROWNBACK: Some did.
CAVUTO: Yes.
BROWNBACK: And that's a move they did with Kathleen Sebelius before. They supported tax increases.
CAVUTO: That's right.
BROWNBACK: And they supported ObamaCare.
So...
CAVUTO: The former governor, became Health and Human Services secretary.
BROWNBACK: Yes.
CAVUTO: We should point out, Governor, just to be fair here, we did call your opponent up, Paul Davis, the House minority leader. We have yet to hear back. Hope springs eternal. Fair and balanced, though, we did want to do that.
And, Governor, we appreciate it.
BROWNBACK: Good to see you.
CAVUTO: All right, good seeing you. All right.
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