The winner of the Kentucky Democratic Primary is Jim Gray, the openly gay mayor of Lexington, KY:
Sen. Rand Paul to face Lexington Mayor Jim Gray in general election
Rand Paul claims to be a libertarian. But he's against abortion, against LGBT rights, against drugs. On those issues, he's in favor of a big government passing lots of laws enforcing morality. He's a typical Republican. Which is the opposite of a libertarian. He's a nasty tea party kind of guy. As far as I can tell, his most libertarian position is that he opposes the government collecting taxes. Except when the government is telling people how to live their lives.
I've heard that Paul is popular in The Bluegrass State. I won't be surprised if he wins re-election. But he'll have to do it by running away from libertarian principles.
Not that I'm a libertarian. I'm a liberal. I think taxes should be high enough to pay for social services. The government does good and valuable things. I think we should have nationwide health care for all. And we should pay for highways and unleaded water systems. I'm pro-choice, pro-equal-marriage, and pro-legalization (even though I haven’t smoked pot in about 30 years).
I'm very curious about how Rand Paul and his supporters will react to an LGBT opponent. And if they go full-Monty (anti-gay), will voters reject Paul? A lot of Kentuckians have relatives or friends or co-workers who are gay. A lot of voters in their 20s or 30s react negatively to anti-gay campaigns. Will Jim Gray's sexual orientation become a campaign issue?
Hand me some popcorn (buttered, please). This might be an interesting Senate race.