Running Away From Obama Backfired: Grimes Got Fewer Votes Than The President in Kentucky

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Joe Sonka of InsiderLouisville.com tweeted Saturday that the votes are in in Kentucky and guess what? Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes got less votes than President Obama did in 2012:

This should be sobering for red state Democrats, although it’s too late for a redo. In an election year when once again Democrats stayed home, Democratic candidates could have ridden the coattails of Obama. Yes, the media keeps saying he’s unpopular and sure he’s unpopular in Kentucky, but the man can get out the vote.

The media told us Obama was unpopular in 2012, too.

This is a sad conclusion to a race where Alison Lundergan Grimes gave it her all and put tons of effort into a get out the vote campaign. In fact, in the early hours of election day, the turnout was noteworthy in some Democratic strongholds. But she never got enough to make up for McConnell’s dominance.

And now the votes say she underperformed in comparison to President Obama, the Republican boogeyman. If it weren’t for President Obama, Mitch McConnell would not have had a platform, since he refused to tell voters what the Republicans platform was other than to paint Obama as the devil. Yet the media tells us that it’s Obama who is divisive.

Another midterm squandered by Democrats, and a good candidate learning a tough lesson after a hard fought battle. Alison Grimes will be back. But will Democrats ever learn to stick together and stand by their leaders?

It’s good to have vigorous disagreement on policy; but let’s not confuse that with pandering to phony Republican narratives.

Sarah Jones

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