Disdain for Ky. Gov. Sets Tone for Race

[dusty64]

Oct 27, 3:11 AM (ET)

By CHARLES WOLFE

(AP)

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Gov. Paul Patton is not running for re-election, but public disdain for him and his scandal-tarnished administration is setting the tone in the race to succeed him.

Attorney General Ben Chandler, the Democratic candidate for governor, makes a point of telling audiences he stands apart from the incumbent even though they're from the same party.

The Republican candidate, Rep. Ernie Fletcher, promotes himself as an agent of "real change" after 32 years of Democratic administrations.

In a poll of 600 likely voters last week, Patton's approval rating was 7 percent. Nearly one in five said their vote would express opposition to Patton, who admitted to an extramarital affair and is being sued by a former mistress.


Robin Adams, a state government employee and a Democrat, said she will go "completely opposite from the way I've voted in the past" and cast her ballot for Fletcher.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20031027/D7UED6D00.html

[CMT]

1. even though the polls are close in Kentucky

I think there is more than a 50-50 chance this state will go Republican because of disdain for Patton. I hope I'm wrong. I think we have a better chance to win Louisiana and keep Mississippi than carry Kentucky. Though I still hold out hope it can be a clean sweep.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

3. If the Democrats organize then we will CLEARLY take....

Louisiana!!! The Dem's recieved 58%-59% of the primary vote!
It can be pulled off and it should be!

[jiacinto]

2. Fletcher is in position to win this race

Chandler is going to be brought down the same way KKT was. Then again, from what I've read, he is making the best of out of a bad hand.

But the polling data cited seem to indicate that KY is about to elect Fletcher.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

4. Local T.V stations say that it's a dead heat!

.

[jiacinto]

5. I hope

Maybe Chandler can eke out a win; but, in all honesty, it clearly doesn't look good either.

[DemDogs]

6. Fletcher - the pharmaceutical company's puppy dog

Whatever they want. No wonder Kentucky has been peppered with ads they paid for.

[jarab]

7. I fear that the first two-term

Governor has screwed the Dem party in Ky.
I've noticed that Fletcher has utilized more foot-soldiers than Chandler in the last sixty days, too.
Bad news for dems in Ky, imo.
...O...

[Ramsey]

8. Interesting thread at TPM

Josh Marshall has an interesting piece on the Kentucky race at Talking Points Memo.
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2003_10_26.html#002131

Apparently Fletcher attended a meeting at the Associated Builders and Contractors offices at which a campaign to challenge or stifle the black vote in west and south Louisville was discussed. More Republican dirty tricks in the works to disenfranchise minorities!

I hope this comes out significantly in the local press. It was reported already in the Courier Journal:

http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2003/10/23ky/wir-front-votes1023-9144.html