That hum, however, is sounding more and more like fingernails across a chalkboard a little over two weeks from Election Day. Here in Owensboro, the local, state representative and state senator races are somewhat hum-drum with little dirt flinging, if any at all. Most of these candidates are content to make their case for why they should be elected. If we were only so lucky at the national level.
Despite the lack of rain, U.S. Senate candidates Rand Paul and Jack Conway have cobbled together mud pies and are heaving them at record pace. Make no mistake that there are a lot of differences between these two guys. Paul is the TEA party favorite while Conway is not afraid to lean to the left on some issues. I only wish both would spend more time and more advertising money telling us why they are the best candidate for Kentucky instead of why the other guy is bad. I've met and spent time with both Paul and Conway and believe they're both fine people with strong ideas. You don't usually get to be a U.S. Senate candidate for both major parties without having success at many levels along the way. Yet, here we are nearing the end of another long election season and the negativity is astounding.
Yes, independent groups are running negative ads of all sorts in record amounts after a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year. I can't say with certainty whether it's a good idea or not for these groups to spend money on campaigns in this fashion. What I do know is that the resulting negativity I'm seeing is not good for democracy. Anyone else looking forward to November 3rd?
