With Election Day a little more than a month away, the U.S. Senate race has taken a turn from domestic issues to international policy – and created some strange political bedfellows in the process.
The panel on this weekend’s Comment on Kentucky discussed that story plus efforts to attract sports fans and female voters to the Senate contest.
When Senators voted earlier this month on President Obama’s plan to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels to fight Islamic State (ISIS) militants, incumbent Mitch McConnell actually sided with the president. Joe Gerth of the Louisville Courier-Journal describes McConnell’s vote as more of a political maneuver than actual support for Obama.
Gerth says the Republican initially wanted a vote on whether to send any American troops to the region, but backed off that position so that responsibility for any potential problems would be borne solely by the president. Plus, Gerth explains, criticizing Obama for committing troops could come across to voters as McConnell criticizing the military.
The Lexington Herald-Leader’s Janet Patton says McConnell’s vote helps with his re-election campaign, especially among mothers concerned about national security. She contends the ISIS debate benefits Republicans over Democrats, who voters tend to view as softer on defense issues.
While McConnell voted for the president’s plan, his Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes expressed reservations about it. Theo Keith of WAVE-TV in Louisville says Grimes is against sending American troops to fight ISIS, and she’s concerned about the trustworthiness of the Syrian rebels the president wants to arm. That puts Grimes in line with Kentucky’s junior Sen. Rand Paul, who also opposes Obama’s plan. Paul voted against the measure to aid the Syrian rebels, and he has argued that it’s unconstitutional for the president to commit any Americans to the ISIS fight without Congressional approval.
Talking Politics with Big Blue Nation
In something of an usual move, Grimes appeared last week on a state-wide radio show normally devoted to sports. During her 20-minute appearance on Kentucky Sports Radio, Grimes discussed coal, gun laws, gay marriage, legalizing marijuana, and, yes, basketball with host Matt Jones.
Joe Gerth says the interview helped Grimes reach sports fans who may not closely follow nightly newscasts or watch political ads. He says some of Grimes’ responses may “raise eyebrows” among voters, including her support for legalizing medical marijuana and closing a loophole that allows individuals to buy weapons at gun shows without background checks.
McConnell has also been invited to appear on the program, but has yet to schedule his interview.
Female Candidates and Women Voters
With Grimes holding a slim 1-point lead among likely female voters, the Democrat has launched robocalls featuring former Gov. Martha Layne Collins and former state auditor Crit Luallen. Gerth says the message from Collins has been especially popular, but he’s uncertain whether that will generate sufficient support for Grimes.
Although women make up about 51 percent of the U.S. population, they are under-represented in elective office. Janet Patton cites a study by Rutgers University that shows women hold only 18.5 percent of Congressional seats and only 24.2 percent of seats in state legislatures. Patton reports that a documentary shown in Lexington last week makes the case that many potential female candidates choose not to run because they think they’re not qualified.
One female candidate for Kentucky’s House of Representatives downplayed a story that broke last week over a racy photo she did for a local musical group. Theo Keith says Democrat Ashley Miller, who’s running for the 32nd House District seat in eastern Jefferson County, worked as a model when she was young to help pay for her education. The photo in question appeared on the cover of an album by the Kentucky rap group Nappy Roots. Both Miller and her Republican opponent Phil Moffat have trivialized the matter and say their race should be about the issues.
Jefferson County Economic News
Janet Patton says the Brown-Forman Corporation will build a $30 million distillery and tourist attraction on Louisville’s Main Street. The facility will produce Old Forester bourbon, which is Brown-Forman’s oldest brand. Patton says the company will receive some $7 million in tax incentives for the project.
The state also approved $40 million in tax breaks this week for General Electric and their Appliance Park in Louisville. To receive that incentive, Theo Keith reports that GE – or Electrolux, which has offered to buy the facility – will have to maintain 5,263 jobs there and make more than $250 million in investments in Appliance Park.
Another economic story developing in Louisville is a proposal to raise the minimum wage in Jefferson County. Metro Council Democrats have pushed the plan, and although they hold a majority in that body, passage of an increase is not a certainty. Keith says Council President Jim King and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, both Democrats, have expressed concern that raising the city’s minimum to $10.10 per hour could drive jobs to neighboring county’s that maintain the current $7.25 rate. If the increase is passed but the mayor vetoes it, Keith says it’s unlikely that the council would have enough votes for an override.
–The opinions expressed on Comment on Kentucky and in this program synopsis are the responsibility of the participants and do not necessarily reflect those of KET.
