Skipping convention, Blunt campaigns in region

What's a Republican candidate to do? Stay home and keep the campaign momentum going, or attend the Republican National Convention in New York and preach to the choir?

Missouri gubernatorial candidate Matt Blunt chose to continue his campaign, and some of his fellow Republicans are criticizing him for it.

"I thought it would be nice if he would've shown up at a few events," said delegate John Kelly, 22, of Norwood, Mo.

Kelly and other delegates said they had hoped to hear from Blunt -- as they heard from his father, Rep. Roy Blunt, Sens. Kit Bond and Jim Talent, and other state and federal officials.

Blunt said he thinks his time is better spent on the campaign trail.

"I'm running for governor in the state, and I'd rather talk to Missourians about the challenges we face in the state than travel to New York City and talk to people whose support we already have," he said.

Blunt spent Thursday in Southeast Missouri, and visited the Craftsman International Union, 2709 Bloomfield Road, just after noon to talk with union president Fred Kelley and a few of Kelley's associates.

Kelley and Blunt seemed to agree on issues concerning jobs and the need for tort reform.

In the 21 years since he formed the independent union, Kelley said, its membership has not participated in any strikes, work stoppages or work slowdowns.

"We believe in eight hours work and eight hours pay," Kelley said. "We're proud of our record. Our motto is labor and management working together."

Motto for the stateBlunt agreed that the motto would be a good one for the state.

"Certainly your motto is what we are working for," Blunt said. "It can be a productive relationship to make Missouri a better place to create the types of jobs your membership would fill."

Kelley and Blunt also agreed on the need for litigation reform, one of Blunt's major campaign issues. Blunt also expressed an interest in the free clinic the union has for its members and their families as a way of controlling medical costs.

Kelley showed Blunt the gallery of photos displayed in his office, some of athletes and some of elected officials. Former Democratic Gov. Joe Teasdale's photo shared a wall with former Republican Gov. John Ash-croft. Kelley said he doesn't claim to be Republican or Democrat.

"We are looking pretty hard at you," Kelley told Blunt.

It's that kind of scrutiny and potential support Blunt thought made it worth passing on the convention. He's not the only gubernatorial candidate who skipped his party's convention. His Democratic opponent, Claire McCaskill, did not attend the Democratic National Convention in August. Her primary opponent, current Gov. Bob Holden, did attend.

Missouri delegate Denna Huett of Columbia said she could understand why Blunt would skip the convention.

"I don't think he's going to get any votes in this room," she said of the Times Square hotel ballroom where Missourians met to hear breakfast speakers. "I think he's tied up the votes here."

David Webber, a political science professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia said he was surprised Blunt did not attend.

"You would expect a gubernatorial candidate to be there; it's just part of the tradition," he said.

However, tradition may be diminishing in importance. Party insiders say in years past they would wait until the convention to pick the presidential candidate. Today, due to the strength of the primary process, that's merely a formality.

"Blunt's absence probably does attest to the irrelevance of the convention itself," Webber said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

lredeffer@semissourian.com

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