Had the GOP establishment had their way, Kentucky would not be a competitive state. Their nominee, Trey Grayson, would have a comfortable lead today en route to an easy hold. Yet because the teabaggers nominated Rand Paul, the National Republican Senatorial Committee has been forced to drop its first big chunk of change in KENTUCKY, of all places. Specifically, the NRSC is spending at least $250,000 on the ad in the Lexcington and Louisville markets.
Meanwhile, the US Chamber of Commerce is also spending money on this race. A Democratic tracker sends me the following info:
US Chamber of Commerce 9/15 – 9/21
Louisville: 743 GRPs, $100,285
Lexington: 428 GRPs, $57,750
US Chamber of Commerce 9/22 – 9/28
Louisville: 732 GRPs, $98,785
Lexington: 410 GRPs, $55,400
Do the math, that's over $300,000. So the bad news is that Conway is now bearing the brunt of over half a million in ads from the bad guys. The good news is that 1) the GOP is freaked out enough about this race that it's their first target of the season, and 2) the teabaggers are costing the GOP opportunities. This is money that could be spent in Washington, Wisconsin, California, Nevada, and myriad other targets (it's a big playing field this year). Yet here they are, in Red Kentucky, defending what should've been an easy hold.
The ad itself is incoherent:
Big government health care is bad! Except for big government Medicare, which is good! And horses are bad, in Kentucky, or something!
You can help Jack Conway fight off the NRSC and Chamber of Commerce.
p.s. GRPs are "gross ratings points".