Conversations in a Kentucky Bar on Primary Election Eve

[VolcanoJen]

Brief background... I'm in Cincinnati, and we're right across the Ohio River from Kentucky. Parking is really cheap over there, and the bars are cheaper and more fun and smoky, so tonight I met a few friends in Northern Kentucky to toss back some pints and talk about politics.

The mood on Election Eve in the bar was electric. Everybody, absolutely everybody was talking politics. Bluegrass Country is very excited about tomorrow's election, and it was the topic of the day.

I'm a regular at this place, and several other regulars told me, "Looks good for your boy." They don't mean that the way others might take it, it's just the way people talk. Everybody there knows I'm "Obama Girl" in Hillary Country, so I'm an outsider to begin with. "Picked another winner," said another regular. I think he might have been joking.

Got into a conversation with a friend of the woman who owns the bar. "We're going to win the Presidency! A woman in the White House. She's coming back," Mary exclaimed to me.

"It's a great big country, Mary. Clinton will do well down here for sure, but Kentucky doesn't get to decide all on its own," I offered.

"Well, you owe us something if you win it. We gotta get something!!"

That's a fair point, isn't it? The enthusiasm of Hillary supporters down here is just through the roof. I'm not sure they'll stick with Obama through November, not that Kentucky will go blue, but there are inroads to be made here.

I overheard a conversation between a man and woman about McCain. "Obama's the nominee, and he's too inexperienced."

"How old is he?" asked the woman.

"Forty-two," answered the man (I held my tongue). "Way too young. But I'll tell you what, if McCain picks Huckabee, I'm voting Obama."

I'd have given anything to have picked his brain over that one, but in this festive Democratic Primary mood, I didn't feel much like wasting my valuable pub time talking to some Republican. }(

Another gentleman sitting next to me at the bar was just marvelling at the excitement. He was a pilot (sucking down club soda and lime) and an Obama fan. "What everybody is missing here," he told me, with a London accent, "is that America is choosing between a black man and a white woman, and basically, one of them will become President. But it's like you keep forgetting how historic this all is. Sometimes you're all so caught up in the contest that you forget the history you're making."

The History We're Making.

Happy Election Eve, Kentucky and Oregon!!!!!!!!

On Edit: It's fun to mention that The Commonwealth of Kentucky still maintains an archaic Prohibiton Election Day Law, which was also the talk of the tavern. All liquor stores, and most public houses, are closed until 6:00 pm Election Day. Isn't that adorable? :-)

[gateley]

1. Thanks for a great story!

Go get 'em Kentucky and Oregon! Best of luck to both of our great candidates!!

[saigon68]

52. Gr-8 article Jen

[Kukesa]

54. Hi saigon! I've missed you. n/t

[saltpoint]

2. Sounds like you're hangin out in some excellent joints, Jen.

I love that slam there on Huckabee.

:toast: :thumbsup: :hi: :dem:

[VolcanoJen]

3. What was that about????

I mean, from all I've heard, we're supposed to be a-skeered of a McCain-Huckabee ticket because it will bring out the evangelical vote.

What kind of Republican would vote for Obama because of Huckabee? And please refrain from making me feel temporarily affectionate toward such Republicans in your response. ;-)

[saltpoint]

9. Jen. I loved your post. I was serious about not liking Huckabee.

I hate him, in fact.

One of the speakers in your account took a shot at him, which I loved.

[VolcanoJen]

17. Lost in translation!

Oh, I know! I was agreeing with you, as in "what was that about???", a wingnut thinking Huckabee would ruin the ticket.

Teg intertubes are teh hard!!!


:hug: Old Crusoe :hug:

[saltpoint]

27. Hey -- big hugs right back -- one for us Democrats and one for

whoever doesn't like Mike Huckabee, and one more for that beautiful part of the country you live in.

There's a German restaurant not far from that tavern you were in, I think -- can't think of the name this minute but the food was terrific.

Again -- great post & hope to keep running into you on these boards.


:hug: :hug: :hug:

[Orangepeel]

33. maybe he got Huckabee and Romney mixed up?

Or, he's the rare Republican who knows how big a crook Huckabee is
(and the even rarer Republican who would care)

:shrug:

[lyonn]

4. Interesting views from Kentucky, thanks

If nothing else, this election has certainly got peoples' attention. The problem seems to be McCain getting a free ride for awhile. Nice to know that McCain is getting some press for bush and him doing fund raisers together! Shows the rank and file repubs are not eager to donate to John. Yup, a 3rd term for the bush regime would suit some repubs just fine.

[mmonk]

5. Recommended.

Love the excitement

[alcibiades_mystery]

6. The pilot is absolutely right: this is like the Democratic mayoral primary in Baltimore

Everyone knows that whoever wins the primary will win the general election, easily, so they're fighting tooth and nail to win the primary. The primary, in 2008, IS the general. The general is just a formality, like a Republican running for mayor of Baltimore.

[VolcanoJen]

12. 'We're watching with eyes wide open, abroad'

Another thing the pilot told me.

Isn't that invigorating? The whole world is watching, and all that that implies...

The best thing about this entire prolonged primary is that it made us talk to each other again. And in that, I put all of my faith in this great nation, and our ability to get through all of this shit.

[KAZ]

7. I love your posts Jen. K&R

[Zomby Woof]

8. Random nostalgia time

Back in Virginia Beach, VA, circa 1985... one of my best buddies in high school was from Jackson, OH. One evening we hit a burger joint, and I somehow flipped five tons of change out of my pocket and all over the tile floor. I scrambled quickly to pick it up, dropping more, and basically making a damned fool of myself (and we hadn't even started drinking yet).

His reaction? "You're being a Kentuckian". :rofl: Speaking as someone who takes his deep-rooted Tennessee ancestry seriously, that hurt! :D

Salt of the earth, those southern Buckeyes. Gotta love the interstate needling. :hug:

[kentuck]

10. Did you hear the guy in the back say..?

"Boy, I wish I had that Makers Mark she was inspecting today"? :-)

[VolcanoJen]

14. I suggest that we all enjoy Bulleit, the finest of all Kentucky bourbon.

It's a family bourbon, full-on bluegrass, and the current Bulleit is about the finest Kentucky Gentleman one could ever hope to meet.

Obama Supporters drink BULLEIT!! :-)

http://www.bulleitbourbon.com/aboutbulleitbourbon.html

[bleever]

59. That was my thought.

Dang!

[BlooInBloo]

11. :)))

[saltpoint]

13. Recommended. Strongly and with appreciation.

:thumbsup:

[Zomby Woof]

15. Bottom of the 1st...

Reds 1, Dodgers 0. x(















:P

[VolcanoJen]

16. 'Tis the curse of the Kentucky Election Day Prohibiton Law.

See my edit in the OP.

;-)

[Zomby Woof]

20. One of those bible belt paradoxes

Like Jack Daniel's being made in a DRY COUNTY, lol.

Good thing you can sneak back across the border. :D

[VolcanoJen]

22. Every wise southern Ohioan....

... knows to traverse the bridges to Kentucky for the cheap smokes-n-booze.

Gotta love charming, archaic, dumb laws!!!

[VolcanoJen]

24. Plus, if they were playing in Cincy right now, they'd be on a "rain until forever" delay.

Your team sucks, but at least you have the sweet weather to console you.

[Zomby Woof]

29. My team isn't in the CELLAR like yours

:evilgrin:

"Sweet" weather has been HOT. Hit the upper 90's this weekend, but back to a saner 70'/80's or so tomorrow. We Angelenos don't like it too extreme. ;-)

:loveya: JenJen

[Kukesa]

26. Wow! Zomby and Jen posting together again. Be still my heart.

Of course, instead of going to a bar on this exciting eve, Jen could have visited her poor, old mother. But, no, she'd rather go drink with her friends.

Go, try to raise a family!

:7

[Zomby Woof]

30. Just like old times!

Talking baseball and booze. :D

Hi Kukesa! :hug:

[Kukesa]

31. Hey, long time, no post. I thought you were dead. n/t

[Zomby Woof]

32. I am

I am not called "Zomby" for nothing. :evilgrin:

[VolcanoJen]

41. Oh geez

Hi, Mom! ;-)

[stevedeshazer]

18. Voices from Oregon

Thought I'd weigh in based on Jen's excellent Kentucky observations.

I have a deep blue collar job here, and everybody today was buzzing about the Obama rally yesterday!

I work with almost all guys, and the half or so of them that care enough to vote almost universally support Obama. One guy says he voted for Hillary. Our token Republican, who is actually a nice guy but gets all his information from the Pig Man and is "Hannitized" (ew!), is really squishy on McCain but will hold his nose and vote for him. I said he'd better start getting used to President Obama, and he reluctantly conceded that it was likely he would.

Check out the front page of our newspaper!



http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/hr.asp?fpVname=OR_TO&ref_pge=gal&b_pge=1

[VolcanoJen]

19. If I was a scrapbooker, I'd scrapbook that gorgeous front page.

Lucky for me, we have the intertubes now, and I can just right-click and save.

Oregon ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[stevedeshazer]

21. I bought one just for keeps today!

[Democrat 4 Ever]

28. I'm smack dab in the middle of Kentucky and ALL anyone

is talking about is tomorrow's election.

I did go hear Bill Clinton speak the other night at a local high school. It was pouring down rain, windy, nasty night. We stood outside for an hour and a half just to get into the hall. The line was all the way down the long parking lot and doubled back a couple of times. No one got upset, mad, we laughed, party, swapped election stories, huddled under umbrellas, etc. Finally got in out of the rain and we had to wait another two hours because of rain delayed flight and other stops in Kentucky.

Big Dog was a rock star here in McConnell/Bunning/Lewis country. Spoke for one solid hour, no notes (I know, he has given that speech at least 200 other times) but old and young alike were impressed. What really excited me was first the size of the crowd and second, the wide array of people out on a rainy night - rich, poor, old, young, pure unadulterated Democratic people. I'm for Hillary but I can't explain why everyone here in the Bluegrass State is so strongly for Hillary. I am used to being on the outside of popular opinion in this neck of the woods. Guess years of rethug rule has gotten me trained not to expect a whole lot from my fellow town people. I honestly did not hear one derogatory word about Obama (including from Clinton) but people around here do not like him. I didn't detect any type of racism and don't think that figures into the equation. They just, like me, like Hillary better.

Anyway, deep in the heart of Fort Knox country there was a huge crowd, including many vets, who were standing and cheering. This was a wonderful glimmer of what this country can be again once we get Chucklenuts and The Cabal out of the people's house.

[stevedeshazer]

39. Good stuff!

Thanks.

[VolcanoJen]

43. Great post, Democrat 4 Ever

Would love to hear more of your thoughts on what is shaping up, much like West Virginia, to be a "contrarian" vote out of Kentucky.

I'm inclined to agree with you... they just don't like Barack Obama. But the next question is, "why not?" And that's where the really interesting answers can be found, if people are honest with each other.

[Kukesa]

45. Clay County, Kentucky.

Just saw a segment on CNN about voters there. Poor, no jobs, heart of Appalachia, average per capita income is $7,900.

And yet they vote Republican. Another example of not only "what's the matter with Kansas?" but also Kentucky.

[BeyondGeography]

55. I think CNN found the down-and-outest part of the country right there

That was scary dreary.

[Kukesa]

57. So you saw it, as well?

"Scary dreary" is a perfect description. Part of me felt sorry for those folks and yet they vote Republican. What did they think GWB was going to do for them? And how about the woman who opposed Hillary because "a woman's place is in the home?" What century are they living in?

:crazy:

[BeyondGeography]

58. She said it's written in the Bible

Pronounced in a loud voice from her barstool.

Abandon "Hope" all ye politicians who enter here.

[Adelante]

50. Nice report

Thank you :)

[Cha]

38. Thanks Steve!

I just sent that link to my sis here in New York..'cause I was telling her all about it for the last two days.

[Arugula Latte]

23. Thanks for your perspective!

It's so interesting to hear tales from other parts of the US of A, particularly when they are so different than what you're used to. When you talked about the through the roof enthusiasm for Hillary, that really blew me away. I just can't imagine. The people I know largely just don't like Hillary and are super enthused for Obama -- enthused for a candidate like I've never seen before. "Enthusiasm for Hillary" seems like an oxymoron from my perspective, so it's so interesting to hear that, yes, there really are parts of the country that are pro-Hillary. Go figure.

[VolcanoJen]

25. The best thing about this looooong primary season....

... is that we're finally having a conversation. With each other, no less!

Isn't it amazing?!?????

Weird that I had wished for a speedy and quick death to this process weeks ago, and now just look forward to seeing it through. I live in a tri-state area, so we had our pick of Ohio, Indiana and now Kentucky to choose from. It really opened my eyes, and made me understand our differences so much more.

I've learned more about this country in twenty weeks than I could ever have hoped to in some graduate-level Poli Sci class.

[Kukesa]

49. And every state was important.

Not just the big ones. I think it was good for our country and for our party.

[Beregond2]

34. Great post.

The sense of hope and excitment in the air is palpable, isn't it?

[Cha]

35. That is adorable and a darlin'

story..thanks VolcanoJen for giving us a dose of Kentucky primary election eve insights And for working for our boy! :patriot: :bounce: :kick: :party:

[Kukesa]

36. Kick for Jen and the Dead Guy. n/t

[kohodog]

37. Kentucky: Don't drink and vote!"

Gotta love it from the home of whiskey.

[FatDave]

53. Hey, if we had that law nationwide we may not have had to suffer the last 7-1/2 years (nt)

[myrna minx]

40. That was a fun read. Thanks for posting. n/t

[iamthebandfanman]

42. adorable?

why is not wanting drunk people in polling stations adorable?

seems pretty practical to me.

[VolcanoJen]

44. Well, it has more to do with old-timey pols buying votes with drinks.

It's a Bluegrass Tradition. :-)

[Kukesa]

46. Kinda like "walking around money" in Ohio and Pennsylvania.n/t

[VolcanoJen]

47. Same thing, Kukesa!!

Thanks to you explaining all of that to me, I understand the Kentucky law much better now. :-)

[iamthebandfanman]

48. ah i c, thatd make sense ;)

i still say its a good law to keep on the books though. lord knows theres alot of all day drinkers around here ;)
i thought maybe it was just to keep trouble outa polling places (since drunk people tend to be loud , rowdy, and ready to do something crazy lol).

[Kukesa]

51. Election Day Kick for Something Nice to Read. n/t

[BeyondGeography]

56. K&R