Mitch McConnell is so desperate to get people to attend his campaign rallies that he is paying people from Ohio in order to make it appear that he has supporters. This is another sign that McConnell’s campaign may be losing in Kentucky.
According to The Independent Online in Ashland, KY,
With a backdrop of two gargantuan dump trucks displaying banners which read “Protect Coal Jobs” and “Support Coal or live in the Dark,” McConnell addressed about 100 supporters.
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They included some of the same young people decked out in red “TeamMitch” t-shirts on hand at stops in the area Tuesday and a few Whayne Supply employees, at least one of which said he lives in Ohio and can’t vote in Kentucky’s senate election. The online publication, The Hill, reported the Republican Party of Kentucky solicited volunteers to go on the trip to show support, offering to pick up the cost of their meals and lodging. McConnell would only say he has “enthusiastic supporters” when asked about the story.
McConnell is refusing to answer questions about the supporters that his campaign paid to be on the bus tour, but reporting from the scene suggests that if the paid supporters, campaign staffers, and those who are ineligible to vote in the Senate election are subtracted, Sen. McConnell could probably comfortably fit all of his organic supporters into a few tables at Denny’s.
Candidates, Democratic or Republican, who can’t generate crowds at rallies usually don’t win. The absence of a crowd is direct indicator of a lack of enthusiasm for McConnell’s reelection bid.
People who show up at rallies are a candidate’s most dedicated supporters. These individuals can be counted on to vote on Election Day. Mitch McConnell continues to be one of the least popular senators in the United States Senate. His only chance of winning is to make the election about voting against his Democratic opponent Alison Lundergan Grimes. It appears that voters won’t be showing up to enthusiastically vote for Sen. McConnell.
McConnell campaign is sharing many traits with losing efforts. The Kentucky incumbent has low approval ratings, is struggling to draw a crowd, most of his fundraising has been from big out of state donors and PACs, is being criticized for forgetting about the folks back home, and he has no clear campaign message.
The mainstream media is trying to give this election to Mitch McConnell, but the reality is that there are warning signs all over this campaign that Sen. McConnell is losing in Kentucky.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
