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I’m not a KY resident, but am close enough to get the political ad bombardment.

Bevin’s strategy was very interesting, but, then he did get support from the Party right at the end. Or, maybe even that was planned. Conway had been consistently ahead in most polls throughout, and for many weeks was pounding Bevin in a veritable blizzard of radio & TV ads as a liar, a tax cheat, etc., with little response from Bevin. Basically Bevin ran a light ad campaign describing himself as a conservative, and Conway as an Obama disciple. Then, right at the end, Bevin ran fairly heavily a couple quite good TV ads with his wife defending him, her basically saying to Conway’s face that the accusations against Bevin were themselves lies. (Bevin’s wife is really more convincing in this mode than he is!!) Conway, whether out of arrogance or nothing to respond with, just kept running the same ads everyone was tired of hearing / seeing, and Bevin in the end blew Conway out of the water.

KY’s last pub gov., Ernie Fletcher, was generally fairly effective, given the Democratic House, but got tripped up on ethics charges (or at least clumsiness in that area.) I almost expect Andy Beshear (the former Gov’s son, and now Atty. General) to go after Bevin on anything he (Beshear) can come up with, so, Bevin really needs to walk the straight and narrow. I hope he (Bevin) can be effective...