Candidates Pitch UK

Jeff Hoover’s learned the talking points… Fletcher can’t win, Fletcher can’t win, Fletcher can’t win… Governor Fletcher: “We’re reaching out through facebook.”

Twenty dollars says Fletcher wouldn’t know Facebook if the site entered his office and slapped him in the face.

From Pol Watchers:

In another example of the growing influence of younger party activists, the Central Kentucky College Republicans drew more than 90 people and representatives from all but four statewide GOP candidates' campaigns to a Lincoln Day Dinner last night.

"People realize that we are the grassroots effort," said Matt Ballard, a University of Kentucky student, who is co-chair of Gov. Ernie Fletcher's campaign at the university. "People realize it is the college students who give the most time to go door to door and make campaign calls at a nominal cost -- which is usually free."

Many of the GOP candidates who showed up to the event at the King Alumni House on UK's campus did ask the students for their help in the coming election. Fletcher, making a surprise appearance even though his running mate Robbie Rudolph already spoke, told the college Republicans that he was trying to reach out through a campaign site on Facebook.

But he also made a general pitch for young people to get involved in Republican politics, even if it means working for his opponents, former U.S. Rep. Anne Northup and her running mate state Rep. Jeff Hoover or Paducah businessman Billy Harper and his lieutenant governor candidate, Dick Wilson.

"If you support Jeff and Anne, go out and work hard for them. If you support Billy, go out and work for him. There's no better experience then going out on the campaign trail," Fletcher said. "Politics is getting more brutal than ever. But don't let that drive you away."

"But please know: We get up every day and try to do what's right," Fletcher added. "Sometimes we've looked and some of our friends weren't even there."

Hoover, representing the Northup campaign, thanked the various activists from College Republican organizations. He then made a general pitch for replacing Fletcher as the nominee. "When Republicans run on issues, as you all know, the Republicans win in Kentucky," Hoover said. "If the current governor is the nominee, we will have a campaign -- again, right or wrong, fair or unfair -- from the Democrats talking about grand juries, indictments, pardons, plea bargains, Fifth Amendment, who said what under oath and who didn't say what under oath."

And Harper, a construction company from Paducah, introduced himself to the crowd. "The state needs leadership. And I bring bold leadership," he said. "Leadership is about making the tough decisions."