NIGHT. ONLY IN WASHINGTON ARE WE ONLY
FOCUSED ON IMPEACHMENT HERE.
WE’RE FOCUSED ON EVERYTHING.
WE’RE GOING TO START IN KENTUCKY
WITH PHILLIP BAILIE.
HE’S A REPORTER WITH THE
LOUISVILLE COURIER JOURNAL.
PHILLIP, WASHINGTON IS WRITING
ONE STORY ABOUT KENTUCKY
GOVERNOR.
GOVERNOR. YOU WROTE THE STORY IN KENTUCKY
ABOUT KENTUCKY GOVERNOR.
WHY DID MATT BEVIN LOSE?
>> WELL, MATT BEVIN, CHUCK, IS A
UNIQUE POLITICAL CHARACTER.
RIGHT?
RIGHT? I MEAN, HE IS SOMEONE WHO HAS
THUMBED HIS NOSE AT POLITICAL
TRADITIONS.
TRADITIONS. HE DIDN’T RELEASE HIS TAX
RETURNS.
RETURNS. HE’S CALLED, YOU KNOW -- EXCUSE
ME, KENTUCKY JUDGES HACKS WHEN
THEY RULE AGAINST HIM.
CERTAINLY, THUMBED HIS NOSE AT
THE MEDIA.
THE MEDIA. SO HE IS SOMEONE WHO IS UNIQUELY
SORT OF UNPOPULAR BECAUSE HE’S
QUARRELLED WITH HIS OWN PARTY
FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
SO ANDY BESHEAR’S WIN WAS NOT
SURPRISING TO A LOT OF FOLKS
HERE IN KENTUCKY GIVEN HOW
BESHEAR WAS ENGAGED WITH THE
TEACHERS WHO REALLY QUITE
HONESTLY HATE GOVERNOR BEVIN.
AND DELIVERED BESHEAR IMMENSE
MASSIVE VICTORIES, PARTICULARLY
IN LOUISVILLE, LEXINGTON,
DEMOCRATIC STRONG HOLDS FOR THE
PARTY.
PARTY. BUT ALSO WAS INTERESTING THAT
ANDY BESHEAR WAS ABLE TO FLIP
CERTAIN DISTRICTS.
CERTAIN DISTRICTS. IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY, THE
CINCINNATI SUBURBS, THREE
COUNTIES.
COUNTIES. BOONE COUNTY, KITTEN COUNTY,
CAMPBELL COUNTY KNOWN AS THE TEA
PARTY HEADQUARTERS, ANDY BESHEAR
WAS ABLE TO FLIP BOTH CAMPBELL
AND KITTEN COUNTY.
SO THAT COUPLED WITH THESE
MASSIVE WINS AND MARGINS IN THE
CENTRAL AREAS OF LOUISVILLE,
LEXINGTON, THE DEMOCRATIC STRONG
HOLDS I THINK REALLY, YOU KNOW,
MATT BEVIN’S PERSONALITY AND
LEADERSHIP STYLE FINALLY CAUGHT
UP WITH HIM.
>> SO WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT AND
THE FOCUS ON IMPEACHMENT IN THIS
LAST TEN DAYS BY BEVIN, DID
THAT -- DID THAT MAKE IT MORE
COMPETITIVE?
COMPETITIVE? OR WAS IT BASICALLY HE WAS JUST
THROWING ANYTHING -- THIS --
THIS RACE WAS ALWAYS LOST FOR
BEVIN AND HE WAS LOOKING FOR
ANYTHING TO GET OVER THE -- GET
OVER THE FINISH LINE HERE.
>> DURING THE SUMMER, THE
GOVERNOR’S CAMPAIGN MADE IT
PRETTY CLEAR THEY WANTED TO
NATIONALIZE THIS RACE ON
ABORTION, ON ILLEGAL
IMMIGRATION, AND CERTAINLY ON
THE PRESIDENT WHO IS STILL
IMMENSELY POPULAR IN KENTUCKY.
RIGHT?
RIGHT? BUT FOR I THINK THE GOVERNOR,
HIS CAMPAIGN REALLY GOT AN EARLY
WARNING BACK IN THE MAY PRIMARY
WHEN LITTLE KNOWN LEGISLATOR BY
THE NAME OF ROBERT GOFORTH, A
FRESHMAN, GOT ABOUT 40% OF THE
VOTE.
VOTE. AND ROBERT GOLDFORTH WAS NOT
SAYING I’M MORE CONSERVATIVE
THAN MATT BEVIN.
HE WAS MAKING THE ARGUMENT THAT
MATT BEVIN ISN’T ONE OF US.
RIGHT?
RIGHT? HE’S THIS NEW HAMPSHIRE NATIVE
WHO’S SORT OF RUDE AND DOESN’T
KNOW KENTUCKY VALUES.
AS ONE SUPPORTER TOLD ME, THE
GOVERNOR
GOVERNOR GOVERNOR’S NOT SOMEONE YOU
INVITE OVER TO MEMAW’S HOUSE TO
HAVE POTATO SALAD.
YOU NEVER REALLY SAW GOVERNOR
BEVIN KIND OF BUILD A FOLD WITH
FORMER RIVALS IN THE REPUBLICAN
SIDE THE WAY ANDY BESHEAR WAS
DOING.
DOING. >> FINAL QUESTION BECAUSE WE’RE
HEARING A LOT OF SPIN OUT OF
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. WHAT -- HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE
REPUBLICAN SUCCESS BELOW BEVIN?
IS THIS A -- I MEAN, SO BESHEAR
DIDN’T HAVE ANY COAT TAILS.
WHAT ARE WE TO READ INTO THAT?
>> WELL, I THINK YOU HAVE TO
REALIZE THAT HERE IN KENTUCKY,
GOVERNOR BEVIN WAS IMMENSELY
UNPOPULAR FOR YEARS, FOR DECADES
REALLY, CHUCK.
REALLY, CHUCK. KENTUCKY DEMOCRATS THOUGHT THEY
HAD BEEN INOCULATED FROM THE
MORE PROGRESSIVE UNPOPULAR
NATIONAL PARTY BY HAVING THESE
OFF-YEAR ELECTIONS.
OFF-YEAR ELECTIONS. BUT WHAT WE’VE SEEN IS THAT
KENTUCKIANS MORE AND MORE ARE
PRETTY MUCH REPUBLICANS NOT JUST
AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL BUT AT THE
STATE LEVEL.
STATE LEVEL. AND BEVIN WAS JUST SOMEONE OUT
OF TOUCH WITH KENTUCKY MORE THAN
HE WAS POLICY WISE OR
POLITICALLY.
POLITICALLY. HE JUST RUBBED A WHOLE LOT OF
PEOPLE THE WRONG WAY.
AND THERE’S REALLY NOT A WHOLE
LOT FOR DEMOCRATS TO BE HAPPY
ABOUT.
ABOUT. THIS MIGHT BE THE ONE RACE,
CHUCK, WHERE BOTH DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS SEEM TO BE BOTH
HAPPY WITH THE RESULT.
SENATOR McCONNELL’S PEOPLE ARE
VERY HAPPY.
VERY HAPPY. THEIR PROTÉGÉ.
THEIR PROTÉGÉ. DANIEL CAMERON.
DANIEL CAMERON. RIGHT.
RIGHT. AND THEY HAD NO LOVE LOST WITH
GOVERNOR BEVIN HIMSELF.
SO I THINK THIS WILL BE MORE OF
A BEVIN REFERENDUM THAN A
NATIONAL ONE.
NATIONAL ONE. >> PHILLIP BAILIE WITH IMPORTANT
PERSPECTIVE FROM KENTUCKY OF
KENTUCKY AND REPORTING ON