Beshear's Win Not Just Luck Or Teachers: Trump Could Fall In 2020

Twenty-five years ago, Mitch McConnell had an idea. Maybe, just maybe, the second-term senator could convince Newt Gingrich, the Republican war chief busy laying plans for a political earthquake later that year, to throw some money at an obscure race in Kentucky — a special election that May to replace U.S. Rep. Bill Natcher from Bowling Green.

McConnell cornered Gingrich at Richard Nixon’s funeral — how’s that for historical irony — and the former history prof agreed to secretly steer funds to Ron Lewis’ little-known campaign, according to “Storming the Gates,” Dan Balz and Ronald Brownstein’s history of the Gingrich-led revolution of 1994.

Lewis won the seat, which Democrats had held since the Civil War, and the win was a test case for what became the hugely popular Contract with America. Just months later, Gingrich led the 1994 revolution and rudely shunted Democrats into the minority.

Kentucky was the canary in the GOP coal mine. This history comes to mind now, as we confront another canary — Andy Beshear — and debate what his victory over Matt Bevin might mean for 2020 and the Democrats’ bid to end Donald Trump’s reign.

Read more: https://www.leoweekly.com/2019/11/beshears-win-not-just-luck-teachers-trump-fall-2020/