Fancy Farm Roundup

Shawn Dixon August 5th, 2007

I’ve been going to the Fancy Farm Picnic for a long time, I only live 15 minutes down the road in Columbus, but this year was my favorite — the political energy and excitement were palpable. I hope you had the good fortune of being there, but incase you didn’t here are some of the highlights.

BIG WINNERS:

Democratic Party

Without any exaggeration, Dems outnumbered Republicans by at least a 4-to-1 margin and that is probably an understatement. I’ve never seen the crowd so heavily Democratic. And, incredibly fired up, I might add. Even the heat (about 120 degrees in the shade) couldn’t stifle the rowdiness of the crowd.

The favorable political environment for Dems on the state and national level certainly helped to turn out the crowd. But, hats off to the leadership of KDP Chairman Johnathan Miller and the Beshear-Mongiardo ticket who have been able to capitalize and organize around that momentum and turn it into a base of support that will hopefully serve as a strong foundation for several years to come.

Crit Luallen, State Auditor

Crit Luallen set the kind of tone and message that all Democrats should be using in their races this fall. I heard her speak at the Graves County Democratic breakfast and at Fancy Farm. Both of her speeches were fiery and hammered home a values based message centered on the simple beliefs that everyone deserves quality healthcare and a quality education. As she told the crowd, these are the social issues we should be talking about.

This kind of message speaks to working class families. Also, it helps Dems set the agenda so the Republicans can’t perpetually drag us into useless debates about the scare tactic issue de jour. With a substantive message based on strengthening the middle class through access to healthcare, education and high quality jobs, we will beat Republicans at the ballot box every time.

Hopefully more Dems will adopt her strategy because it resonates with Kentucky voters and I believe it’s how Dems will start to win back rural American voters.

BIG LOSER:

The Demoralized Republican Party

The most obvious thing everyone took away from Fancy Farm is that the Republican Party in Kentucky is totally deflated and fractured. If they weren’t so tactless you would almost have felt sorry for them.

Mitch McConnell and Ernie Fletcher owe Secretary of State Trey Grayson big time. He is the only Repub who turned out any volunteers for Fancy Farm. However, one little Repub on the right did give McConnell credit in a sign that read “Welcome to the House that Mitch Built.” Too bad for him it was built on cards.

Also worth noting, Grayson tries to brand himself as a new Repub who doesn’t share the same visceral disdain for Dems or bipartisanship as some his colleagues on the right. However, you certainly couldn’t tell it from the crowd he brought with him. As Daniel Mongiardo spoke the Grayson crew all dangled their hands out in front of their bodies in an attempt to look as though they had “limp wrists” and gay-bait.

Shame on you, Trey. If your minions are going to be so blatantly offensive, at least have them attempt to be clever.

4 Responses to “Fancy Farm Roundup”

  1. # Joanon 05 Aug 2007 at 10:47 am

    Your choosing to highlight Crit Luallen’s speech at Fancy Farm is exactly why she should be the Democratic candidate to run against Mitch McConnell. She is authentic, articulate and wows audiences wherever she goes. She doesn’t carry the baggage that the other candidates have to heave around. She resonates with women who make up over 50% of the populace and what is wonderful is that men respect her as well. I think we need a groundswell for her. Let’s look at her numbers after the November election. That will speak for itself!

  2. # Isaac Shelbyon 05 Aug 2007 at 1:46 pm

    Someone should call out The Paducah Sun for saying that the crowd was divided 50/50. I checked the conservative blogs to see what estimates they had for the crowd. Elendil’s Journal had this to say, “03:35:28 PM David Williams is being introduced as masters of ceremony.. Lots of cheers and boos. The Republicans are outnumbered 3 to 1 but they are holding their own.”

  3. # RobertCummingon 06 Aug 2007 at 11:33 am

    After the picnic while sporting an ant-Mitch sticker in my straw hat, I approached a lady in the house across the street from the church for directions to Columbus State Park. The apparent bitter Linconite gave me a bum steer and told me to turn left at the intersection and head south instead of right and catching 80 west . Despite a detour to Clinton , we eventually visited the nice Democrat built CCC era Columbus State Park and ran into a family re-union picnic of some good Bush-bashing ,McConnell baiting fellow dems.

  4. # herodotuson 06 Aug 2007 at 2:15 pm

    Implying a candidate is gay? Wait, isn’t that exactly what this blog did/does to Mitch?

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