Ill Informed Electorate

Having lived in Kentucky my entire life, I feel I have a pretty good grasp of who is and who isn't going to support a Republican candidate for office. This is no different with Rand Paul.

And while some will argue that the state is populated with nothing but sister-shagging rednecks, it should be pointed out that in places like Lexington, Louisville, and Bowling Green you'll likely find a healthy dose of people that realize we are living in the 21st century and have the ability to reason and articulate themselves. These people are called Democrats. It's just a shame there aren't more of them here.

And leave it up to Republicans from my state to actually support Rand Paul, a man who has a lot of explaining to do regarding not only his stance on Civil Rights and how non-whites can/should be treated by private businesses, but his stance on how businesses should be punished ( or not ) for threats to the environment like the current situation in the Gulf. It seems that it's "un-american" to hold a company accountable for a massive ecological disaster that they caused.

But as Paul furiously walks back his comments regarding racist business practices ( that he openly said would be abided in a "free society" ) I'm of the opinion that Republicans in Kentucky think the same way.

And while early polling show that Paul has a fairly substantial lead against Conway ( amongst "likely voters" he's ahead by some 25% ) I'm wondering exactly how that squares with the fact that 50% more Democrats came out to give Conway the primary win this week. Also, considering Paul's stance on a variety of issues from privatizing Social Security and the Fire Department to his viewpoints on Medicare, you would think that Kentucky Republicans would want to really consider who and what they are voting for. But this is Republicans from Kentucky we're talking about.

I'm sure that many would say that it's rather unfair to use such broad brush-strokes when painting a picture of conservative people in the Bluegrass State, but when you have the unique perspective of the state like I do, you begin to realize that there is more than just a grain of truth to the stereotype. Ever since Obama's election, the seething cauldron of hatred and racial animus within my state has gone from a steady, rolling, boil to an all out explosion of ignorance. Is Rand Paul really what Kentucky needs right now? He certainly isn't making us look any better, that's for sure.

Of Books, Back Scratches, And Media

A recent email sent out by Chairman Micheal Steele as part of offical RNC message shows that there really isn't a difference between the RNC and Fox"News".

Dear XXXX,

I wanted to let you know that I just finished reading Sean Hannity's new book, Conservative Victory: Defeating Obama's Radical Agenda. As they so often do, Sean's words left me energized for November and even more committed to making the gains necessary to bring the Obama agenda to a halt.

In the book, Sean does more than just tell us why we need to defeat the Obama Agenda. He also gives us a blueprint for getting it done. I cannot recommend it enough -- and I'm confident that, like me, you will be ready for the upcoming elections with a renewed commitment.

Sincerely,

Michael Steele
Chairman, Republican National Committee

Normally, when a prominent conservative writes ( or has written for them ) a new book, there are several bulk purchases made to pass out at conventions, to give away free when you join sites like Townhall.com, and to over inflate actual sales so the book will debut at #1 on the NYT Bestseller List.

And while Steele's email certainly urges to recipient to read Hannity's latest offering, there really isn't a direct call to purchase the book. Still, to have a piece of propaganda clearly and loudly supported by the RNC, a book that was penned by one of the loudest voices on Fox"News", you get the sense that Steele and the RNC aren't exactly trying to hide the fact that Fox is their preferred "news" organization.

But who is actually taking the lead in this situation? Does Fox"News" work for the RNC, or do they work for Fox?

Headed For Greener Pastures

Although this likely hands the Republicans a small victory, I'm thinking there's something else behind this bizarre decision of Evan Bayh.

Like Sen. Byron Dorgan's (D-N.D.) announcement in January, Bayh's retirement comes completely out of the blue. The incumbent Hoosier had already raised $13 million for his re-election campaign, and while Republicans thought Bayh might be vulnerable this year, recent polls showed him with seemingly insurmountable leads over his GOP challengers. Indeed, less than a year ago, the National Republican Senatorial Committee conceded that it fully expected Bayh to run and win a third term.

Bayh's retirement gives Republicans yet another pick-up opportunity in a traditionally "red" state, but it's probably a stretch to call it a GOP lock, at least at this point. The Republican field is, after all, led by Dan Coats -- an inside-the-Beltway corporate lobbyist who hasn't lived in Indiana for a decade.

Considering Bayh's close relationship with corporate America, I'm guessing that he's opting out of politics in order to take a board position somewhere.

Though this is being reported as a lock for the Republicans, but this sounds like a very premature statement, as the initial announcement from Bayh is still warm. However, the fact that Dems have literally 24 hours to find someone to run on the ticket does tend to lend an air of credibility to this claim.

My question is - is there more to this than meets the eye? Aside from some scandal that's about to be broken, I see this as nothing more than Bayh opting to leave the work to the real Democrats while he can take a position where he can do just as much, if not more, damage to the Obama administration.

The Illusion Of Growth?

Does the newly reported fourth quarter growth in the economy really mean what you think it does?

While there is a traditional economic law that shows a distinct relationship between GDP growth and job increases, some reports are saying that this isn't such great news, and that the relationship metric is becoming largely irrelevant.

The average person isn't going to understand the intricacies of economics and how a variety of factors ( both real and imagined ) can bring about growth or retraction. But the problem that many Americans run into is one of their own making, as they largely rely on people outside the field of economics for their information.

How good this growth is will most certainly be debated and all the noise that will likely come from Fox"News" and conservative talk radio should be recognized for what it is - noise.

Song Of The South

Considering the way that the Republican party is pushing it's message ( ie: tea-baggery nonsense, racial devisiveness, anti-everything from healthcare reform to clean energy, and a complete and total embrace of the Palin/Beck/Bachman wing of the party ) does this chart come as any suprise?



With all the talk about the 2010 Midterm Elections next year, this research doesn't show that the GOP are gaining any ground outside the southern states. So if they want to make any real headway, and potentially regain control of either house of Congress, they are going to have to bolster their numbers elsewhere.

The Diefication Of Bush Has Already Begun

From WashingtonMonthly.com comes word that there is a - get this - Bush Legacy Project in place now attempting to sandblast away all the rotten bits of George W. Bush's presidency and make it seem like it was all wine and roses.

"[T]here's an ongoing Bush legacy project that's been meeting in the White House, really, with senior advisers, Karl Rove, Karen Hughes has been involved, current senior Bush administration advisers and they are looking at how to sort of roll out the president's legacy."

No suprise that Karl "I'm resigning to spend time with my family" Rove is part of this. Considering he is the guy that has "The Math", perhaps he is going to be the man who has "The History".

Since the Bush administration was exceptionally proficient in rewriting history - and they certainly had plenty of people to believe it - i'm sure that Rove and Hughes will have some nice memos to send out so their "people" are up to speed.