Popular Kentucky sports talk host may challenge Mitch McConnell

[NewJeffCT]

for Senate in 2020.

Matt Jones has an interesting background - raised by a single (Republican) mom who was a lawyer then goes on to graduate 2nd in his class at Duke Law School, but gave it up to be a local sports talk radio host.

Link to tweet

?s=19

[smirkymonkey]

1. Anybody but Mitch!

Bring it on!

[NewJeffCT]

3. he calls himself

a populist progressive and seems to be very popular in the state despite his audience skewing conservative like most sports talk shows.

[Wounded Bear]

2. Go Kentucky! Ditch the Mitch!

[NewJeffCT]

5. I think in some of these red states

running somebody that has name recognition for something outside of politics may be a good way to go in some cases. The GOP does this on a regular basis: When the initial Republican dropped out of the 2004 senate race against Obama, the GOP tried to get Chicago Bears coaching legend Mike Ditka to run against Obama... in 2010 and 2012, Linda McMahon of the WWE Wrestling company ran against Chris Murphy and Dick Blumenthal in their two senate races. She was able to fund herself and spent over $100 million to lose by over 10 points each time. I think when Ed Markey ran to replace John Kerry, Republicans talked about getting Red Sox legend Curt Schilling to run against him...

[a kennedy]

19. Oooooooo like that, "Ditch the Mitch".

Perfect bumper sticker.

[Botany]

4. Gotta fix the voting machines and systems in KY first because I might be wrong but KY's vote ....

.... is very dirty.

[Dem_4_Life]

6. YES!

[standingtall]

7. If we are going to have a chance to beat McConnell this ain't the guy for us

We need a serious candidate. There is no chance of beating McConnell without over-performing in Louisville and his career in sports talk might be a negative there.

[grantcart]

8. 2nd in his class at Duke Law isn't serious?

[standingtall]

9. You know he got a law degee there but has never actually practiced law

and yes a guy that has spent 13 to 14 years antagonizing an in state sports rivalry is not a serious candidate for office. Goes without saying he would be a much better Senator than turtle. I just don't think he will have any chance of winning there are better options out there.

[NewJeffCT]

11. we had a serious candidate in 2014

She was close until October came around and then Alison Lundergren Grimes lost by 15 points going away. Democrats have been running "serious" candidates for almost 30 years and the last Democratic Senator from KY was elected in 1992.

[standingtall]

14. Yeah she also made the unforgivable error of refusing to admit she voted the Democratic President

something that doesn't exactly scream voter enthusiasm to Louisville's heavily African American West end communities. Daniel Mongiardo almost beat McConnell in 2006, because he crushed McConnell in Jefferson county. It would be an upset if we win regardless of who we run, but if we get the right person maybe we can pull it off and I just don't think Matt Jones is the guy for us.

[NewJeffCT]

16. Mongiardo almost beat Bunning in 2004

McConnell beat Bruce Lunsford in 2008 by 6 points, but that was the blue wave of the Obama election that year as well, so was likely closer than it would have been outside of a presidential election year.

McConnell won by 30 points in 2002

In 1996, McConnell still beat Beshear by 13 points.

[standingtall]

17. That was before Beshear went on to become a popular Governor

so a second run might be a little bit different especially if Trump is deeply unpopular, because McConnell's seat will be on the line in a Presidential election year.

[SCVDem]

10. So much negativity!

We keep shooting ourselves in the ass!

We haven't even listened to the stumps yet!

[NewJeffCT]

12. I know

Alison Lundergren Grimes was popular, connected and well known around Kentucky, but she faded down the stretch and Mitch won going away...

[LanternWaste]

13. What specifically compels you to consider a candidate "serious"?

And on what objective measure is that based off of?

[standingtall]

15. Somebody with name recognition in politics and can crank up voter turnout in Jefferson County

he probably will not run, but Jerry Abramson would be an example or if Steve Beshear were to decide to take a second crack at the Senate he would be a far better option than Matt Jones.

[NewJeffCT]

18. If Abramson and Beshear don't run

who is left in KY with the name recognition/popularity to take on McConnell? Beshear will turn 75 this year - while he's a year younger than McConnell, does he want to start a career in DC at that age?

[kentuck]

20. Matt Jones is from my home county in the mountains...

He is a big Kentucky basketball fan. Mitch is originally from Alabama. It may sound very superficial but it matters to the voters in the mountains, where Alison lost the last time around.

In my opinion, he is known all across the state with his popular podcast and sports network. He will do as well as any other Democrat and if Mitch still has his tongue tied to Trump's ass, he has a chance to win.

I have to support a home boy.

[Blue_true]

21. Mitch will have his lips firmly glued to Trump's ass in all but two situations.

1. Lindsay Graham finally succeeds in dislodging Mitch's lips so that his can permanently set.


2. The scent of scandal waffling from Trump's asshole finally becomes too great for even Mitch to take. In that case Mitch loosens his lips and walk away, only to be blown over by the wind from Lindsay Graham rushing in to take the prime Trump ass kissing spot.