UPDATEx1 The Lexington Herald Leader has endorsed Senator Barack Obama for President. The Bluegrass will be Blue in November. God it's a good day to be a Kentuckian. The Cats beat the pigs 21-20.
Let the road to 60 come down I-64.
This morning the Louisville Courier Journal officially endorse Kentucky businessman Bruce Lunsford in his race to unseat Mitch McConnell. Yes the Courier Journal is considered liberal, by no means on the scale that NYT is, but this is substantial for multiple reasons.
Excerpts and analysis after the jump.
ALSO: If I remember correctly, Kos commissioned a poll of KY to be released today? He promised that at least one of the numbers in the poll would be candy for us.
http://www.courier-journal.com/...
The CJ, as it is known in Kentucky, bases most of it's decision on McConnell and a national view. I particularly like their opening that a House member is a local person who happens to work in washington but a Senator is a national figure chosen by one state.
The big beef that CJ has with McConnell is as a Bush Enabler:
The overarching consideration, however, should be Sen. McConnell's role as a pivotal and unapologetic enabler of the Bush debacle. From ruinous tax cuts aiding the wealthy to shameful sanctioning of torture, from lack of Capitol Hill oversight to acceptance of sweeping assertions of executive authority, Sen. McConnell has backed policies that have created grave challenges at home and abroad.
Most tellingly, perhaps, Sen. McConnell insists to this day that the war resolution of 2002 authorizing military action in Iraq was neither a mistake nor a vote that he would change, even knowing what he knows now. Given the false premises for war and its numbing cost in blood and treasure, that is an astonishing position for any senior American leader.
The CJ notes that Mitch has run his whole campaign on the fact that he is the head honcho of republicans and brings a huge cash cow to Kentucky. The retort the CJ provides is that he didn't bring the money we needed; SCHIP.
Why is all this important?
Well, yes, CJ is a somewhat liberal leaning paper. But it is the largest and most read in the state of Kentucky. Yes their are the Cincy and Lexington papers, but I don't think they have as much in state readership in the state of Kentucky.
Some commentors are foaming a the mouth and claiming this will have little effect, the truth is that the race is close and that the paper can and likely will have some influence on votes. Also, turnout in the 3rd district, Louisville, will likely be very high as well as the surrounding suburbs. If this seems to be true, and Yarmuth shows large numbers early, it will bode well for Bruce.
One other thing. This paper is well read in southern Indiana. I expect an Obama endorsement in the coming days, and that will surely help in IN.
Lets show Bruce some love