For months now the Democratic propaganda machine has been delivering news concerning the presumptive Democratic challenger to Senator “Moscow” McConnell’s (R-KY) reelection, Amy McGrath. Just today I received this:
Amy McGrath (D) is now LEADING Mitch McConnell (R) in the pivotal Kentucky Senate race!
We’ve NEVER been this close to beating McConnell — and even Nate Silver said Amy can pull off a MAJOR upset and win this race.
But, according to Sarah Jones of New York Intelligencer, there may be a wee spot of sour milk in the refreshing drink that is Amy McGrath – Kentucky Democrats may not want her:
McGrath faces a robust challenge from Charles Booker, the youngest Black legislator in the Kentucky House of Representatives. Booker has run to her left, and while McGrath holds a major fundraising advantage, Booker is gaining significant momentum ahead of the primary on June 23. Two of the state’s largest newspapers have endorsed him, and on Tuesday, Booker earned another major supporter. Alison Lundergan Grimes, who challenged McConnell in 2014, endorsed him over McGrath. …
“There’s not a lot of enthusiasm for Amy among Democrats. Charles’ supporters are very enthusiastic,” a Kentucky Democrat recently told Politico. That gap is evident in McGrath’s fundraising, too. She has a lot of money on hand — but over 96 percent of her donations come from people who don’t live in Kentucky. (McConnell’s donations are similarly lopsided.) While Booker has significantly less money at his disposal, his donations are almost evenly split — 54 percent come from out of state, and 46 percent are local.
Enthusiasm might not be enough to propel Booker to victory over McGrath, but it’s a symptom of a bigger problem. National Democrats think they know what Kentucky wants, but Kentucky may disagree.
It’s important to remember that politicians primarily represent their constituents, not national organizations. Oh, the national organizations have influence, since they have the money, but the average voter – like me! – will resent a politician thrust upon them by money originating outside of the state.
If McGrath fails in the primary, all is not lost as far as beating McConnell in November goes. Booker, if he can inspire endorsements from the major local newspapers, may have a real shot at displacing McConnell. It all depends on how tired Kentucky voters are of McConnell, how far left of McGrath Booker’s views reside, and whether that’s too far for the average Kentucky voter – or not.
