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In a Bitter Kentucky GOP Primary, Candidates Trade Charges of Racism
NYT ^ | June 12th | Catie Edmondson

Posted on 06/22/2020 4:27:45 AM PDT by RandFan

... As Representative Thomas Massie fights to hold off a Republican opponent and defend his seat in a deeply conservative and overwhelmingly white district in northeastern Kentucky, race has become a central line of attack in the increasingly bitter contest, with both candidates accusing each other of bigoted views.

Mr. Massie was the first to broach the subject in April, when he shared a series of Twitter posts and articles that contained racist and anti-immigrant tropes written by his challenger, Todd McMurtry. After The New York Times reported on the material, Republican leaders who had backed Mr. McMurtry renounced him.

Now Mr. McMurtry, who has never disavowed the posts but has since deleted them, is portraying Mr. Massie as the racist in the contest. Less than two weeks before the election, in what has become the most expensive Republican House primary in Kentucky’s history, Mr. McMurtry has seized on a charged moment as protesters across the nation call for systematic change to address discrimination against black Americans. The unrest has gripped the congressional district, which is 92 percent white and includes the suburbs of Louisville, where Breonna Taylor, a black woman, was shot and killed by the police in her home during a drug raid.

“I have personally seen photographs of Congressman Massie flying the Confederate flag over his Kentucky home,” Mr. McMurtry told a local news outlet in one interview of several he has done recently on the topic. “So him attacking me as a racist is pretty ironic.”

The charge, confirmed in photographs Mr. Massie posted to his blog in the summer of 2006, comes as lawmakers and organizations across the country — including NASCAR, the Army and Congress — are discussing banning or replacing symbols of the Confederacy, including flags, statues and military bases honoring Confederate figures.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons; US: Kentucky
KEYWORDS: ky; massie
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To: RandFan; Impy; BillyBoy; LS; NFHale; GOPsterinMA; campaignPete R-CT; AuH2ORepublican; Clemenza; ...

Massie isn’t remotely in danger of losing renomination.


21 posted on 06/22/2020 9:52:10 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Dear Mr. Kotter, #Epsteindidntkillhimself - Signed, Epstein's Mother)
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To: RandFan

Any relation to Larry McMurtry?


22 posted on 06/22/2020 9:54:47 AM PDT by Eleutheria5 ("SHUT UP!" he explained.)
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To: drdirt333

Thanks for the report “on the ground”. Wish I could vote for him so use it wisely and spread the word to friends & family .

I think its crazy this has cost him $1 million. Lucky enough people have stepped up because he gets ZERO from special interests..


23 posted on 06/22/2020 10:05:15 AM PDT by RandFan (3C)
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To: fieldmarshaldj

May seem like that but he still has to campaign and respond to the attacks on his character so yeah it’s not ideal. Good job the seat is 70% Republican and tomorrow is the real election.


24 posted on 06/22/2020 10:14:42 AM PDT by RandFan (3C)
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To: fieldmarshaldj; RandFan; Impy; LS; NFHale; GOPsterinMA; campaignPete R-CT; AuH2ORepublican; ...
The vast majority of FReepers seem to love Massie. Ironically, Trump is dead set AGAINST Massie (I don't give Trump's endorsement any weight, though.)

I think Impy said Massie was basically just like Justin Amash, minus Amash's insane anti-Trump hate and Palestinian background. If that was the case, I would almost certainly oppose Massie in the primary, though I don't think Massie's voting record is nearly as bad (like voting the way HAMAS wants and voting with Nancy Pelosi on abortion bills while publicly insisting he's "pro-life")

Massie WAS Amash's BFF in Congress, which is troubling for me, and I don't think Massie ever denounced Amash after he voted to impeach Trump and left the GOP. A "I regret voting for Amash for Speaker, I'd take it back if I could" would do a lot to make me trust Massie more. Just like "true conservative" Darin LaHood never spoke out publicly against dear ol' dad doing Obama's bidding and said something like "I love my dad but he is dead wrong to support Obama and I've told him so and asked him to resign that job"

I'm sure FReepers will say Massie's opponent is dirty filthy RINO scum and a puppet of the "GOP-E", but that ALSO carries no weight with me, and quite frankly I am sick of hearing that narrative from out side.

Hmmm. Guess I'm "undecided" on this one. I think Fieldmarshaldj is right that Massie will easily win the primary though. Whether that's a good thing remains to be seen.

FYI, Massie's "official congressional photo" reminds of Bill Gates, c. late 1980s and early 1990s.

25 posted on 06/22/2020 11:26:45 AM PDT by BillyBoy ('States Rights' is NOT a suicide pact.)
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To: Impy
Heh. Here's what I meant:


26 posted on 06/22/2020 11:35:23 AM PDT by BillyBoy ('States Rights' is NOT a suicide pact.)
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To: BillyBoy

Massie actually graduated... Bill didn’t.

And Massie went into public service he could make MORE in the private sector than he ever does in Congress. He is a good person and will never bend.


27 posted on 06/22/2020 11:45:29 AM PDT by RandFan (3C)
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To: BillyBoy; Impy

The press expectation is Engel will lose. In NY

NY 27. Maybe Conservative Perlato can win


28 posted on 06/22/2020 12:44:42 PM PDT by campaignPete R-CT (Committee to Re-Elect the President ( CREEP ))
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To: Alberta's Child

Name calling from a nasty poster who has a history of it .

Trump hates the guy .
So Zip it
your opinion always been worthless.


29 posted on 06/22/2020 4:33:24 PM PDT by ncalburt (Gop DC Globalists)
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To: ncalburt
Has Trump endorses McMurtry? I didn’t think so.

Someone probably sat Trump down and explained to him that Massie won that 4th House District by 43 points in 2016.

30 posted on 06/22/2020 7:09:04 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("We're human beings ... we're not f#%&ing animals." -- Dennis Rodman, 6/1/2020)
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To: BillyBoy; LS; AuH2ORepublican; Galactic Overlord-In-Chief; fieldmarshaldj; campaignPete R-CT; ...

He’s not as bad as Amash (obviously and hopefully not “yet”) but Massie is a libertarian ideologue, if he can be trusted that puts him in stark contrast with every other one of his kind. His voting against the corona bill (which angered Trump) seemed politically retarded at the time but most of that money was a massive corporate bailout so maybe he was right.

McMurty opposed nominating Trump which I obliviously forgive as I likewise at the time thought it was a bad idea and forcefully argued against the idea.

But it seems to go deeper than that, according to a Massie ad that shows an undated screenshot of an alleged McMurty facebook post sometime after Trump took office shows McMurty saying some really vile shit praising idiots Mattis, Tillerson and McMaster, saying they were “protecting” the nation by “containing” Trump and expressing fear that Trump would cause nuclear war by attacking NK (whut?) and hoping the military would STAGE A COUP to prevent that if indeed the order was given.

See for yourself, https://www.facebook.com/ThomasMassieforCongress/videos/1044862702536104

If McMurty said that, it’s disqualifying and in a binary choice between a 0 and 1, I have to choose the 1 (Massie). McMurty says he changed his mind about Trump but I obviously am loathe to believe that he honestly went from thinking Trump was dangerous and maybe should face a coup in 2017/18 to loving and supporting him now, at best that means McMurty is an abject moron.

In any case polling shows Massie with a massive lead so we needn’t dwell on this race too much as it doesn’t seem to be one. McMurty raised a third of the money Massie did and has spent it all.


31 posted on 06/22/2020 11:30:03 PM PDT by Impy (Thug Lives Splatter)
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To: campaignPete R-CT; BillyBoy; LS; AuH2ORepublican; Galactic Overlord-In-Chief; fieldmarshaldj

National Review is supporting Engel, doesn’t love Castro or hate Israel. But I would say Engel has about as much chance of getting a 0 on spin of the roulette wheel as winning. If he does somehow win it would a great sign for November (low minority turnout).

As for the 27th special election, I have heard nothing about it which lead me to assume that the rats have written it off but yesterday there was an article that they were “hopeful”. It would very awkward if Jacobs wins the special election but loses the general election primary. I hope if Peralto doesn’t win that she does the right thing and steps aside rather than splitting the vote in November, I likewise hope Jacobs won’t be a prick about it if she beats him for the GOP nod. I likelikewise hope that the rat (former nominee Nate McMurray) is attacked by a Confederate statue.


32 posted on 06/22/2020 11:38:50 PM PDT by Impy (Thug Lives Splatter)
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To: Impy
His voting against the corona bill (which angered Trump) seemed politically retarded at the time but most of that money was a massive corporate bailout so maybe he was right.

Massie made it very clear that he would vote FOR that bill. What pissed Trump off was that Massie wouldn’t support the “bill has been deemed to be passed” bullsh!t process that was being used to pass it in the House. Massie’s attitude was that the House members should get off their asses and go to Washington to vote on a $3T bill. Otherwise, they had no business getting laid if they weren’t going to do their damn jobs.

33 posted on 06/23/2020 5:10:59 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("We're human beings ... we're not f#%&ing animals." -- Dennis Rodman, 6/1/2020)
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To: Alberta's Child

Sorry — getting PAID!! LMAO.


34 posted on 06/23/2020 5:12:32 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("We're human beings ... we're not f#%&ing animals." -- Dennis Rodman, 6/1/2020)
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To: Impy; BillyBoy; fieldmarshaldj

NY 27: I’d say the SPECIAL is inconsequential. The GOP nominee will win in NOV. Fred McMurray could win the special.

Peralto ended her campaign for the special when she didn’t get the GOP nomination. She’ll do the same for NOV.

I DON’T know why Engel didn’t use the Lieberman plan and get on the Independence Party line. There’s no GOP candidate.


35 posted on 06/23/2020 6:10:13 AM PDT by campaignPete R-CT (Committee to Re-Elect the President ( CREEP ))
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To: Eleutheria5

Uncle of Wally and Beaver


36 posted on 06/23/2020 6:13:47 AM PDT by campaignPete R-CT (Committee to Re-Elect the President ( CREEP ))
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To: campaignPete R-CT

Didn’t Crawley have the working families line and quit? They aren’t willing to go against a party nominee “of color”.


37 posted on 06/23/2020 1:58:32 PM PDT by Impy (Thug Lives Splatter)
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To: Impy

Yes. Crowley knew he’d lose a three-way race.


38 posted on 06/23/2020 3:20:25 PM PDT by campaignPete R-CT (Committee to Re-Elect the President ( CREEP ))
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To: campaignPete R-CT; AuH2ORepublican; fieldmarshaldj

Sounds like there will not be (m)any results tonight, a week or more, I h88888888888888888 that.

November could be a nightmare with no winner or House Speaker till Thanksgiving.

Deadline for non-hardship absentee ballots should be a week BEFORE the election. Better yet, get rid of them.


39 posted on 06/23/2020 3:25:24 PM PDT by Impy (Thug Lives Splatter)
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