Bob Babbage on the impact of Kim Davis, Kentucky's bellwether status and fall campaigns

With the campaigns focusing on their fall strategy and increasing their television presence, politicians are being forced to react to the controversy surrounding Democratic Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis.

Bob Babbage, the former Democratic secretary of state and managing partner of Lexington-based lobbying firm Babbage Cofounder, described the Davis situation as “significant” in the political realm not just in 2015, but likely for politicians in years to come.

No public poll has been taken since Davis’s incarceration and release for contempt of court, but Babbage said the conventional wisdom is that she helps GOP candidate Matt Bevin in the short-term. He added that Democratic candidate Jack Conway could also potentially use it to fire up more of his base, meaning the potential net gains in new voters for either side could be evened out by Election Day.

Perhaps more importantly for the fall is the effect the Davis story and other non-issue tactics could have on turnout, he said.

“We’re off the big theme, and that’s jobs and the economy — this has nothing to do with jobs and the economy,” Babbage said.

“Really we’ve rather trivialized the race when you think about it. In the ads coming out right now one being called a pathological liar, one saying ‘you didn’t pay your taxes,’ others saying ‘yes I did,’ those aren’t necessarily issues that are motivating people around the dinner table,” he continued. “Or motivate people at all.”

As the controversy continues to take up valuable news real estate, Babbage said that there are eyes on Kentucky beyond the county clerk.

Kentucky is one of only three states including Louisiana and Mississippi holding elections in 2015, but what happens in the commonwealth may not be a good test for what will happen on the national spectrum in 2016.

I would guess that if the Democrats win this election, it will be trumpeted and heralded by the national media that the momentum is clearly on the Democrat side going into 2016 and a huge victory for the Democrats is all but inevitable. If the Republicans win, it will be reported (if reported at all) as not having any bearing on where the country is heading.

What would the democratic response be if Davis was a devout Muslim convert?

2 posted on 09/12/2015 12:54:03 PM PDT by elpadre (AfganistaMr Obama said the goal was to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-hereQaeda" and its allies.)

What would the democratic response be if Davis was a devout Muslim convert?

3 posted on 09/12/2015 12:54:30 PM PDT by elpadre (AfganistaMr Obama said the goal was to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-hereQaeda" and its allies.)

Here is my question. Was she charged with anything or kept in jail until she converted - using the bogus “Contempt charges” language when it was about forced conversion?

Even in the military consciousness objectors get COurt Martial, and even terrorists held under the Patriot Act are not required to behave or convert a certain way.

What the hell is going on here?

4 posted on 09/12/2015 2:20:04 PM PDT by lavaroise (A well regulated gun being necessary to the state, the rights of the militia shall no)

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.