Sen. Pat Robert took on a campaign buddy — former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole — at a recent Dodge City event to raise money to keep his Kansas seat, warning those in attendance that it’s not long before America turns the corner on the Constitution and takes on a more permanent socialistic feel.

“There’s a palpable fear among Kansans all across the state that the America that we love and cherish will not be the same America for our kids and grandkids, and that’s wrong,” Mr. Roberts said in a video released on YouTube. “One of the reasons that I’m running is to change that. There’s an easy way to do it. I’ll let you figure it out. But at any rate, we have to change course because our country is headed for national socialism. That’s not right. It’s changing our culture. It’s changing what we’re all about.”

Mr. Roberts is fighting to overtake the favorable poll numbers of his independent candidate, Greg Orman, Politico reported.

Mr. Roberts’ appearance with Mr. Dole is believed to be his way of casting himself as a more moderate candidate to the younger voters. At the same time, using the “s” word — socialism — has been the right’s common attack cause against President Obama and his Democratic base over the years, and that’s likely to catch the ear of more conservative voters, political insiders suggest.

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