Hmmm...this is an interesting development. I knew that McConnell wasn't popular in his home state, but I didn't realize that he was this disliked...
Former Rand Paul campaign manager embarrassed by Tea Party bromance with Mitch McConnell
"Is anyone buying this, really?" asks David Adams in a Facebook post Thursday. The question was captioning a screenshot Adams posted of a Mitch McConnell for Senate advertisement that infers that McConnell and Rand Paul are having some kind of Tea Party bromance,
Adams is the current Chairman of the Kentucky Republican Liberty Caucus, and it's important to note he was also Senator Rand Paul's first campaign manager. Adam's is unapologetically in the camp Tea Party, but that's not to say he's a happy camper.
Commenter: "Why isn't Rand putting a stop to McConnell's shameless name dropping?"
David Adams: "It has to get more embarrassing, I guess."
h/t to Ditch Mitch for the tip; here's the actual FB post by this David Adams guy.
Interesting times. Could Ashley Judd (or Allison Grimes) really have a shot here?
Some of the comments in the FB thread are fascinating; remember, these comments are, presumably, made by Rand Paul / Libertarian / Ayn Rand types:
David Adams: Is anyone buying this, really?
"No!...I believe it from Rand not Mitch
"Why isn't Rand putting a stop to McConnell's shameless name dropping?
"It has to get more embarrassing, I guess.
"not for one minute....
"It's really an understatement
" It's embarrassing to see just how much McConnell is trying to ride on Rand's coattails.
"DID RAND GIVE HIM PERMISSION TO USE HIS FACE AND NAME ????
"PATHETIC LOSER! Lot's of people (or bots) are supporting this false connection.
There's some discussion of primarying Mitch:
"mitch needs a good old fashioned paddlin' then needs to be replaced and sent home to think about what he's done! " or hasn't done"
"Is there even the remote chance that he will be challenged in a primary?
"Outstanding chance. Several potential candidates are moving closer to the starting line. Figuring out best way to position one candidate for the win.
They even join in on the "turtle" meme:
"I'll never join that turtle on ANYTHING
And then there's this...
"Until a primary challenger emerges that has Conservative credentials I will continue to support McConnell over any of the Democrats but it is a soft support.
Anyway, I decided to actually step into the lion's den and ask--in all sincerity--what this bunch's take on Judd or Grimes is. I actually received a reasonable, intelligent and fair response from one person (the same "soft support" guy listed above):
I don't think Kentuckians would go for Ashley Judd's extreme liberal views and the fact she doesn't seem to know what state she is from but Alison Lundergan Grimes would make a serious challenge. Her dad has tons of connections and money that would be at her disposal plus she was the second largest vote getter at 71% in her election to Sec. of State. She would be tough to beat but I do not see her beating McConnell or any Republican that may be nominated.
To which I responded:
Thanks for a serious and reasonable response; that's what I was wondering. I happen to like Ms. Judd (obviously, I share most of her views), of course, but I agree that Ms. Grimes would be the more cautious, establishment choice.
Then again, I seem to recall Sen. Paul being considered quite a long shot choice by the GOP establishment when he first ran as well--and just as Judd is an actress with no elected political experience, Sen. Paul was an optometrist with no elected political experience either...and his views are considered pretty extreme the other way by most people.
I'm not trying to get into an R/D pie fight here (especially on your home turf), seriously; I'm just wondering whether, in an odd way, it might actually be a healthy thing for the state to be represented by 2 representatives of (what you consider, in Ms. Judd’s case) to be the "extremes" of their party ideals, one on the left, the other on the far right.
At the very least, it would make for a serious, honest debate of the ideas of the Left and Right wings, without so much of the mushy-middleness that seems to have paralyzed D.C.
Anyway, thanks for your take.