DFA Change for Louisville overwhelmingly endorses Lt. Col. Andrew Horne for Congress:
Folks, if you missed the meeting Wednesday night, you missed a big one. All three serious candidates running for US Congress in the 3rd District, hoping to win a primary and face Anne Northup, turned out to ask for the endorsement of the local chapter of Howard Dean's group, DFA Change for Louisville.
After we heard from PVA candidates, the congressional candidates spoke to the group. Since all three candidates are very progressive on the issues, with few substantive differences in policy, I asked them to focus on convincing DFA why they feel they should be the one to challenge Northup, without focusing on issues.
Political unknown James Walter Moore (http://voteforjimmy.org/) set the bar incredibly high, winning over the DFA crowd almost immediately with his frank honesty and his sense of humor. His innovative ideas excited many, and his energy and passion greatly impressed the group. Most of us had no idea what to expect from
Moore, an engineer and business owner. In fact, I had only discovered his web site that morning, and he had been invited to the event with less than eight hours notice. Even so, he was prepared and energized. Moore's main reason for running is to restore integrity to the political process and after his amazing debut on the political stage, DFA members feel that Moore's participation will make a positive difference.
Andrew Horne (http://horneforcongress.com/), a Marine Lt. Col., spoke to the crowd next. Horne was confident and passionate, directly fielding questions about how he would handle the seemingly inevitable Republican swift-boating should he win the primary, and explaining how he would deal with Republican wedge-issue tactics. It was when he related a dramatic personal story about a turning point in the mismanaged war in Iraq that the DFA crowd seemed to lean back toward Horne. DFA members highly value Horne's service to our country, and feel that his strength and courage to step into the political ring as a total outsider is refreshing. Horne's impressive media coverage is also an advantage, and it seems that of the three candidates, he is far more likely to draw nationwide donations. Finally, his employment of professionals to help run the traditional portion of his campaign, in combination with his aggressive courting of grassroots support, show his forethought and commitment to winning the race.
Local celebrity columnist and publisher John Yarmuth wrapped up the congressional interviews. Expectations were high, and DFA members were anticipating a progressive fighter. Some were wondering if the mood in the crowd would shift for a third time - in Yarmuth's favor. Many of us have followed Yarmuth's columns over the years, and his intelligence and positions on the issues have impressed us. Unfortunately Yarmuth did not exhibit the kind of passion that either of the other two candidates expressed. He seemed almost tired and disinterested at times, as if he was not excited about the race. When Yarmuth was asked strategic questions about how he would handle Republican attacks exploiting his columns, the sexually oriented ads in the back of his LEO magazine, and his liberal reputation, Yarmuth seemed to feel like he was being attacked by the group. Instead of effectively showing us how he would rebut the inevitable Republican attacks, he seemed to take offense to the questions, and did not answer them to the group's satisfaction. The group was disappointed by the lackluster showing of a person who many of us have respected for a long time. In the end, the DFA members, while grateful to Yarmuth for his past service, decided that Yarmuth can best continue to serve the community through his writing and activism, and that his candidacy is not viable at this time.
At the final vote, Lt. Col. Andrew Horne won an overwhelming majority, but the DFA members insisted upon an ovation for the amazing showing of political unknown James Walter Moore. We feel certain that with the name recognition that Moore will build in this race, he will be a force to be reckoned with in any future election in which he chooses to participate. And we hope that in that future race, we will be announcing an endorsement for Moore. For now, we intend to focus our energies on insuring that Andrew Horne is victorious in the primary.
As of this time, DFA Change for Louisville has endorsed Russ Salsman for Circuit Clerk, and Lt. Col. Andrew Horne for Congress.
Mike Bailey
co-organizer DFA Change for Louisville