Who Created The Missouri Political Bug?

Speaker Jetton presiding over session

The Missouri Political Bug was created by Rod Jetton the former Speaker of the Missouri House.  Rod has a wide-ranging background in politics, and his experiences in county, state, and federal campaigns have provided him with a wealth of knowledge to draw upon.  Rod first came on the Missouri political scene as a campaign worker for Congressman Bill Emerson.  After working on Emerson’s 1990 re-election, he joined the United States Marine Corps.  When he returned home he was elected Bollinger County Commissioner in 1996, he was the youngest commissioner in the State of Missouri.

In 2000 he was elected to the Missouri House and as the House Republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) chair in 2002 Rod’s abilities were a key reason the Republican’s won the majority after 48 years of Democrat control. His caucus quickly elected him to leadership and he is the only Missouri Speaker to serve four years since term limits started in 1998.  Since 2002 he has crisscrossed Missouri recruiting candidates, raising money and listening to community leader’s concerns about state government.  Those efforts have provided him with a long list of political contacts, which gives him a unique insight of Missouri’s political landscape.  Even though he is a Republican, Rod’s ability to work with the minority party and advance bipartisan issues has endeared him to both Republicans and Democrats alike. His efforts to give the minority party a larger voice by changing the House rules were appreciated by his fellow Democrats and are still being used today.  

Rod’s ability to predict winners is legendary. Here are his past House forecasts. 

                                        Rod's Forecast             Actual Results

	ROD’S FORECAST		ACTUAL RESULTS
	REPUBLICANS	DEMOCRATS	REPUBLICANS	DEMOCRATS
2002	91	72	90	73
2004	96	67	97	66
2006	95	71	95	71
2008	93	70	82	71
2010	101	62	106	57

In 2002 most experts discounted him as a foolish freshman until the results came in.  In 2004 he again proved everyone wrong, but by 2006 his political insights were being sought out by Democrats and Republicans alike. After leaving the legislature Rod began consulting on federal, state and local campaigns winning over 90% of his races.  In 2008 he continued his accurate assumptions, and in 2010 he was the only person to predict the Republicans would crack 100 seats.  Most laughed at his 101-62 prophesy, but after the campaigns were over and the dust cleared nobody was laughing. 

Rod predicts winners with accuracy because he knows the nuts and bolts of how campaigns are won.  Community and political leaders trust his judgment because he knows how to sift through the exaggerations and spin most candidates and party committees provide donors and voters.  No one knows the different and varied districts of Missouri better than Rod.  His ability to interpret polling data, call local leaders and gauge how fundraising or issues will effect a race are why Democrats, Republicans, lobbyists, PAC’s, and state association leaders all seek his insights on Missouri campaigns.