The long and ugly campaign trail in the Nebraska Republican Gubernatorial Primary is finally over.
Longtime media members and political science pros have regarded it as the ugliest campaign in modern history.
This past Friday, May 13, Aaron Sanderford of the Nebraska Examiner online news site, posted a story about why Pillen beat Charles W. Herbster by nearly 11,000 votes.
It’s an insightful story, but Aaron left out a couple of key points:
Jim Pillen — a farm boy from small town Monroe, NE (Platte County) — is a Nebraska football hero. Every Husker fan over the age of 50 remembers him. Pillen claimed national fame by intercepting two passes in the Huskers 31-24 victory over Bear Bryant’s Alabama Crimson Tide in 1977 and won the 1978 NU game vs #1 Oklahoma when he recovered Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims’ fumble late in the game.
Also, unlike Herbster, Pillen is likeable and relatable. He’s the type of guy with which you can enjoy a morning cup of coffee in Hyannis while you exchange Nebraska football memories and cattle raising or share a lobster dinner with while in Omaha discussing Nebraska’s prison space shortage. You’ll be equally comfortable with him in both settings.
As far as Herbster’s Trump endorsement: It was meaningless. Don’t, and I mean DON’T tell Nebraskans how to vote.
We are an independent lot.
Need a reminder?
See the results of the 2006 Republican Gubernatorial Primary between David Heineman and Tom Osborne when Nebraska voters ignored Osborne’s endorsement by the Omaha World-Herald.
For goodness’ sake, we are the church-attending state that reinstated the death penalty and voted to recognize marriage as a union between a man and a woman! We stick to the values that were instilled in us by our parents and grandparents.
Jim Pillen shares those values. He did so during countless meetings with the state’s citizens that included visits to all 93 counties.
While Aaron Sanderford shared legitimate reasons why Pillen won the primary election, I believe Pillen’s shared values is why, come January, 2023, he will be our next Governor.