Normally I don't give a shit what Donald Trump has to say but I think he might be on to something:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Real estate mogul Donald Trump had harsh words on Wednesday for an American Crossroads ad targeting a potential Ashley Judd Senate campaign in Kentucky.
"They took her at her absolute prime. They made her look great. Most beautiful pictures of her I've ever seen. They had her speaking about our brilliant president, President Obama," Trump complained to conservative radio talk show host Mark Levin. "And what they did basically was make her look great -- and made President Obama look great."
Judd has been considering challenging Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for his Senate seat in 2014, going as far as discussing the possibility with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and doing opposition research to test her political viability in her home state.
"Instead of not saying anything, now [Judd is] at the forefront of running for office," Trump said of the decision to run the ad. "They've already made her a rock star."
Trump has repeatedly criticized American Crossroads founder Karl Rove for his inability to turn a massive campaign war chest into Republican victories in the 2012 election cycle. He recently tweeted that the GOP operative was a "total loser." - Huffington Post, 2/14/13
I think the Donald's might be right about this. Rove's premature freak out about a rumored run and early attacks are might only attract more Kentucky voters to seeing Judd run. Like I said before, the fact that Rove has to release attack ads against Judd, who hasn't even announced her candidacy yet, is a sign that McConnell is in trouble. But Rove isn't the only one worried about Judd running for Senate. Some Kentucky Democrats think a Judd candidacy would royally screw their chances of picking up this seat:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Rumblings about actress Ashley Judd's potential political ambitions are sparking some unease among Democrats in Kentucky.
Recent speculation that Judd might mount a Democratic challenge against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has quickly led top Republicans to spin up the attack machine, and not all state Democrats are feeling inclined to come to her defense.
“If she runs, I think that it would be a catastrophe for a lot of downballot races in Kentucky,” Jimmy Cauley, a Kentucky Democratic strategist, told Roll Call, adding that a number of state Democratic lawmakers had "significant worry about Ashley being on the ballot.”
Roll Call breaks down their apprehension:
The crux of their worry is this: As a celebrity and strong supporter of President Barack Obama, Judd’s position at the top of the ticket could nationalize state and local races. They see her losing the Senate contest -- an uphill climb for any Democrat -- and potentially poisoning the conservative brand of some state Democrats. - Huffington Post, 2/14/13
But Congressman John Yarmuth (D. KY-3) still firmly believes in Judd:
http://www.rollcall.com/...
Yarmuth, Kentucky’s sole Democrat in Congress, has been Judd’s loudest cheerleader since he first floated her name last year. In an interview with CQ Roll Call this week, he said “she’d be a very strong candidate” and called her “the top prospect” for a McConnell challenge.
But pressed on local Democrats’ unease about Judd, Yarmuth shot back.
“Do they have a better idea?” he asked. “Because if they do, they ought to come forward.”
Another Democratic worry about Judd is her position against mountaintop removal coal mining, which she has called a “scourge.” It remains a divisive issue in the state.
Yarmuth said he understands her “issues” but doesn’t think she’ll be a downballot drag.
“Once people would see her, listen to her passion, listen to her commitment to the Commonwealth, I think she can overcome those potential obstacles,” Yarmuth said. He said her support of Obama and her opposition to mountaintop removal coal mining wouldn’t hurt her.
Yarmuth and Judd allies note that polling shows a vast majority of Kentucky voters know who she is and that she would begin a matchup within range of McConnell. - Roll Call, 2/13/13
I honestly don't know if Ashley Judd would be the best contender for this race yet. Her views and remarks on mountain top removal mining does make Kentucky Democrats squeamish but she could elegantly make her case. She is very educated on the issue. But she needs to move back to Kentucky ASAP. She currently lives in Tennessee. I'm sure she knows Kentucky well but she needs to move back sooner than later, otherwise she will suffer the same fate Bob Kerrey did when he returned to Nebraska. We know that Judd comes the closest when matched against McConnell and we know the Tea Party, with the help of Progress Kentucky, wants to get rid of Mitch as well but there's always a chance that the Kentucky Tea Party could come up short and be stuck with McConnell. But one thing is for sure, McConnell's in trouble and Rove idiotically let the cat out of the bag. When Trump is calling you out, you know you fucked up.