Free Republic

Over at the Lexington Herald-Leader, political writer Sam Youngman offers a blistering critique of Jack Conway’s performance at Tuesday night’s debate. Not only did Youngman compare Conway to “A 1980s commercial for antiperspirant,” but said: “Between the Al Gore body language and the 1960 Richard Nixon sweating, Conway looked ill at ease on the stage, and he desperately needs strong debate performances from here on out to break through a political environment that is potentially apocalyptic for Democrats.” Conway’s answer to a question about a sexual harassment case bothered Youngman (among others) “The larger problem for Conway came from some...

FANCY FARM — The annual political picnic here has long been a partisan battle of wits and one-liners, where the politicians trade barbs and laughs and the crowd eggs them on. ... On Saturday, while Democrats, including gubernatorial nominee and attorney general Jack Conway, used their time on stage to remind voters of Bevin's rocky past as a politician, Bevin took the stage to decry the nature of the event and call for unity. In a sharp departure from the theme of the picnic, Bevin said he was glad to be at the event, which primarily serves as a fundraiser...

Rand Paul likes to say that the Republican Party should follow the advice of painter Robert Henri, who said people should "paint like a man coming over a hill singing." But Paul, one week away from an announcement that he is running for president, often seems like a man running down a hill so fast that his feet can't keep up with his momentum. As he prepares to take a formal step onto the biggest stage in politics, Kentucky's junior U.S. Senator has previewed his campaign message as one of "winnability." "Ted Cruz is a conservative — but it also...