As you’ve no doubt heard, Andrew Horne will be endorsing Bruce Lunsford’s campaign for U.S. Senate today at 10:30 A.M. We were reluctant to say anything about it yesterday, but Andrew confirmed it with us via email.
We have a lot to say about the endorsement, but will keep it brief for now.
If Andrew Horne– who has a support base in Louisville– is endorsing Bruce, why have the press conference announcing such an event in Frankfort? That alone alienates the blogosphere and dampens any impact Andrew could have on his following.
More after the jump…
Like Mark Hebert, we’re not sure this is such “a big deal.” Bruce already leads the pack of Democratic Senate contenders by leaps and bounds. He is the obvious Democratic nominee come May. This won’t bring supporters to him. Must be ceremonial?
We’re fans of Andrew here and consider Bruce a friend so it’s tough to be too critical. We understand why he’s doing it, but think it’s silly for a man like Andrew Horne to publicly get behind the very person who caused him indirectly to be pushed out of the race. Things change, sure, but what happened to sticking to your guns? He should have remained silent, allowing the message that the DSCC/Beshear/et. al. strong-armed him to continue to spread while Bruce waltzes through the primary. Now we have to dredge up all of this anti-Schumer sentiment again.
The one thing this does is solidify in the minds of many that Christy & Owsley Brown are no longer the kingmakers they once thought they were. We can safely say that their chosen candidate, Greg Fischer, is done. His goose is cooked (now that Horne supporters know who not to back, as if they didn’t already know). The small grassroots community officially isn’t standing behind Fischer after all, as his campaign has alleged. Interesting to note: We hear the Browns are upset with Greg because he refuses to spend his own money on the race. We told you so.
Long story short, strange things happen in politics. Ironically, we bet that thousands will still vote for Horne in the May primary instead of casting their vote for Lunsford.
16 responses so far ↓
1 » Good News, Good News, Wierd News What’s Required: Progress in the Commonwealth // Apr 3, 2008 at 11:02 am
[…] Jake’s reporting, Andrew Horne is endorsing Bruce Lunsford today. Although I don’t know why Jake doesn’t like Frankfort for the site; I think […]
2 SarahG // Apr 3, 2008 at 11:41 am
We’re fans of Andrew here and consider Bruce a friend so it’s tough to be too critical. We understand why he’s doing it, but think it’s silly for a man like Andrew Horne to publicly get behind the very person who caused him indirectly to be pushed out of the race.
It does seem odd. I hope Bruce promised to do some of the things Horne wanted to accomplish. As for me, I double-checked the date on the blog post!
3 jake // Apr 3, 2008 at 11:45 am
For me it’s only odd in the sense that Andrew and Steph told me repeatedly that he would never publicly endorse Bruce.
I’m not faulting him for that because people obviously change their minds. It’s just interesting that Andrew chose today to kill his credibility with the blogosphere.
4 BILked // Apr 3, 2008 at 1:03 pm
He might have killed his credibility in the blogoshphere but he certainly has killed it period.
How anyone can endorse Lunsford is beyond me.
He hurt the democrat party more than anyone in my lifetime and for Dems to rally around him is beyond belief.
When will people realize it is time to vote them all out, perennial candidates too (Lunsford).
Its time for change and its time to bring new people into office. I cringe when I hear a legislator say “in my 14 years in office” or “in my 26 years in office”
I don’t want experience, I want someone who is open to new ideas, not yet beholden to lobbyists.
I don’t care if Joe on the street corner is running against an incumbent, I’m voting for Joe.
I don’t know anything about Fischer other than he made the ice/softdrink vending machine. I’ll admit his emails to potential voters are crap.
But I don’t care. I’m voting for someone totally new because they can do no worse that what we have continued to again and again put back in office.
5 CollegeDem // Apr 3, 2008 at 1:25 pm
What really kills the DemocratIC Party is when people call it the “Democrat” Party.
Andrew is a thoughtful individual, and I’m sure he thought this endorsement through carefully.
6 BILked // Apr 3, 2008 at 2:13 pm
cause I didn’t type two letters, thats killing the democrat”ic” party. Woops, I forgot the “be” in because. Get a grip
whats killing the democratic party is voting and endorsing people who endorsed Fletcher and his cronies.
Whats killing the democratic party is voting the same limp noodles into office who are scared to stand up to David Williams (exceptions granted to Derrick Graham and Harry Moberly)
Whats killing the democratic party is its suffering from short term memory loss in forgetting everything Lunsford did to defeat Ben Chandler and the Democratic party.
Whats killing the democratic party is not electing enough Democratic Senators to put Williams in the minority. Or finding a credible candidate to run against him and the Democratic Party supporting that candidate.
Whats killing the democratic party is keeping Jody Richards as the speaker of the house.
Whats killing the democratic party is the people who claim to be democrats but cross over and vote the other side.
Whats killing the democratic party is voting for a candidate because he is a friend, not whether he/she is competent.
7 Carol Rawert Trainer // Apr 3, 2008 at 2:31 pm
I suppose I am not surprised about Andrew endorsing Lunsford. Nothing really surprises me anymore. But after all of his bad-mouthing Lunsford, how could he do this? I was a die-hard Horne supporter, but I am now working for the GREG FISCHER campaign. Greg has them all beat hands down on the honesty and sincerity front. He has been a very successful business man, great family man and community contributer. He is hard working, sincere and down to earth. Yesterday when I was working at the campaign HQ, he thanked me about 3 times for helping!!! Sometimes it’s the little things that count. I know this will be a tough battle. The Dems fight dirty, but I wil be there fighting all the way for the best man-GREG FISCHER!!!!! Please come and join us if you are sick of it all!
8 UK Alumni // Apr 3, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Disappointing.
I wonder what was the price tag for that purchase?
The words ‘Lockstep’ and ‘Lemming’ both begin with a big L.
9 CW // Apr 3, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Many progressive Democrats are simply shattered by consistently being forced into the position of some revolting compromise. Allowing ourselves to lend support, and eventually be duped , by candidates who never stand and deliver has gotten egregiously monotonous.
Andrew Horne has turned out to be yet another disastrous choice who ran to the front of the parade and pretended to lead. He, and many of those who promoted his candidacy, now ask us to support a turncoat like Bruce Lunsford. Many of us reject this obnoxious suggestion out of hand.
We much prefer to allow a Mitch McConnell to remain as the minority leader of a failed, and shattered party.
10 jake // Apr 3, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Couple points:
Greg Fischer has people beat on the honesty front? Then why is he attacking Bruce for being backed by the DSCC and the Washington establishment when it was FISCHER who was the first to be in D.C. soliciting their support like crazy? That’s what I call hypocrisy.
Andrew Horne was not “purchased” by Bruce Lunsford. As you’ll read in a story coming up later, he’s backing him because this is about beating McConnell. And as we stand right now, Bruce Lunsford is the only one who will finish the primary and the only one with *any* chance to take McConnell on financially. Evidence: Greg Fischer is at 6%, is afraid to spend his money, has had to part ways with consultants because he won’t spend his money, Christy Brown is distancing herself for that reason, and he’s entangled in a number of campaign finance snafus.
11 Carol Rawert Trainer // Apr 3, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Jake, I will not support a Dem candidate (Freudian slip-sounds like ‘Damn’ candidate) that I personaly don’t like or trust, in fact disgusts me, just because he is “the only one who could beat McConnell.” In that case, I suppose I’d rather have McConnell.
12 jake // Apr 3, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Carol - I don’t believe anyone is suggesting that you back Bruce.
What I am doing, however, is pointing out Fischer’s hypocrisy and continual amateur hour campaign activity.
It’d be a little different if he had a shot at garnering more than I.D. than the margin of error of the senate polls.
The man got in this race telling everyone– including the KDP and DSCC– that he would spend MILLIONS of his own money to win. And he’s doing the absolute opposite. At most, he’s raised $400,000, which is petty cash when it costs $100K just to saturate a media market for a week (there are like 13 mini-markets in Kentucky, I think, at least 9 with television) and that’d barely guarantee a name i.d. increase of a couple percent.
And he’s now afraid to spend his own money. He’s only passively attacking Lunsford, a man who is entirely vulnerable and he’s attacking with issues that are childish.
Fischer has six weeks to move more than 36 points in the race. If he expects to move a few points he’s going to have to spend a couple million dollars of his own money. So it’s time to piss or get off the pot.
It’s fine and dandy to support someone because you’re being ideological, but don’t forget the end goal is to oust Mitch McConnell. (I’m not saying Bruce can do it, I’m just stating the end goal) And if Fischer can’t piss in the primary against flipping Bruce Lunsford, how on earth is he going to do so in the general election– with no name i.d. or cash– against the 3rd most powerful man in the world?
Seriously– explain it to me. I’d like to know.
13 SarahG // Apr 3, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Mad at the party? Want to change the way the leadership does things? Then work from within! Come to the precinct conventions this Saturday and run for a position. These are the people who vote in the leadership of the KDP.
14 winstnsmth // Apr 3, 2008 at 10:17 pm
@ SarahG
w00t
15 Harold // Apr 4, 2008 at 1:32 pm
The Kentucky Democratic Party gets what they deserve. The state and the national democrats wanted a rich guy to run for US Senate. They got him.
They found a rich guy who is as morally bankrupt as the present Kentucky senator and we are told to support him because he is a democrat. Right!
When we lose to McConnell 70-30 I do not want to hear anyone cry or pout.
McConnell is horrible and an ass,but why are Democrats supposed to get excited to vote for Lunsford ,who is the supposedly Democratic version McConnell, horrible and an ass.
When will the state and the national democrats let the state and the people decide who we want to represent us. I am tired of being told they know better. Perhaps then we would support them in the fall. Interesting thought huh?
It is kind of familiar to what is going on in the presidential race, when the DNC does not want to count Florida or Michigan and there are calls to end the voting when 12 states still need to vote. Our party is starting to sound like Republicans in that we are starting to believe in money and not people.
I do not car about money. We are the people.
16 !! // Apr 4, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Lunsford made a huge mistake endorsing Fletcher.. OK I got that. And I may not vote for him because of that alone. But a crook? I know the ads ran against him before said that but have you done any other research for yourself? Tell me if a millions dollars in ads were run saying Fischer was a crook would you beleive it just because it was on TV and had been repeated again and again? Is that all it would take for you to turn on Fischer? I wonder if Mitch is taking notes?
I don’t know what the whole truth is but I am not going to base all my judgment on what his political opponents said about him in a campaign.
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