Thank God it's almost time to end the party in-fighting for both the Dems and the GOP! I don't know about you all but I'm tired of watching Anne Northup and Ernie Fletcher hammer each other on TV and radio. It's nasty and it's really unnecessary. Most of us who have met either Ernie or Anne found them likable people; however, in my view, their actions while in office fall short of truly Conservative.
Even though I haven't had the time to make a choice and volunteer any time to any candidate this time around, I've been watching the races unfold on both sides. My fellow Conservative bloggers have taken sides and are supporting specific candidates in the GOP primary. I've hesitated to do that for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which is that I don't want to get sucked into the party in-fighting. Yes, even bloggers on the same side of the political aisle jab at each other over issues and primaries. ;-)
Since the gubernatorial primary is Tuesday (5/22/07), I suppose it's time to give you all an idea of where I stand and why. After weighing the cons of electing a political neophyte and finding them far fewer than the cons of continuing to elect career politicians who cannot see the state economy clearly through the lens of public office, I am fully endorsing Billy Harper for Governor.
Why would I support a political "outsider" over the incumbent Governor and an accomplished Congresswoman? In short, I'm tired of the same old song and dance. It's time for a change. A change that emphasizes achievement over the appearance of achievement. Any man who can grow a small business into a multi-million dollar enterprise knows quite a lot about tangible achievement. Any man who signs a No New Taxes Pledge and advocates school choice is a man I can feel confident voting into the race. He's knows what it will take to grow state revenues and raise the quality of life in this state.
Unfortunately, I've heard a few people say that voting for Harper is akin to throwing away a vote. That is absolutely not true. If everyone thought that way, voting for Anne Northup would have been a throw-away vote in dark blue Jefferson County in 2004. Heck, President Bush lost the vote in this county that year while Anne pulled out a win. She would never have been re-elected that year if voters hadn't voted their consciences regardless of how we were told others would vote. I hope this will be true when it comes to Billy Harper.
Just a few weeks ago, the Lunsford-Stumbo slate was polling the highest among likely Democratic voters. Now it looks more like a run-off will be in the offing for the Democrats as neither Lunsford nor Beshear are polling at 40% right now. The Democrats are fairly split on those two tickets. It seems the Republicans are split on Fletcher and Northup as well. If there's going to be a Republican run-off why not make it between a businessman and a career politician?
Let's think about this for a minute...
Lunsford is a businessman. Why would any Republican put a career politician like Anne or Ernie up against a businessman in the general election? If you ask me, that's a recipe for GOP political suicide. It is easy for those running for office who have no published voting record (private citizens like Lunsford or Harper) to use the voting record of a career politician as negative ammunition in the general election.
Maybe it's the Capitalist in me but if I were a Democrat, I'd be voting for Lunsford. Businessmen have a talent for boiling problems down to the essentials, understanding what needs to be done, and solving problems. They have to know how to work well with others despite differences because that's what it takes to thrive in the private sector. It's time for change all around here in Kentucky. I'd like to see our next governor come from the private sector with a successful record in business.
Should Harper win the primary and his Democratic opponent end up being a career politician, Harper will absolutely have the advantage. Should the Dems elect Lunsford, Republicans will stand a strong chance with a businessman of our own running against him. I just don't see any negative angle at all on electing Billy Harper to run for our party.
It is my educated opinion at this point that any right-thinking Republican will be voting for Billy Harper on Tuesday. Not only can we rest assured that we're electing a competent, achievement-oriented individual to run in the general election, we're electing a man who will drive us toward a better Kentucky after winning the race in November. (Okay, yeah. That whole "drive" and "race" bit was a pun well-intended. You caught me.)
Good luck to Billy Harper on Tuesday! If Kentucky Republicans are thinking about general election strategy, luck won't be necessary though. ;-)
Even though I haven't had the time to make a choice and volunteer any time to any candidate this time around, I've been watching the races unfold on both sides. My fellow Conservative bloggers have taken sides and are supporting specific candidates in the GOP primary. I've hesitated to do that for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which is that I don't want to get sucked into the party in-fighting. Yes, even bloggers on the same side of the political aisle jab at each other over issues and primaries. ;-)
Since the gubernatorial primary is Tuesday (5/22/07), I suppose it's time to give you all an idea of where I stand and why. After weighing the cons of electing a political neophyte and finding them far fewer than the cons of continuing to elect career politicians who cannot see the state economy clearly through the lens of public office, I am fully endorsing Billy Harper for Governor.
Why would I support a political "outsider" over the incumbent Governor and an accomplished Congresswoman? In short, I'm tired of the same old song and dance. It's time for a change. A change that emphasizes achievement over the appearance of achievement. Any man who can grow a small business into a multi-million dollar enterprise knows quite a lot about tangible achievement. Any man who signs a No New Taxes Pledge and advocates school choice is a man I can feel confident voting into the race. He's knows what it will take to grow state revenues and raise the quality of life in this state.
Unfortunately, I've heard a few people say that voting for Harper is akin to throwing away a vote. That is absolutely not true. If everyone thought that way, voting for Anne Northup would have been a throw-away vote in dark blue Jefferson County in 2004. Heck, President Bush lost the vote in this county that year while Anne pulled out a win. She would never have been re-elected that year if voters hadn't voted their consciences regardless of how we were told others would vote. I hope this will be true when it comes to Billy Harper.
Just a few weeks ago, the Lunsford-Stumbo slate was polling the highest among likely Democratic voters. Now it looks more like a run-off will be in the offing for the Democrats as neither Lunsford nor Beshear are polling at 40% right now. The Democrats are fairly split on those two tickets. It seems the Republicans are split on Fletcher and Northup as well. If there's going to be a Republican run-off why not make it between a businessman and a career politician?
Let's think about this for a minute...
Lunsford is a businessman. Why would any Republican put a career politician like Anne or Ernie up against a businessman in the general election? If you ask me, that's a recipe for GOP political suicide. It is easy for those running for office who have no published voting record (private citizens like Lunsford or Harper) to use the voting record of a career politician as negative ammunition in the general election.
Maybe it's the Capitalist in me but if I were a Democrat, I'd be voting for Lunsford. Businessmen have a talent for boiling problems down to the essentials, understanding what needs to be done, and solving problems. They have to know how to work well with others despite differences because that's what it takes to thrive in the private sector. It's time for change all around here in Kentucky. I'd like to see our next governor come from the private sector with a successful record in business.
Should Harper win the primary and his Democratic opponent end up being a career politician, Harper will absolutely have the advantage. Should the Dems elect Lunsford, Republicans will stand a strong chance with a businessman of our own running against him. I just don't see any negative angle at all on electing Billy Harper to run for our party.
It is my educated opinion at this point that any right-thinking Republican will be voting for Billy Harper on Tuesday. Not only can we rest assured that we're electing a competent, achievement-oriented individual to run in the general election, we're electing a man who will drive us toward a better Kentucky after winning the race in November. (Okay, yeah. That whole "drive" and "race" bit was a pun well-intended. You caught me.)
Good luck to Billy Harper on Tuesday! If Kentucky Republicans are thinking about general election strategy, luck won't be necessary though. ;-)
Comments
Fletcher will beat any of the Democrats in the fall. You have to stop believing people who have a vested interest in beating Governor Fletcher. The Demorcats know that Fletcher is strong. That's why the liberals are endorsing Northup.
Good Choice and Good Post Conservachick!
I'd like to congratulate Billy Harper on a decent showing at about 13+% of the vote though. He made a nice strong run at it. I really wish that more people had tossed aside the "spoiler" sentiment about Harper and voted for an "outsider" this time. *sigh* Oh well. Maybe one day we'll all regain that independent American spirit and vote not on the person most likely to win but the person most likely to do better things for this state.
All that said, congratulations to Fletcher/Rudolph and good luck in the general election to us all! (We're gonna need it.)