For those who didn't watch, Alison L. Grimes took on Mitch McConnell in the only debate that Mitch's people would agree to.
Alison Grimes provided a much clearer choice for the people of Kentucky tonight, and I am hoping that whatever undecideds remain out there strongly consider voting for her now.
Mitch McConnell? All he did was punctuate every answer with a literal or proverbial ..."Obama!!!!" and that's about it.
To me, Alison Grimes came off as someone who wants to take public service seriously...while Mitch McConnell sounded as scuzzy as the untrustworthy used car salesman who can't wait for you to sign on the line and drive that lemon off his lot.
Asked about health care and Kentucky Kynect, Mitch McConnell's first answer was to accuse the moderator of lying about the amount of people who had been covered through the exchange...but he quickly reversed course and then stated "Well, those people are paying more now." So at first, those people didn't exist for Mitch, but wait, now they do, and they're paying higher premiums!
McConnell also broke Kynect down as being "A website" which was "nice" to have, and sure, he'd be okay with the website staying up. Of course, if you repeal the ACA, Kynect would go away too, but he didn't mention that.
Grimes on the other hand, when asked about repealing Obamacare "root and branch", stated unequivocally that she would "not rip healthcare away from half a million Kentuckians". Grimes would also point out later, in this coal-heavy state, that it is precisely because of the ACA that those miners with black lung are now able to get health care coverage.
Point: Grimes
Pressed on raising the minimum wage, Alison Grimes stated that more than half of all workers making this wage are not, in fact, teenagers out of high school, and it isn't a livable wage. McConnell did not answer whether he thought $7.25 an hour was livable, but tried to state that only young people who "don't stay at that rate very long" are the ones affected by such a wage. Bzzzzzt, wrong. McConnell continually referenced "The Obama Economy", however conveniently ignoring that the recession of 2008 was in fact caused way before Barack Obama ever became President.
The moderator should have called him out on this, but the moderator kind of sucked, often interrupting both candidates to get them to verify their answers, which bleh...
Climate Change
A particularly good answer for Grimes was when she was asked about Climate Change, and she stated for the record that although she wasn't a scientist, she understood the realities of global warming. McConnell cited noted scientist George F. Will of all people (!) as his defense for basically shrugging his shoulders about it. What a pathetic answer in 2014. Grimes obviously won this exchange.
Grimes talked about batting down the EPA, and protecting miners, and coal jobs, and her United Mine Worker's endorsement, and yeah, we can not like the defense of the energy-producing pollutant, but it is what it is to some extent in Kentucky.
Grimes called out McConnell's association with the Koch's, pointed out that McConnell is against relieving student loan debt, and has basically 30 years of failed "leadership" in Washington.
Grimes was not perfect. She continued to duck the "Did you vote for Obama?" question, hiding IMO behind the "Well, as Secy of State, secrecy at ballot box, etc." She also made an inelegant statement about McConnell getting rich "Off the backs of Kentuckians, and that's fine". I don't think she meant it the way it sounded, but it was not an articulate moment there.
But arguably the strongest swipe of the night belonged to Grimes, who pointed out that the nation is $17 trillion in debt "Due to Mitch McConnell, and putting two wars on the credit card".
BAM.
McConnell didn't respond to that, that I could recall. Not sure if it was due to time or he just ignored it, but I believe it went unchallenged.
For me, the bottom line appeared again. Alison Grimes sounded like she legitimately cared about the people of Kentucky, and wanted to go to Washington to, you know, actually work. McConnell, through his trademark "I can't believe this shit is happening" grimace, sounded like he was trying to sell you that awesome hot rod on the lot that no, it's never been in an accident, and that black smoke is from all the power, and it's definitely not burning any oil and, what's this? A thick wad of 100's from special interest groups? No idea what you're talking about. Noooope. Not me!