In 2014, then Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, the daughter of Jerry Lundergan, a former Kentucky Democratic chairman and state representative, was the Democratic nominee facing Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in his re-election campaign. In the conservative Bluegrass State, Mrs Grimes was running a carefully tempered campaign, running as a moderate. In a race rated only “lean Republican,”^[1]Carroll, James R. (August 3, 2013). “Mitch McConnell, Alison Lundergan Grimes race a ‘toss up,’ according to non-partisan observer“. The Courier-Journal. Footnote via … Continue reading Mr McConnell stomped her with 56.19% of the vote; so much for polling! About the only silver lining Mrs Grimes could see in that is that she did better against the then-Senate Minority Leader than the repugnant Amy McGrath Henderson did six years later.

Naturally, the Commonwealth’s two largest newspapers, The (Louisville) Courier-Journal and Lexington Herald-Leader endorsed Mrs Grimes, but what my best friend used to call the Herald-Liberal always endorses Democrats.

Humorously, Mrs Grimes was feted at a fundraiser by Harvey Wallbanger Weinstein, though that was before his scumbag reputation was widely known.

I wrote about this back in 2014, noting what I said to Robert Stacy McCain on Twitter — I still refuse to call it 𝕏, the worst rebranding since New Coke — that it doesn’t matter how ‘moderate’ a Democrat candidate is, the most important vote of a senator or representative casts is the vote at the beginning of the session, the one which determines the leadership of the chamber. Had Mrs Grimes won the election, she would have voted for Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), continuing Democratic control of the Senate, but Mr McConnell won, not only re-election to the Senate, but becoming Majority leader, as Republicans took control of the Senate.

At that point, Senator McConnell made, and won, the greatest gamble of his career, denying a confirmation vote for the purportedly moderate Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, following the unexpected death of Justice Antonin Scalia, betting that Donald Trump would defeat the odious Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race, when, had Mrs Clinton won, she might have nominated someone who seemed even worse than Mr Garland.

We saw how moderate Mr Garland was, when, as President Joe Biden’s Attorney General, he went after the Capitol kerfufflers ruthlessly.

And thus, Mr McCain’s point about Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) is important. Yes, she doesn’t strongly support President Trump, though she’s at least reasonably conservative but we need Republican control of the Senate. The Democrats are trying hard to win the four additional seats they need for control, to the extent of nominating people like Oystergruppenführer Graham Platner, he of Nazi Totenkopf tattoos, virulent anti-Semitism, and finally credible accusations of rape. If Justice Clarence Thomas, now 78 years old, passes away soon, we need a Senate majority to confirm whatever strong conservative President Trump nominates!

Mr McCain confessed to having been “born and raised a ‘yellow dog’ Democrat”, and he even [shudder!] voted for Walter Mondale in 1984. President Bill Clinton cured him of his yellow dogginess, but he’s just a young whippersnapper; I learned that far earlier than he did! 🙂

Senator Collins may not be that strong a conservative, but she’s important nevertheless. We need for her to win.