Governor/Lt. Governor Primary Results

[leatherneck]

No surprise here that Fletcher won so handily. But for, and its a big but for, the dumb way he handled the hiring/firing mess, he's done a pretty good job running the state the last approx 4 years. I agree with Hearsay that the tax reform idea wasn't thought through, but then again the General Assembly and a lot of Chambers supported the reform also. Not sure why they didn't see the problem.

 

On the whole he's done a lot of good. If I recall, even a lot of eastern Ky judge executives supported him because, unlike in the past when the legislators from eastern Kentucky had major input on how the coal tax dollars were to be spent, Fletcher by passed them and worked instead with the judge executives. I know the folks think more of the coal tax dollars should be returned to eastern Kentucky, but a lot of folks think a lot more of the income tax dollars and gas tax dollars should be returned to N.Ky, Lex and Lou. In any event Fletcher let the judge execs decide what projects the coal tax dollars would be spent on.

 

I expect Fletcher to beat Beshear. It will be a lot tighter than the primary, but I think Fletcher will win. I think, ironically enough, that Fletcher caught more flack for is handling of the hiring/firing mess from his own party than he did from the Democrats (Stumbo and a few others not included). I think most voters are more concerned about other issues that directly touch their lives day in and day out than the hiring/firing mess and by November will be or already are sick and tired of hearing about it.

[halfback20]

No surprise here that Fletcher won so handily. But for, and its a big but for, the dumb way he handled the hiring/firing mess, he's done a pretty good job running the state the last approx 4 years. I agree with Hearsay that the tax reform idea wasn't thought through, but then again the General Assembly and a lot of Chambers supported the reform also. Not sure why they didn't see the problem.

 

On the whole he's done a lot of good. If I recall, even a lot of eastern Ky judge executives supported him because, unlike in the past when the legislators from eastern Kentucky had major input on how the coal tax dollars were to be spent, Fletcher by passed them and worked instead with the judge executives. I know the folks think more of the coal tax dollars should be returned to eastern Kentucky, but a lot of folks think a lot more of the income tax dollars and gas tax dollars should be returned to N.Ky, Lex and Lou. In any event Fletcher let the judge execs decide what projects the coal tax dollars would be spent on.

 

I expect Fletcher to beat Beshear. It will be a lot tighter than the primary, but I think Fletcher will win. I think, ironically enough, that Fletcher caught more flack for is handling of the hiring/firing mess from his own party than he did from the Democrats (Stumbo and a few others not included). I think most voters are more concerned about other issues that directly touch their lives day in and day out than the hiring/firing mess and by November will be or already are sick and tired of hearing about it.

 

 

I don't see how or why anyone would vote to put Fletcher back in office...

[ladiesbballcoach]

I don't see how or why anyone would vote to put Fletcher back in office...

Ahem....UMMM.....I will. Fletcher is pro-life. Reading Beshear's thread he makes zero comment that I could find about abortion. Under his issues link, he made no comment on abortion. I am assuming that means pro-choice.

 

And as mentioned already, I am not for legalizing gambling.

[leatherneck]

I don't see how or why anyone would vote to put Fletcher back in office...

 

 

Then you obviously don't see eye to eye with me:laugh:.

[cammando]

I'll be voting for Fletcher again this fall..:thumb:

[02Ram54]

Beshear makes the gambling issue the central focus and it might just rally the Fletcher conservative base who may not be motivated to come out in droves to support Fletcher without an issue to rally around.

 

I don't think the Stumbo lawsuit will play in many voters' minds at all as most take that to be politics as usual on both sides of the lawsuit.

I don't know about that.

[02Ram54]

Besides, you know that Fletcher wouldn't stop it, right? He's taken a fence-sitting position of 'I won't push for it, but I'd sign it.'

 

Hardly a guy that can use it as a rallying cry.

[75center]

Gambling will go nowhere without active governor support so it is a clear dividing issue for those who are strongly for or against it. My guess is that those opposed to it are more passionate than those in favor. Anyone who's ever lived in the bible belt will not question that the issue will rally many people in that area.

[Birdsfan]

My guess is that those opposed to it are more passionate than those in favor. Anyone who's ever lived in the bible belt will not question that the issue will rally many people in that area.

I know a lot of folks that are pretty passionately for it.

[02Ram54]

Not to mention, our current straw poll here on BGP is overwhelmingly in favor of allowing gambling. I think we all recognize that the membership of this site tilts right.

 

My personal opinion is that it won't be a serious issue with swing voters. If there is some 'get out the vote' caused by it, it's going to be a small portion of the population that increases their turnout (and it will be the portion of the poulation that already has the highest turnout rates, mind you.) I don't think it will offset the energizing that people have to the knee jerk reaction to vote Fletcher out for what they see as an embarassing administration.

[ladiesbballcoach]

Not to mention, our current straw poll here on BGP is overwhelmingly in favor of allowing gambling. I think we all recognize that the membership of this site tilts right.

 

My personal opinion is that it won't be a serious issue with swing voters. If there is some 'get out the vote' caused by it, it's going to be a small portion of the population that increases their turnout (and it will be the portion of the poulation that already has the highest turnout rates, mind you.) I don't think it will offset the energizing that people have to the knee jerk reaction to vote Fletcher out for what they see as an embarassing administration.

I don't think they feel that Fletcher is anymore embarrassing than Clinton was, Patton was, etc, etc.

 

I think cheating on your wife in the Oval Office, your wife claiming it never happened and then we found out it did is much more embarrassing than actions that voters think is commonplace in Frankfort.

 

Or using the state police to cheat on your spouse over a political action that occurs all the time.

[02Ram54]

I don't think they feel that Fletcher is anymore embarrassing than Clinton was, Patton was, etc, etc.

 

I think cheating on your wife in the Oval Office, your wife claiming it never happened and then we found out it did is much more embarrassing than actions that voters think is commonplace in Frankfort.

 

Or using the state police to cheat on your spouse over a political action that occurs all the time.

Sorry. I didn't know either of those guys were running.

 

I also didn't know they ran on a platform to clean up Frankfort/Washington.

[02Ram54]

And for the record, I was analyzing OTHER people and how the votes are going to be affected. I'm not embarassed by Fletcher (although I have been embarassed for him in the past.) But I've certainly heard or read other people who are.

[ladiesbballcoach]

Sorry. I didn't know either of those guys were running.

 

I also didn't know they ran on a platform to clean up Frankfort/Washington.

No doubt that Ernie did not do what he said he was going to do.

 

A politician going to Frankfort/DC saying one thing and doing another. Does that happen often?

 

I am not defending him nor am happy with him. Just saying it is pretty much standard OP for politicians.

 

Good chance Brashear will be elected. He will make promises and go to Frankfort and either renege on some of them or just not do it.

[02Ram54]

No doubt that Ernie did not do what he said he was going to do.

 

A politician going to Frankfort/DC saying one thing and doing another. Does that happen often?

 

I am not defending him nor am happy with him. Just saying it is pretty much standard OP for politicians.

 

Good chance Brashear will be elected. He will make promises and go to Frankfort and either renege on some of them or just not do it.

I think the big issue I was driving at with those comments is that there ARE people who are embarassed by Fletcher (and not just the JOBTROT thing) and just throwing out the names of previous politicians who have embarassed people for different reasons doesn't change that.

 

I will add something I've said from day one, you can't run as a reform candidate and get caught doing the good ol boy thing. Doesn't matter who did it before, hypocrisy on your main campaign theme (Restoring Hope) will burn you.

 

ONE-ON-ONE - October 2003

by Ed G. Lane

'Kentuckians Have Been Embarrassed by Scandals, Waste and Fraud in Frankfort'

Kentucky's Republican candidate for governor maps out his plan for leading the state

...

Ed Lane: The Fletcher-Pence campaign’s theme is “restoring hope” for Kentucky. What are the key points of this plan?

 

 

Ernie Fletcher: The first priority is to clean up the mess in Frankfort. That message is resonating all across the state. Kentuckians have been embarrassed by the waste, fraud, abuse, inefficiencies, and scandals in Kentucky’s state government.