Kentucky windage

A little more than a month after he survived the dislodging of his running mate for failing to meet residency requirements for statewide office and rolled up more than half the vote against three rivals for the Republican nomination for governor, four-term Rep. Ernie Fletcher is on a roll. A just-completed Public Opinion Strategies (POS) poll showed that Fletcher is leading his Democratic opponent, State Atty. Gen. Albert B. (Ben) Chandler III, 46% to 39% statewide.

Although the election to pick a successor to lame-duck Democratic Gov. Paul Patton is nearly four months away, it is a bit surprising to find the conservative Fletcher (lifetime American Conservative Union rating: 84%), who has never won office outside his Lexington-based 6th District, with a lead over Chandler, who has won statewide office twice and is heir to possibly the most durable political name in Bluegrass State history: Grandfather A.B. (Happy) Chandler served as governor for two non-consecutive terms as U.S. senator, and was the nation's second commissioner of Major League Baseball.

In part, Fletcher backers insist, his early and strong posture stems from the disgust of voters after 32 unbroken years of Democratic governors. Sixty-three percent of those polled by P.O.S. said their state has "gotten off on the wrong track" and only 27% say Kentucky is "heading in the right direction." The same survey showed that 76% of state voters agree with the statement: "Kentucky is falling behind other states and needs a change of leadership."

Last year, Georgia, Hawaii, and Maryland-all of which had gone longer than Kentucky without a Republican governor-made history by breaking tradition and finally putting the GOP back in their governor's mansions. Now Kentucky is the state that has gone longest without a Republican governor.

Concluded Ed Tobin of the Republican Governors Association: "Ben Chandler has been part of the problem for too many years to be considered part of the solution."

Mr. Gizzi, political editor of HUMAN EVENTS, welcomes political intelligence from subscribers on campaigns and issues at the local and state level. Though he cannot reply to all correspondents, we appreciate your contributions.

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Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Jul 14, 2003
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