Kentucky: Brace for party politics as usual bare knuckles Senate race

[CitizenBBN]

Jerry Lundergan's daughter, Alison Lundergan Grimes, is the DNC pick to run against McConnell.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/07/01/alison-lundergan-grimes-will-challenge-mitch-mcconnell/

Im no McConnell fan, but I'll just about go door to door for him if she's the alternative. First, she's a pure party politics candidate. Daddy was head of the state party, completely born of and run by the Ky Democratic machine, so this is just handing a Senate vote to Obama and the national Democratic party. Second, Jerry Lundergan is DIRTY as hell. Ugly, old school political dirty. Favoritism on contracts, inside info, hiring practices, you name it. You guys think what Richie did was a big deal? that was small time, nothing stuff. Trust me, I've seen some of it with my own eyes.

McConnell is also the insider, party political choice, but I won't vote for the party line puppet Democrat over the party line puppet Republican and a the same time take the state of Kentucky's influence from Senate Minority (maybe majority) leader to a junior party line Senator. I'd vote to lose that to get a Senator dedicated to a new direction, not one that is just resetting the piece on the same tired and corrupt board.

The article talks about how Patton was critical to the process, how the family is tight with the Clintons. They aren't running the fat white guy from the smoke filled room, but those are the guys running this thing, make no mistakes. We may see a primary challenge to McConnell but barring that we're looking at a pretty straight up straight down red state/blue state choice IMO. As much as I'm sick of the insider GOP, I'm even more unwilling to hand Obama a key Senate vote for the last 2 years of his Presidency.

Lose our standing in the Senate, hand Obama a key vote, hand the Good ol' boy network of Kentucky more power. No thanks, I'll keep the somewhat sorry guy I have now. Once again the American democratic process manages to keep the bad candidate in power by nominating someone even worse. Happens with both parties, I'm beginning to to think they have an agreement b/c it works that way all too often to be chance. lol.

[BigBlueBrock]

Party-line Repub vs party-line Dem? Is there an option to have my eyeballs spooned out and fed to me?

[dan_bgblue]

CNN (http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/01/will-democrats-top-choice-in-kentucky-take-on-mcconnell/?hpt=hp_t3)

[CitizenBBN]

The CNN piece mentions her dad is a former Dem party chair, but fails to mention his name despite his continued prominence in Kentucky politics and the Democratic party generally.

Brock, that's exactly what we'll all want to do before it's over. If nothing else it will be void of surprises. her opening salvo criticized McConnell for not voting for minimum wage increases and claim it is a vote against working Kentuckians, a right down the middle Democratic party statement. McConnell of course immediately ties her to Obama, the straight down the middle GOP line in any red state election.

We did get Rand Paul, who is a non-party guy, but this election has been circled by both parties as one of if not the most critical Senate race in the mid term election, so we'll get a TON of national spending and it will all be party politics as usual, no one taking any chances.

[CitizenBBN]

Saw my first ad. McConnell ad during Top Shot. Well selected spot, tying Gaines to Obama, saying she's met with Harry Reid. Pretty much straight down the middle "War on Coal" and "Cutting Medicare" stuff, but clearly the real push is just to connect a vote for Grimes as a vote for Obama. It is IMO, so in this unusual case I actually agree with the party spewage, but only b/c the other side is nothing but a pure party candidate as well. A race between two puppets of the machine.

[dan_bgblue]

Grimes Distances Herself from Obama on Key Issues (http://www.wbko.com/news/headlines/Grimes-Distances-Herself-from-Obama-on-Key-Issues-216056771.html)

[CitizenBBN]

Grimes Distances Herself from Obama on Key Issues (http://www.wbko.com/news/headlines/Grimes-Distances-Herself-from-Obama-on-Key-Issues-216056771.html)

No doubt she'd cross party lines on all those votes and stand with the GOP on blocking EPA nominations and such. Of course in so doing she'd never get any key committee appointments and be a pariah with no voice in her own party unable to bring home any pork to help her re-election but she'd do it. Uh huh.

[dan_bgblue]

I did not say I believed her.:653:

[CitizenBBN]

I did not say I believed her.:653:

didn't figure you did. lol.

[Catfan73]

Grimes Distances Herself from Obama on Key Issues (http://www.wbko.com/news/headlines/Grimes-Distances-Herself-from-Obama-on-Key-Issues-216056771.html)

I would have a real hard time voting for her regardless, but the way she's shamelessly pandering for votes makes it even worse. Coal has a death grip on the Kentucky political machinery of both parties.

Coal's days as king appear to be numbered however. U.S. agriculture is highly reliant on synthetic nitrogen fertilizer (the N on your fertilizer bag), and nitrogen fertilizer is synthesized in a process fueled by natural gas. Fracking has the environmentalists worried, but it's easy to see why the White House has gotten behind natural gas as Big Ag finds a cheap supply from fracking to meet its fertilizer needs. A BTU of U.S. natural gas now costs 75% less than it did just 5 years ago.

It's no mystery why the coal producers in Kentucky complain that McConnell isn't doing anything for them anymore in their battles against the EPA. He ain't stupid.

[kritikalcat]

I'm sure everyone has noticed, but McConnell now has a Republican challenger in Tea Party candidate Matt Bivin. It looks like Bivin has some cash, because both sides have been hitting each other with TV ads, and the Primary is 10 months away.

[suncat05]

I used to like McConnell, but all he is is just more of the same in D.C. We need some serious changes in the personnel in the GOP, especially in the upper crust of the GOP where all of the decisions are made.
It's time for some changes, seriously way past due, IMHO, but not sure we'll see it happen anytime soon. As long as guys like McConnell and McCain stay in charge and in leadership roles in places like the Senate, nothing will change in the losing ways of the GOP in it's quest for the White House and control of the Senate. All these guys do is continue to promote the 'status quo' and sanction "losing".

I still have lots of premium grade rope.......... :broom:

[CitizenBBN]

A Tea party group is going to run Bevin against McConnell in the primary.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/07/31/mcconnell-battles-tea-party-challenge-in-measure-party-rift/?test=latestnews

Not sure he has what it takes, we'll see. The irony is the Democrats are pitching McConnell as a problem b/c he's giving in to the Tea party far too much in the Senate. Rand Paul has already endorsed Mitch. If he sticks to that I don't see a Tea Party challenge surviving b/c Paul as a sitting Senator has the sway over where a lot of the donations go among the Tea party groups in kentucky.

[SalsaKat]

As for the original title of the thread:

FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Just shut the hell up and let us vote. Otherwise I'm going to find the "kill them both" option and check it.

[jazyd]

Preach on brother suncat



I used to like McConnell, but all he is is just more of the same in D.C. We need some serious changes in the personnel in the GOP, especially in the upper crust of the GOP where all of the decisions are made.
It's time for some changes, seriously way past due, IMHO, but not sure we'll see it happen anytime soon. As long as guys like McConnell and McCain stay in charge and in leadership roles in places like the Senate, nothing will change in the losing ways of the GOP in it's quest for the White House and control of the Senate. All these guys do is continue to promote the 'status quo' and sanction "losing".

I still have lots of premium grade rope.......... :broom: