Mitch McConnell (R-KY) couldn’t have picked a worst time to be caught on tape bowing down to the Kochs.
He was finally starting to make headway against his Democratic opponent courtesy of the endless Koch money throwing dirty bombs. McConnell’s campaign is all about misleading Kentuckians until November.
Alison Lundergan Grimes (D-KY) spox Charly Norton released a statement attacking McConnell over his promise to hurt Kentuckians:
“Shockingly, Mitch McConnell will do and say anything it takes to secure his grip on personal power, including promising to hurt Kentuckians to benefit billionaires. Kentuckians who are struggling with unemployment, low wages and the soaring costs of higher education are the furthest thing from McConnell’s mind. For the past 30 years, Kentuckians have questioned Mitch McConnell’s priorities, and now we have the hard evidence that his allegiances lie with his millionaire and billionaire donors at the expense of hardworking Kentuckians.”
Those who read anything outside of the Breitbart/Fox bubble already knew this. And that’s why right wing media goes to such lengths to compel their followers into paranoia about the “outside”. Yes, everyone is out to get you. Yes, the media are all liars. Yes, trickle down is coming. Yes, Mitch McConnell will get right on that coal problem as soon as you give him what he wants. Yes, Republicans care about jobs, just look at how John Boehner is enriching himself by letting companies desert the U.S.
Furthermore, the PR outlets for Republicans have already sold these “ideas” that benefit millionaires to their followers, so chances are a red state constituency isn’t going to be too upset. They might even be cheering Mitch for this tape, even those who used Kynect (Obamacare!) and/or are on Medicaid and Medicare, because they don’t understand what McConnell is really saying.
The challenge for the Grimes campaign is how do they educate Kentuckians about the facts before November? Political differences aside, Democratic Governor Beshear has shown the way on this matter. It’s time to embrace Kentucky Kynect. It’s time to push on jobs. It’s time to stop going negative in response to McConnell, because this is McConnell’s only comfort zone.
McConnell can’t do hope and change, even though he claims to be the change agent. He’s only been in office for 30 years. LOL, Mitch.
It’s time to stop allowing McConnell and the right to set the agenda. Red state Democrats often think they can win the middle by doing this, but hard core Republicans are not going to leave the cult no matter what the facts are. They are not even likely to hear the facts. And negativity depresses turnout, which benefits Republicans.
It’s time to model the Obama campaign, with a dedicated team to push back on the lies, letting the candidate stay above the fray. Let the candidate talk to the people about hope and jobs, but also about healthcare. Kentuckians already have healthcare through Kynect. Mitch McConnell wants to take that away. He’s going to take that away. This is very powerful because it hits people right in the gut of their hierarchy of needs.
Grimes already talks positive on jobs and change, but she also gets caught dipping down to meet McConnell after he’s been particularly nasty. It’s admirable that she’s no shrinking violet, but negativity never wins the middle or the Democrats and she must inspire them to get out the vote. She has the brains, determination and charisma to beat McConnell at his own game, but she could bury him for good on her own turf. It’s time to pack away Republican lite and go populist, conservative Democrat who’s just running because she cares about folks (Grimes’ first ad captured this perfectly). In the meantime, the Democratic Party will probably try to hit hard core Democratic areas with McConnell’s agenda to harm President Obama.
Until November, McConnell will play like he cares about jobs and has a coal fix in his back pocket that his party hasn’t ever been able to implement even with their deregulation frenzy under Bush. Bait for the deliberately misinformed masses. Phony promises covering a Koch agenda. Now that he got caught on tape making those very promises to the Koch brothers, it’s up to the Grimes campaign to translate that tape for Kentuckians.
Maybe former President Bill Clinton should assist. Nobody does it better.
Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.
Sarah is two-time Telly award winning video producer and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
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