245. Consensus Politics

"Things are jumping off here, jumping off there, who knows what's gonna jump off next."

That was one of the lines regularly spoken by the late Leonard Gray who died in July, 2005. Leonard, one of my favorite people, was a politician from Louisville's Chickasaw neighborhood who finished his career after serving in the administrations of Louisville mayors Burke, Stansbury, Sloane, and Abramson; then as a member of the State House of Representatives; finally as a key aide to then-governor Paul Patton. Leonard's office was accessed in the back hallway that connects the various offices along the governor's corridor, on the back side of the Capital, a corridor extending east through that "secret" door of Governor Fletcher's, down to the Press Room at the eastern end of the capital. Leonard had one of the little nooks by which people passed when privately making their way to and from the governor's office, privately as opposed to the public path Governor Beshear has vowed to take, out the front doors of his office, to the right, and down the marble corridor in full view of one and all.

I used to stop in and visit Leonard on my visits to Frankfort, especially this time of the year which is often spent in speculation by political hacks (like me) as to who might be running for what, who isn't, and why or why not - all conversation leading to the filing dealine day in late January. Leonard's answers were sometimes a little confusing, as often he would rather have you deduce something on your own, as opposed to him outright telling you - hence "things jumping off here and jumping off there."

The events of "who's in and who's not" surrounding who will be the Democratic challenger to Senator McConnell would have been a lot of fun were Leonard still with us. This morning's defection of Greg Stumbo, one which will soon have the Attorney General returning to his old 95th District House seat, leaves the Democratic Primary open to most anyone. Currently having formally announced are Lt. Col. Andrew Horne, Dr. Michael Cessaro, and Glasgow resident and perennial candidate David Williams, whose name recognition - actually not his but that of Republican Senate President David Willams - has gained him a spot in two General Elections, one for Congress in 2002 and another for Agriculture Commissioner in 2007. And, the truth be told, if Williams had been opposing anyone other than one of Kentucky's most favored sons, the incumbent Richie Farmer, he might well not be a candidate for Senator right now because he'd be preparing to get sworn in as Agriculture Commissioner in a few weeks.

Stumbo's departure from the race, as well as State Auditor Crit Luallen a few weeks ago, leaves the Democratic Party without a consensus candidate. Stumbo and Luallen, along with the Democratic Williams, have proven their ability to win statewide Primaries. Stumbo and Luallen have the added advantage of having won in November as well. That advantage is for naught in the Ditch Mitch effort for 2008.

Defeating United States Senator Addison Mitchell McConnell, Jr. is turning out to be a great unifying idea for Kentucky's Democrats and others, including not a few Republicans, who are tired of President Bush's War in Iraq, as well as a number of other policies in the federal administration. And he didn't make any new friends in the 2007 Republican Primary, managing to offend people in both Fletcher and Northup's camps. But finding a Democrat who can match his money and name recogntion is proving to be a formidable task. If the 2008 Primary were held today, David Williams would be the consensus candidates for the Democrats. As I've written before elsewhere, that is a problem.

The one person who may be able to step up and into that role of consensus candidate is Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Horne, a retired Marine from Louisville, popular amongst Louisville's anti-war activists, as well as those who linger in and on Louisville and Kentucky's blogosphere, although those two groups combined honestly represent a very small portion of Kentucky's voting population. Until and unless he begins to get his name as well known in the Courthouses and Diary Queens across the Commonwealth as it is on political blogs like PageOneKentucky.com, BluegrassReport.org, and PolWatchers.typepad.com, then he has work remaining to be done. And if he is to be the consensus candidate, some acknowledgement to that effect must be heard from the powers-that-be in Frankfort, namely the new Democratic governor and/or his Kentucky Democratic Party chair.

If there are any two people who can unify Democrats into a Party which can defeat McConnell and his gang, these are they who can, especially the governor. There are 41 days remaining until the deadline to file against McConnell. Forty-one days to create a consensus candidate. The clock is ticking.