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Ok I said I wasn’t going to write a thread on the KY race for Senate but I feel like I need to. Things you should know, I’m NOT a Kentuckian I’m KY adjacent, Cincinnati, but we share a media market. Also I went to undergrad there so I have a lot of friends including my bestie.
Ok so KY politics are EXTREMELY LOCAL it RARELY follows whatever national trends are going on which makes it hard to predict, who saw Beshear coming? Also KY feels STRONGLY about “outsiders” trying to influence/ decide their race before they’ve been given a chance to weigh in.
All this to say, national media has been treating Amy McGrath like she’s already the nominee against Mitch McConnell, so off the bat if you understand KY politics, you KNOW this rubbed a LOT of locals the WRONG WAY! The fact that she got HUGE $ from OUTSIDE GROUPS didn’t sit well
It also created another dynamic, it allowed her TO COAST. Frankly she started ACTING like the presumptive nominee, & NOT like a person in a PRIMARY RACE! This caused some UNFORCED ERRORS ON HER PART! She pursued Trump voters INSTEAD of BLACK VOTERS.
From a local paper https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2019/07/09/amy-mcgrath-seeks-makeover-pro-trump-democrat/1680960001/
She did many flips on the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/10/politics/amy-mcgrath-mitch-mcconnell-vote-confirm-brett-kavanaugh/index.html
AGAIN UNFORCED ERRORS on HER part! So naturally KY Dems started thinking isn’t there someone else? We WILL support her if she gets the nomination but the OUTSIDERS have anointed her and we aren’t so sure. Counterintuitively KY Dems would rather have a KY Dem than GOP lite.
So Booker is a charismatic young politician very popular in Lousiville. And I know everyone is going to say “but he’s backed by Justice Dems” in THIS CASE that’s complicated. The DNC & outside donors are ALL IN on McGrath, where else would someone in his shoes get backing?
Which isn’t to say he isn’t on the progressive spectrum he certainly is, especially for KY! BUT he is not a dyed in the wool “bro” in fact ALMOST ALL of my “establishment Dem” KY friends are supporting Booker OVER McGrath. Both of KY’s top newspapers endorsed Booker over McGrath
My friends cite the debate, the newspaper endorsements, and THIS cringe worthy moment from McGrath about BLM. Keep in mind the killing of Breonna Tylor happened in Lousiville
https://twitter.com/darionvotesblue/status/1271485558498430978?s=21 https://twitter.com/darionvotesblue/status/1271485558498430978
https://twitter.com/darionvotesblue/status/1271485558498430978?s=21 https://twitter.com/darionvotesblue/status/1271485558498430978
Now I told U I live in Cincinnati which means I share a media market with northern KY. I’ve seen her ads NONSTOP and I haven’t seen ANY ads for Booker. So she may have a big enough head start to win. BUT national media should be listening to KY Dems on the ground.
None of the national frameworks are suitable for this local race. justice Dems vs DNC is a gross oversimplification of what’s happening, especially in light of Breonna Taylor and how out of touch Amy seemed and how Booker seized the moment.
Ok I guess that’s the thread. I will post the KY endorsements I referred to so you can read them for yourselves. Thanks for listening.
Here’s how a local paper covered the debate https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article243170816.html
Courier journal endorsement https://www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/editorials/2020/06/10/courier-journal-endorsement-booker-best-democrat-face-mcconnell/5334027002/?fbclid=IwAR1scJ83CDehwPb5vadnnQk54DMNbRwrEyJ76iue3zWHlg6QImc25KNGSfg
Herald Leader endorsement https://www.kentucky.com/opinion/editorials/article243084106.html
Last thing, please do NOT try to draw me into an argument about the MERITS of the race. I think OUTSIDERS have muddied things up enough & it’s up to KY. I just wanted to bridge the gap b/w the national conversation & actual local KY politics. LISTEN TO LOCALS trust them to decide
Update: This endorsement just came through today, very interesting... Grimes endorses Booker over McGrath. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/16/kentucky-democrat-backs-charles-booker-322109
Newest endorsement from Indivisible KY for Booker
https://www.facebook.com/indivisibleguide/photos/a.198948293902381/916158235514713/?type=3
https://www.facebook.com/indivisibleguide/photos/a.198948293902381/916158235514713/?type=3
