Real Republican Trouncing Dino in KY Open Seat Race

One of these decades, the Kentucky Democratic Party is going to learn that
running DINOs against real republicans never, ever works.

But none of us will ever live to see it.

Republican Guthrie Positioned to Hold Open House Seat in KY2 for GOP: In an election for US House of Representatives in Kentucky's 2nd Congressional District today, 10/17/08, to fill the open seat of retiring incumbent Republican Ron Lewis, Republican Brett Guthrie defeats Democrat David Boswell 51% to 42%, according to this exclusive WHAS-TV new poll conducted by SurveyUSA.

Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll released three weeks ago, Guthrie is up 2 points; Boswell is down 1. This 3-point net gain for Guthrie comes at a time when many Republicans across the country were losing ground and Democrats were benefiting from Obama coattails. No such evidence in KY2.

Three times as many Democrats cross-over to vote for the Republican as Republicans who cross-over to vote for the Democrat. Guthrie leads by 10 points among men, by 7 among women. Among voters age 18 to 49, Guthrie leads by 13; among voters 50+, Guthrie leads by 4.

Boswell's a racist, misogynistic punk, but the real blame here for losing an open seat in a landslide Democratic year belongs to the Kentucky Democratic Party and the national Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, for choosing to support a non-Democrat like Boswell over Real Democrats like Heather Ryan, KY-1 and Michael Kelley, KY-4.

Support the candidates who share your values. And do not send a thin dime or volunteer a short minute for anti-Democratic frauds like the KDP and the DCCC.

Cross-posted at They Gave Us A Republic ....

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Boswell Ad: Vote for Me, I'm a Republican!

Boy, there's nothing that revs up the Democratic base and gets 'em off their duffs and out to the polls to vote like a Democratic nominee who runs television ads bragging about being a republican.

"I'm pro-life, pro-gun and against higher taxes," says a denim-clad Boswell ....

Not one image, not one word in the ad even hints that Boswell is running as the Democratic nominee.

Which figures, since Boswell is not a Democrat. Something the national Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has yet to figure out.

(More after the jump.)

Last week, Boswell sent out a press release bragging about making the DCCC's priority list of races in its Red to Blue Program. The day before that press release, I'd sent him an email asking for details about his elevation to that list and his participation in it.

I see that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has promoted your campaign from an emerging race to a highlighted Red to Blue Race. Congratulations!

Could you please provide more details about what this means for your campaign? The DCCC's Red to Blue web page states: "The Red to Blue program highlights top Democratic campaigns across the country, and offers them financial, communications, and strategic support. These candidates earned a spot in the program by surpassing demanding fundraising goals and skillfully demonstrating to voters that they stand for change and will represent new priorities when elected to Congress."

What specific "financial, communications and strategic support" have you received from the DCCC since the announcement September 12?

What specific "demanding fundraising goals" did you surpass to earn a place in the Red to Blue program?

How did you specifically "demonstrate to voters that you stand for change and will represent new priorities when elected to Congress?" What specific change do you propose? What new priorities will you represent?

How much money have you raised through the ActBlue DCCC Red to Blue page for donations to your campaign?

I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you very much.

Although I received an email from Boswell's campaign the same day - September 15 - acknowledging receipt of my message, I have not received a reply to my questions.

Can't blame him. If I were a misogynistic, racist coward and waste of oxygen hoping to sneak into Congress on the coattails of a party I despise and betray, I wouldn't answer those questions either.

According to the Swing State Project, the DCCC is dropping a cool $1.75 mil on ads for its Red to Blue candidates, but not a dime for Boswell. Maybe it's not as dumb as it seems.

And the Courier-Journal noted that once again, a "debate" between Boswell and the republican nominee failed to reveal any actual policy or philosophical differences between the two.

Cross-posted at Blue in the Bluegrass.

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DCCC Ad Buys Ignore KY-1, KY-2, KY-4

TPM Election Central has the latest list of swing district Congressional races to which the Democratic National Committee has allocated ad money, and it mostly ignores Kentucky.

The latest list, which adds up to $17.6 million in 20 districts across the country, paints an extraordinary picture of just how grim the GOP's outlook is in House races: About three fourths of the money the DCCC is plunking down is going to races for seats that the GOP currently holds and now has to defend.

But the new list, as well as the previous list, ignores three GOP-held seats being challenged by Democrats in Kentucky.

Heather Ryan in the First, David Boswell in the Second and Michael Kelley in the Fourth don't make the DCCC's lists of races worth spending money on, even though Boswell is running for an open seat and recent polls showed him slightly ahead.

(More after the jump.)


Now I'm no fan of Boswell's, but the Second is a probable dem pickup - certainly more likely than the First or Fourth, even though Ryan and Kelley are far better Democrats as far as I'm concerned.

What's more, some of these districts where Dems are vying to knock off GOP incumbents are historically hostile territory for Dems, such as the open Second District in Alabama, or the Idaho seat now held by right-wing Rep. Bill Sali.

But in Kentucky, the DCCC is playing it safe by supporting only John Yarmuth, incumbent in Louisville's Third District, who is up by double digits over two-time loser Anne Northup.

I realize that even in this year of Democratic campaign wealth, the DCCC's resources are limited, and I am grateful that the DCCC is actually fighting to win in 50 districts, as opposed to its usual 10 or 12.

But I can't help but resent that national Democratic resources are being sunk into Idaho, of all the dem-forsaken places, when a courageous Navy veteran like Heather Ryan, who personally challenged Mitch McConnell, fights a tough campaign with chewing gum and paper clips.

Check out the full listing.

Cross-posted at Blue in the Bluegrass.

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Which Races Is the DCCC Targeting in Your State?

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is targeting Congressional races in 33 states in 2008.

Does it matter? According to the DCCC:

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is the official campaign arm of the Democrats in the House. The DCCC is the only political committee in the country whose principal mission is to support Democratic House candidates every step of the way through this critical election year.

Candidates campaign for DCCC support, and celebrate when they get it, but sometimes find "support" is not what they expected.

In 2006, the DCCC targeted Kentucky's Second District, where Vietnam combat veteran Col. Mike Weaver was challenging repug six-term incumbent Ron Lewis. The DCCC sent a couple of sitting southern congressmen to make speeches, and assigned a couple of D.C. interns to the campaign, apparently so they could get experience, but remained stingy with the actual cash, and failed to make a difference.

Weaver lost by 11 points.

In 2008, the DCCC is again targeting the Second, and might actually succeed, given that Lewis has retired, leaving an open seat.

The DCCC is also targeting Louisville's Third District, a decision which manages to be ironic and stupid at the same time.

Proud Liberal Democrat John Yarmuth took the Third away from five-term repug incumbent Anne Northup in 2006 all by his lonesome - conventional wisdom claiming he had no chance and terror of his liberalism kept the DCCC as far away from Yarmuth as it could get.

Until he won, that is. Won by only 6,000 votes, which is why the DCCC thinks Yarmuth needs their help this year in a rematch against Northup.

Three predictions:

- Yarmuth will beat Northup by at least six points.
- He'll do it without significant help from the DCCC.
- The DCCC will steal all the credit for his victory.

You read it here first.

What's the DCCC up to in your state? Check out this clickable map showing the targeted races in each state and region, with thumbnail summaries of each race.

h/t Cooler King.

Cross-posted at Blue in the Bluegrass.

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