2007 Kentucky Governor’s Race – Awesome opportunity for us!!!

[DeadMoneyDad]

[ QUOTE ]
If you have to borrow, borrow, sooner or later economies of scale will kick in as each neew member will pay the recruitment cost forward in getting more. Think of what 10 motivated college kids could do on campus in Louisville and Lexington. Especially on election day when you want them to call the RNC and tell them you voted against Fletcher over poker, and you will do the same for McConnell.

[/ QUOTE ]

2nd visit to night, different league, bigger crowd. Great reception. 1 dues paying PPA member, a few online freeroll members, one thought he heard mention of the PPA during a PAD show. This is out of 60 or so players in both tourenys. Another final table in the late event.

Tommorrow night there is a bigger tourney with 100+ players. Not bad for a Wednesday night. Spoke to a couple of the league operators, some initial "what can the PPA do for me?" Along with the standard "where have they been ones?"

The willingness to help in a worthwile future activity is amazing. Even those that were initially cautious once it was clear I didn't want money were helpful and some fairly committed to speaking to their players.

Anyone else doing this type of missionairy work?

D$D

[Legislurker]

Bar leagues aren't allowed here [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]. Heh, not asking for money is a double edged sword. Would be wonderful if we could have Reps at cardrooms on an official basis, more people would feel comfortable paying $$ at those. But, it will happen sooner or later, the B&M rooms LOATHE the idea of this. Poker Players organized. Ten or fifteen years ago I think we would have been threatened, beaten, or worse. Please, make sure you push this next time you see the PPA, if their industry shills dont hate the idea.

[DeadMoneyDad]

[ QUOTE ]
Bar leagues aren't allowed here [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img].

[/ QUOTE ]


You must be in a state like AZ that doesn't allow freerolls in a bar or resteraunt. I read I think it was the AZ AG's opinion that event holding a freeroll in a bar was an attempt to increase prifits and hence a way to profit from gambling. Or I wasn't clear. Here either the laws are different or they get around it by having the league operated by a different group not owned by the bar. They do state here that their can't ever be any real money on the table and that no side bets are allowed.

[ QUOTE ]

Heh, not asking for money is a double edged sword. Would be wonderful if we could have Reps at cardrooms on an official basis, more people would feel comfortable paying $$ at those. But, it will happen sooner or later, the B&M rooms LOATHE the idea of this. Poker Players organized. Ten or fifteen years ago I think we would have been threatened, beaten, or worse. Please, make sure you push this next time you see the PPA, if their industry shills dont hate the idea.

[/ QUOTE ]

This maybe part of Bluffthis's complaint against the PPA board or my nievate, but I read the PPA's mission statement as protecting the rights of all poker players. I've heard the arguement that B&M casinos and poker rooms hate the PPA because of the visible effort against the UIGEA. But it was my thought that on-line is still played, may have dropped a little, but even at it's peak was actually sending more people into B&M's. Isn't that why so many are adding/upgrading poker rooms like crazy?

If the PPA was on-line centric why bother with KY? The issue there is the right to vote on a ballot issue to have B&M in KY, not make KY the first state to have lisenced on-line poker sites. Or did I miss something on the uptake?

D$D

[TheEngineer]

Everyone in KY (or anyone with a connection to the state) -- please remember to contact Ernie Fletcher and Steve Beshear with some regularity (not just once). I made a quick call to Fletcher's office today. The PPA letter went out on Tuesday. Between PPA and us, KY is hearing our voice, and they'll continue to hear it.

Contact info:

Governor Ernie Fletcher
700 Capital Avenue
Suite 100
Frankfort, KY 40601

Phone/Fax:
Main Line: (502) 564-2611
Fax: (502) 564-2517
TDD: (502) 564-9551 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf)

-------------------

Steve Beshear
Email: info@stevebeshear.com

Physical Address:

106C St. James Court, Frankfort, KY 40601

Mailing Address:

PO BOX 4227, Frankfort, KY 40604

Tel: 502-607-8600
Fax: 502-607-8611

[DeadMoneyDad]

[ QUOTE ]
Everyone in KY (or anyone with a connection to the state) -- please remember to contact Ernie Fletcher and Steve Beshear with some regularity (not just once). I made a quick call to Fletcher's office today.


[/ QUOTE ]

IMO Fletcher is toast.

Here is why. I just called both campaigns.

Fletcher's HQ. Erine answers in a canned message that sounds like a mortition. Message "we're only open 9-5". Even trying a few staff phones gets a recording.

Beshear HQ. Phone is answered by a bubbly older woman who I of course engaged in conversation some. She is a full time volunteer since Feb!!!

Issues aside just from an "in the trenches" view, from having to have to just staff that receptionists position a number of times..... it's over.

Now all we have to do is see if we can get some credit and a some good exposure.


D$D

[TheEngineer]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/K...EMPLATE=DEFAULT

Beshear picks up Republican endorsements in governor's race

By ROGER ALFORD
Associated Press Writer

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Two well-known Republicans broke away from Kentucky's first GOP governor in a generation to endorse Democratic gubernatorial nominee Steve Beshear on Monday.

Former U.S. Rep. Larry Hopkins - who represented the 6th District, which includes Lexington, from 1979 to 1993 - appeared with Beshear in downtown Lexington to announce his support.

"I believe Steve Beshear can provide the leadership Kentucky needs," said Hopkins, who was the Republican nominee for governor in 1991, losing to Democrat Brereton Jones.

Former state Rep. Steve Nunn, the son of the last Republican governor, Louie Nunn, until Gov. Ernie Fletcher's election in 2003, said he also would support Beshear.

Steve Nunn called the last four years during Fletcher's administration "a comedy of errors."

"Four years of failed leadership has led to this decision," Nunn said.

Beshear said neither Nunn nor Hopkins asked him for anything in return for their endorsements, nor did he promise them anything in return.

Fletcher said on Monday that he has considerable support from Democrats, adding that the Nunn and Hopkins endorsement of Beshear is "one of those things. You're going to have some folks go either way."

Later in a statement, Fletcher spokesman Jason Keller said in a statement that "there are a significant number of Democrats supporting Gov. Fletcher in this election because they recognize that he is the only candidate that represents Kentucky's values and will not invite the scourge of casino gambling into our commonwealth." Keller declined to name them.

Nunn, who lost to Fletcher in the 2003 Republican primary, said his decision had nothing to do with sour grapes. Nunn expressed concern about the investigation into whether Fletcher's administration had violated state hiring laws in an alleged scheme to reward political supporters with state jobs.

Fletcher and at least 14 of his aides and associates were indicted. Fletcher issued pardons for everyone except himself. His lawyers worked out a deal with prosecutors to have the charges against him dropped.

Hopkins said he wants the opportunity to vote on a referendum on whether to legalize casino gambling, and said he believes most other Kentuckians want that same opportunity.

Beshear supports amending Kentucky's Constitution to allow limited casino gambling. He says Kentuckians already spend huge amounts at casinos across the border in Indiana and Illinois, and says taxes from legalized gambling could help fund education, health care and other initiatives.

Fletcher says he'll fight any effort to legalize casinos. The governor previously said he would not oppose efforts to put such a measure on the ballot, but abruptly changed his stance after this year's primary, citing his personal opposition to gambling........

[MiltonFriedman]

Definitely a positive development. However, do not let up, even if you think Fletcher has less chance of winning this than Senator Craig would have for getting a group hug from a Friends of Family convention.

Remember, former Attorney General John Ashcroft, in his last election campaign, lost to a guy who was dead before the voting.

[Uglyowl]

Just donated a small amount to Mr. Beshear and sent the following letter to both Beshear and Fletcher (with a small lead-in):

Dear Mr. Beshear,

I wish you best in the Kentucky Gubernatorial race. I was always a life-long Republican and am a resident of Massachusetts. Today I am making a $25 donation to your campaign since I strongly feel that residents of a state should have the opportunity to make their own decisions and not have decisions made for them by a politicians’ “moral values”.

Unfortunately many in the Republican Party (including your opponent Ernie Fletcher) have taken the approach that they know what is best for us, we are incapable of making decisions, and need to legislate morality. The Democrat Party is making much more sense to me nowadays (I never thought I would say that). Good luck and look forward to watching the election coverage over the next 7 weeks.

Sincerely,

XXXXXX XXXXX

[DeadMoneyDad]

[ QUOTE ]
Definitely a positive development. However, do not let up, even if you think Fletcher has less chance of winning this than Senator Craig would have for getting a group hug from a Friends of Family convention.

Remember, former Attorney General John Ashcroft, in his last election campaign, lost to a guy who was dead before the voting.

[/ QUOTE ]

The dead guy you are referring to was then Governor Mel Carnahan who was killed when the plane piloted by his son Randy crashed ~2 weeks before the election. John did the right thing morally and suspended his campaign; political suicide considering the Lt. Governor stated if Mel, who was irremovable from the ballot by state law, won he would appoint Mel’s widow Jean to the Senate seat. Jean didn’t have to campaign but Wilson ran an “I’m still with Mel” campaign. Ashcroft lost by about 48k votes, well with-in the re-count margin. But heck everybody but Al Gore knew you never win a re-count and demanding one is usually political suicide. No one remembers what a stand up guy John really is.

Why do I remember exactly where I was when the news broke and exactly what happened?

I remember because I was sitting with Ari Fleisher, Karen Hughes, Andy Card, and the like, but no not Karl Rove when the news broke. We were organizing the Bush debate campaign effort in St. Louis. That little 200+ hand picked and 1/3 had to pass a secret service back ground check, volunteer effort was the end of almost a week straight 20+ hour days that started with a Cheney fund raiser and a visit to Bush Stadium for a play off game.

But I’m just a bull in a china shop, I know my passion tests others patience, but politically I’ve been told I have good instincts.

D$D

[DeadMoneyDad]

[ QUOTE ]
The polling on this race continues to look like a blowout :

[ QUOTE ]


Steve Beshear still has a huge lead over Ernie Fletcher in the latest Survey USA/WHAS11 News poll released this morning.

Beshear has a 58%-39% lead over Fletcher, with just 2% undecided in the survey of likely Kentucky voters. The poll was conducted Sept. 8-10 and has a margin of error of 4.3%.

Beshear had a 21 point lead last month, so Fletcher has sliced a little off his lead. But with just 8 weeks until election day, Fletcher still trails by double digit margins in every area of the state. The one piece of good news for Fletcher is that he has made significant and statistical gains among voters 65 or older and is now tied with Beshear (49% apiece) among those "mature" voters. It seems clear that Fletcher's "Say No to Casinos" TV campaign has had virtually no impact on voters except those who are 65 or older. I'm still wondering what poll numbers Fletcher's folks have been looking at in deciding that the anti-gambling issue was a winner. The Survey USA polls have consistently shown more than 70% of Kentuckians say there should be a vote on expanding gaming. It's 79%-20% in this month's poll.

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Things usually tighten up somewhat for the incumbent by election day, but at this point it looks like an uphill struggle for Fletcher just to get it into the single digits.

My only fear is that it might end up as such a trouncing that it will be hard to point to gambling as the dispositive issue when we look back.

In other words, people are willing to believe that George Allen lost by a few votes because he said that stupid "macaca" thing; but they're not going to believe Ernie Fletcher lost by 20 points because he opposed gambling. Or at least that's my concern.

[/ QUOTE ]

I had an interesting conversation with an old campaign boss. No it was not Karl Rove!

His take on this polling and gambling issue was quite different than we might think. Now as far as I know he doesn't have a vested interest in the KY race, as a matter of fact a loss would help him in other areas.

He says the polling on gmabling in KY is some what missleading. When the question is asked do you favor gambling in KY? The results are a plurality of those in favor, but not by much. This is in part in his opinion because KY has so much horse racing history. However when the question is asked, do you favor expanded casino gambling in KY the results are much different. Due in part to the NIMBY factor and general conservative nature of KY politics. He claims that contrary to the national polling internal numbers show that since people are just waking up to this race in KY for the most part that the internal numbers show the issue gaining traction.

I was totally shot down for suggesting that even if Beshear wins that expanded casino gambling will be on the ballot next year. It was explained to me that due to the make up of both the Dem lead house and Rep lead senate and the various committe chairmen and committe make up all fairly against expanded casino gambling for a variety of reasons a the chances of this being on the ballot are slim and none and slim is packing his bags.

I did ask about the effect of a landslide win with gambling remaining the dominate issue in this race, this in effect being only a refrendum on expanded gambling. I was assured that the campaigns and party were working to keep the issue fresh but also trying a number of other issue based efforts to broaden the campaign.

So the ultimate story has yet to be written.

No I am not making any further efforts to expand the PPA effort in KY, the initial contact was back when I was hot on that idea. But I did think to offer this to the forum at large.

A trade, I will no longer keep pushing for a KY effort if Bluffthis will at least tone down the PPA board needs to be fired comments. The reason for the offer is I'm quite sure everyone but the newest 2+2 forum members know EXACTLY how each of us feel about or "pet" issues and some can likely quote or argue either side from memory alone.

Just a little info and a thought,

D$D