The local news decided to take a break from crime, crime, and more crime to report that Bill Clinton will campaign for Alison Lundergan Grimes in Lexington and Hazard, KY next Wednesday. I predict state Republicans will do the freak out, and Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul will both suffer massive head explosions.
Republicans in Kentucky know that Bill Clinton is popular here, unlike the anti-Christ in the White House. Clinton did win Kentucky in both the 1992 and 1996 Elections, something a Democrat had not done since 1964. And having a popular former president campaign for you is a big plus for the Grimes campaign; this is why Republicans will throw a tantrum, especially McConnell and Paul.
McConnell is in electoral peril, and you don't need to see opinion polls to know it. I have never seen so many ads being aired against McConnell, and McConnell is being forced to respond to Grimes campaign. Normally, McConnell has made the election a referendum on his Democratic opponent or the Democratic Party, but McConnell has made errors that Grimes has exploited, namely the "It is not my job to create jobs" McConnell gaffe.
Clinton's appearance will no doubt reinforce the message that McConnell has failed on the job creation front. I fully expect Clinton to point out that McConnell has done everything in his power to stop job creation, and, whether you agree with Clinton on economics, he has a talent for making a simple, effective message that resonates with voters: McConnell is not working for you.
McConnell will do everything in his power to fund raise off Clinton's visit to Kentucky. There will be cries of "Clinton! Liberal! Hollywood! And Grimes!" Not that any of that will make any logical sense, but when has a Republican ever made sense?
Meanwhile, presidential wannabee Rand Paul will feel the heat also. Paul will make snide comments about Clinton's past sexual escapades. And I am betting that a whisper campaign will start that says Clinton is having an affair with Grimes because we are talking about Republicans here. If that doesn't work, I expect Paul or his minions to cry, "Rape! Rape! Rape!"
"Rape! Rape! Rape!" is Rand Paul's version of "Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!"
Basically, this will all be one big whining and crying session for the Republicans in Kentucky. I'm looking forward to it. If anyone reads this blog and wants to predict what the Republicans will actually say before and after Clinton's visit, please feel free to do so.