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Mitch McConnell’s Democratic opponent to disgruntled Matt Bevin fans and supporters: Join me
Hotair ^ | 05/23/2014 | AllahPundit

Posted on 05/23/2014 6:45:17 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Together you can rule the galaxy.

I, too, believe Washington, D.C. is not working for Kentucky.

I, too, believe that the federal government should help or get out of the way.

I, too, want Republicans and Democrats to work together to cut spending and to help Kentucky businesses create jobs…

Join me, and let us work together to create change. Yes, we are in different parties, and we have divergent views on some issues. But if you believe that we need a fresh face to shake up Washington, I invite you to join our campaign.

If you believe that it is past time to give Mitch McConnell and his D.C. lobbyist cronies the boot, I welcome you to join our effort to elect an independent, commonsense problem solver who will fight for Kentucky values.

Is there any evidence that tea partiers disgusted with Mitch the Knife might be open to this pitch? Sort of. Remember this table from one of the last polls of the primary?

ky2

Twenty-five percent of “conservative” voters were open to voting for Alison Grimes. Granted, 21 percent of “liberals” were open to McConnell, but there are no hard feelings potentially blocking those voters from coming home to the Democrats in November. Among Republicans, there are lots of hard feelings. Read the intro to this CNN piece from a few days ago in which an annoyed Bevin shows off a “Fraud Alert” that Team Mitch sent around about him. Quote: “It’s unbelievable. It’s crap. This is how he has run his entire race. He’s attacking me for being a member of the tea party while threatening to crush these people and punch them in the nose.” His anger was, per CNN, a source of “amusement” to the McConnell camp. Politico got an even more interesting quote from Bevin the day after he was blown out: “You can’t punch people in the face, punch people in the face, punch people in the face, and ask them to have tea and crumpets with you and think it’s all good.”

Or can you?

Matt Bevin responds to Alison Grimes' letter to his supporters. Basically says no dice without explicitly endorsing Mitch McConnell.

— Jim Antle (@jimantle) May 23, 2014

"Kentucky and America do need real change," Bevin writes, but not Grimes' "proposed platform of government expansion."

— Jim Antle (@jimantle) May 23, 2014

No one believes that Bevin’s going to endorse Grimes. He’s young by political standards; if Rand Paul is blocked by law from running for president and Senate in 2016, Bevin might jump into the Senate primary to replace him. He’d be DOA in two years if he embraces the Democrat outright but maybe not DOA if he declares that, as a matter of conservative conscience, he can’t endorse anyone in the race. Besides, how much would it really matter to Mitch-haters if Bevin did endorse McConnell? Support for Bevin on the right was never about him personally; it was a pure “Not Mitch” coalition. Whether that endures or disintegrates as hard feelings soften has little to do with Bevin at this point.

It’s interesting, though, that McConnell is sufficiently worried about tea partiers staying home that he’s already trotting out Rand Paul to make the case for unity. Everyone expected Rand to campaign for him, but I didn’t think we’d see him talking up McConnell’s conservative bona fides three days after the primary — especially since tea-party groups have, commendably, already moved to closed ranks around McConnell. There is, though, something to be said for the idea that Mark Levin was kicking around (but not quite endorsing) the other day about conservatives staying home in the general election to send a message to establishment brawlers like McConnell. It comes at a steep cost in potentially losing a red-state Senate seat, but if you want to truly terrify Beltway Republicans who stray too far from the tea-party line, one lone general-election boycott — at the minority leader’s expense, no less — would do it like nothing else. It’s not going to happen, but again, it’s interesting that Team Mitch is taking nothing for granted.

Exit question: Does McConnell’s plan to repeal ObamaCare also include repealing Kentucky’s state insurance exchange? Oddly, he’s noncommittal on the question.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Kentucky
KEYWORDS: kentucky; lundergangrimes; mattbevin; mitchmcconnell
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To: Tupelo
Interesting. Have any of his judicial appointments been blocked? Supreme Court Appointments? I am just wondering if Alison Grimes would be any better or any worse than McConnell. Believe me, I do not know.

She would be worse in terms of votes, but she would be immensely better in terms of what it would mean for our long term goals.

Our leadership doesn't fight. It cowers. It enables the liberal agenda through timidity and an aversion to conflict.

The Romans had a method to deal with cowardice in the face of an enemy. It was called "Decimation." Those who survived were invigorated with a need to fight harder and with more ferocity.

We need some of that now.

61 posted on 05/23/2014 9:10:32 PM PDT by DiogenesLamp (Partus Sequitur Patrem)
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To: CitizenUSA
Voting out a liberal leader might make sense, but we already had our chance to vote in a conservative and lost. In other words, our current choice is between a liberal Republican leader and a statist Democrat. I agree that’s a real dilemma for someone who wants to push the country to the right, but I also don’t think Mitch is as liberal as you imply.

It isn't a matter of how liberal he is, it is a matter of how he defied us and attempted to destroy us as a political force.

It is axiomatic that the Tea Party isn't sufficient to win an election on it's own, but it is easily sufficient to DECIDE who wins. The only way a small group can play Kingmaker is by throwing a close election to their chosen candidate.

In order for people to believe you have this power, you have to DEMONSTRATE this power from time to time. The NRA has done this often enough to make everyone in politics realize that you do not **** with the NRA. They will chop off your political head if you do.

For this reason, they are one of the most successful political organizations ever.

62 posted on 05/23/2014 9:24:17 PM PDT by DiogenesLamp (Partus Sequitur Patrem)
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To: CitizenUSA

You don’t reward bad behavior. Each election that people vote for the lesser evil allows the lesser evil to become more evil. It also allows the greater evil to become more evil. It’s a cycle of slowly moving further and further left. Doing it slowly allows it to become easier and easier to tolerate for many people. Baby steps.

Sure, it would hurt like hell to let the greater evil prevail, but it very well could remove the lesser evil from the next round to be replaced by good. Then we can start moving back to the right.

That’s the simplest way I could explain my perspective. Hopefully it made some sort of sense.


63 posted on 05/23/2014 9:44:27 PM PDT by Render
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To: SeekAndFind

Ditch McConnell lies about Matt Bevin, attacked his supporters, and now demands the support of the Bevin camp.


64 posted on 05/23/2014 9:54:01 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: SeekAndFind

How can any Tea Partiers or any conservatives support McConnell after what he has said and done?


65 posted on 05/23/2014 9:56:10 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Does McConnell’s plan to repeal ObamaCare also include repealing Kentucky’s state insurance exchange?

Mitch McConnell has NO plan to repeal Obamacare. He plans to "reform" it and keep the main parts of it in place.

66 posted on 05/23/2014 9:58:37 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: CitizenUSA
what would happen if someone like Ginsberg was not approved. A leftist president would simply appoint another just like her.

Whom you also oppose. You just keep fighting until they get confirmation fatigue.

67 posted on 05/23/2014 10:02:32 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: CitizenUSA
That’s why I question the strategy of voting Democrat to remove RINOs. That’s like jumping from the frying pan into the fire, my FRiend.

Depends on whether you're playing the short game or the long game. In the short run, obviously, the chances of a Republican Senate are better with Mitchie Poo than Grimes. But if you're playing the long game, knocking off RINOs, even at the cost of temporary gains for Dhimmicraps, is an essential part of the strategy. They will undermine us from within whenever they get the chance.

68 posted on 05/23/2014 10:05:12 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: CitizenUSA
an incumbent Republican minority leader only got 60% of his own party’s vote?

One who has been in the Senate for 30(!!!) years.

69 posted on 05/23/2014 10:07:49 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: logic101.net
Guys, at this point you don’t have a choice

No. I'm done with the lying two faced SOB. If he plans on winning the general, he'd better be willing to do to Grimes what he did to Bevin. Scorched earth. Nothing too dirty or low. He's got to make up for the conservative votes he's lost. Does he have the stones for that? They've never been in evidence in the Senate, in his dealings with Reid.I don't think he has the guts to go after a female Democrat the way he does/did conservatives.

Keep in mind that McConnell had the capability of stopping ObamaCare in the Senate. I don't understand the technicalities of it, but he did. He and his RINO cohorts choose not to because they cared more about using it at the polls than they did about the welfare of this country - you and me, those of us who will have our lives destroyed by this communist piece of garbage. He is a self serving liar. I am 100% certain that he has no intention, never did have any intention, of seriously trying to repeal or undo ObamaCare.

70 posted on 05/23/2014 10:07:53 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s ((If you can remember the 60s.....you weren't really there)
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To: austinaero
I hope Mitch loses his AZZ.

I would love nothing better than for the Republicans to pick up a 7 or 8 Democrat Senate seats and increase their numbers in the House, but watch McConnell and Boehner go down.

71 posted on 05/23/2014 10:11:51 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: TBP
"One who has been in the Senate for 30(!!!) years."

The very first time I voted it was for Reagan for President and McConnell for the Senate. Well, I was half-right anyway.

72 posted on 05/23/2014 10:14:18 PM PDT by Flag_This (Liberalism: Kills countries dead.)
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To: ChildOfThe60s
If he plans on winning the general, he'd better be willing to do to Grimes what he did to Bevin.

He'll never do that. His Establishment friends won't like it.

73 posted on 05/23/2014 10:15:33 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: Flag_This

I remember predicting McConnell’s victory over Huddleston and being told I was crazy.

Wasn’t Mitch Jefferson County Executive? I think I remember that from when I was at Fort Knox. Do I recall that he was the more liberal candidate in the race?

I think Mitch is going down.


74 posted on 05/23/2014 10:18:00 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: TBP

Bingo. It’s what makes a RINO. They despise conservatives and they desperately long to be accepted by liberals.

The Dems know exactly the position McConnell has put himself in here. We will see how effectively they capitalize on it.

If I was Grimes I would pound home over and over again how he claims to be a conservative while he publicly disparaged conservatives, promised to destroy them. I would use that over and over saying here’s proof he can’t be trusted, look what he does to his own base. Why would anyone believe his promises, would be my campaign theme.


75 posted on 05/23/2014 10:23:01 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s ((If you can remember the 60s.....you weren't really there)
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To: TBP

Actually, McConnell has not apologized nor asked for the support
of KY conservatives. He is too arrogant to do it himself.

However he has sent out his Mini-Me, Rand Paul to do his dirty work for him.


76 posted on 05/23/2014 10:25:44 PM PDT by tennmountainman (Just Say No To Obamacare)
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To: CitizenUSA

So write in Bevin.


77 posted on 05/23/2014 10:33:43 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: CitizenUSA
My philosophy is to give ‘em hell in the primaries .

I have three Conservative friends in KY. They said Mitch's ads were disgusting lies. They can't stand Mitch.

Two of them stated they will vote for Grimes, I haven't heard from the third.

Mitch has shown himself to be a blood enemy of Conservatives.

and then pick the best possible candidate to advance the conservative agenda

The best possible candidate to advance the conservative agenda is to vote for Grimes!!!!!! By all means Mitch MUST be destroyed politically.

Mitch HATES the Tea Party and HATES Conservationism.

Mitch rabidly worships at the Alter of State Power

I am expecting us to win the Senate along with the vile Mitch losing his seat.

2012 was the very last time I will vote for a RINO..

78 posted on 05/23/2014 10:36:03 PM PDT by sand88
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To: DiogenesLamp

“If we don’t start taking heads...”

I argue we have taken heads and that’s why McConnell went scorched earth on us. The problem is exactly as you describe. By going scorched earth, he’s burnt a lot of bridges. We’ll see how well he is at mending them. I won’t be disappointed if he loses BTW, but if I was in his state, I’d either not vote or vote for McConnell. I wouldn’t elect the Democrat. Sorry.


79 posted on 05/23/2014 10:38:47 PM PDT by CitizenUSA (America for Americans first!)
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To: Render

“Sure, it would hurt like hell to let the greater evil prevail, but it very well could remove the lesser evil from the next round to be replaced by good.”

That next round is SIX years away, my FRiend!


80 posted on 05/23/2014 10:39:55 PM PDT by CitizenUSA (America for Americans first!)
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