Rand--Slide!! What does this say about the mood of the electorate??

[formerkywrestler]

I agree. Grayson's campaign never had a heart/theme that voters could rally around and could not find an issue that differentiated him from Paul.

 

I think this fall's race of Paul versus Conway is going to be very interesting. The eyes of the nation will be on that race. Interestingly, Conway may be able to turn the tables of discontent on Paul by painting him as being more Washington than Conway. He can say Paul will be another Republican from Kentucky who will not truly change things; that Paul's father is a long time Washington person; that Kentucky needs to send a Democrat to the Senate for a change; etc. I think Paul will need to continue to distance himself from McConnell and be careful about accepting support from anyone in the Republican establishment. I am not sure how much Paul should align himself with Palin. I think that worked well in a Republican primary but it will likely hurt more than help in the fall. Finally, Conway made an interesting comment last night - both he and Mongiardo received more votes than Paul last night.

Kentucky is a very heavy Democrat state if you look solely on registration. So it would make sense that a Democrat would get more votes in the primary than a Republican. But as national elections show, the state in recent years has went heavily Republican in general elections. The following numbers should shine a little more light on it:

 

Registered Voters - 2,851,996

Democrats - 1,618,011 (56.73%)

Republicans - 1,044,872 (36.64%)

Others - 189,113 (6.63%)

 

I think Conway will have too worry about losing Democrat voters much more than Paul will have to worry about losing GOP voters come the fall.

[woodsrider]

I agree. Grayson's campaign never had a heart/theme that voters could rally around and could not find an issue that differentiated him from Paul.

 

I think this fall's race of Paul versus Conway is going to be very interesting. The eyes of the nation will be on that race. Interestingly, Conway may be able to turn the tables of discontent on Paul by painting him as being more Washington than Conway. He can say Paul will be another Republican from Kentucky who will not truly change things; that Paul's father is a long time Washington person; that Kentucky needs to send a Democrat to the Senate for a change; etc. I think Paul will need to continue to distance himself from McConnell and be careful about accepting support from anyone in the Republican establishment. I am not sure how much Paul should align himself with Palin. I think that worked well in a Republican primary but it will likely hurt more than help in the fall. Finally, Conway made an interesting comment last night - both he and Mongiardo received more votes than Paul last night.

That doesn't mean squat other then there are more registered Democrats in the state then Republicans. Nationally KY is a Rep state.

[Voice of Reason]

Kentucky is a very heavy Democrat state if you look solely on registration. So it would make sense that a Democrat would get more votes in the primary than a Republican. But as national elections show, the state in recent years has went heavily Republican in general elections. The following numbers should shine a little more light on it:

 

Registered Voters - 2,851,996

Democrats - 1,618,011 (56.73%)

Republicans - 1,044,872 (36.64%)

Others - 189,113 (6.63%)

 

I think Conway will have too worry about losing Democrat voters much more than Paul will have to worry about losing GOP voters come the fall.

 

That doesn't mean squat other then there are more registered Democrats in the state then Republicans. Nationally KY is a Rep state.

 

I agree with both of you. And federal election results in KY for many years have shown that the registered Democrats will vote Republican - witness both US Senators and nearly all Congress men have been Republicans for quite a while. But can Rand Paul run from the far right and win those Democrat votes he must have to win in November?

[Randy Parker]

I think this election is about anti-Washington. It isn't about McConnell. If McConnell would have endorsed Rand Paul, I think Paul would have still won big. It is more about the voters being upset with Washington and wanting change. This is a recurring theme in mid-term elections. The incumbent party usually loses ground in mid term elections and there is even more of an anti-incumbency/anti Washington feeling this year..

 

This

[the mathemagician]

I'd like to think a lot of it is voters giving a big middle finger to Mitch McConnell.

 

I'd say just between you and I, ole Mitch got four of those.

[lynks66]

I agree with both of you. And federal election results in KY for many years have shown that the registered Democrats will vote Republican - witness both US Senators and nearly all Congress men have been Republicans for quite a while. But can Rand Paul run from the far right and win those Democrat votes he must have to win in November?

 

What exactly makes you put Paul in the "far right" column?

[Voice of Reason]

What exactly makes you put Paul in the "far right" column?

 

You don't think he is far right?

[lynks66]

You don't think he is far right?

I don't know enough about him personally but would like to find out more. That is why I asked you what aspects about him make you put him in the far right column?

[UKMustangFan]

Paul is more a Liberterian than he is a Republican IMO....Maybe that's why I like him so much...:idunno:

[formerkywrestler]

Paul is more a Liberterian than he is a Republican IMO....Maybe that's why I like him so much...:idunno:

I agree. Though there is still things Paul could work on for me.

 

But I'll be tickled-to-death if he just maintains what he does now and wins come November. I'm just hoping I'm right and we don't see him shift over to Mitch's side more and more if the election tightens up.

[Voice of Reason]

Paul is more a Liberterian than he is a Republican IMO....Maybe that's why I like him so much...:idunno:

 

I don't know enough about the Libertarians to have an opinion. Educate me on who they are, how they differ from Republicans and why a Libertarian would run as a Republican.

[UKMustangFan]

I don't know enough about the Libertarians to have an opinion. Educate me on who they are, how they differ from Republicans and why a Libertarian would run as a Republican.

 

The best way I've ever heard a Liberterian's views described is that they are for as small of government intervention as possible. They feel the individual is smart enough to make their own fiscal and social decisions, whereas both Republicans and Democrats feel individuals are only smart enough to make one or the other, but not both.

 

They typically believe the individual should have the right to choose if they want to abort an unborn child or not, that if two men want to get married, it's their choice, that if a person wants to smoke weed in their own home, it's their right, that government programs as a whole are wasteful, and they are the champions for personal responsibility. They want government to keep their hands off their money, and are generally against any and all forms of tax increases.

[75center]

I'd say just between you and I, ole Mitch got four of those.

 

You guys voted in the Republican primary? I think not.

[Voice of Reason]

The best way I've ever heard a Liberterian's views described is that they are for as small of government intervention as possible. They feel the individual is smart enough to make their own fiscal and social decisions, whereas both Republicans and Democrats feel individuals are only smart enough to make one or the other, but not both.

 

They typically believe the individual should have the right to choose if they want to abort an unborn child or not, that if two men want to get married, it's their choice, that if a person wants to smoke weed in their own home, it's their right, that government programs as a whole are wasteful, and they are the champions for personal responsibility. They want government to keep their hands off their money, and are generally against any and all forms of tax increases.

 

The fiscal side of that sounds like Rand Paul (and most Republicans). The social/moral side sounds very different.

[Randy Parker]

You don't think he is far right?

 

No, he's not. And I think that's why the establishment wanted Grayson over him, which is also why the people went for Paul--he was seen as the anti-establishment.