Published: August 28, 2008 03:44 pm      

An endorsement — 08/29/08

Lunsford needs Chandler like Obama needs Hillary Clinton

In the eyes of many Kentucky Democrats, U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler’s endorsement of Bruce Lunsford is as important to Lunsford’s race against four-term U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell as Hillary Clinton’s endorsement of Barack Obama is in his race against John McCain.

Just as Obama must win the support of former Clinton supporters to win the presidency in November, Lunsford needs the backing of a united Democratic Party to unseat McConnell, the Senate minority leader. Just as Clinton supporters have reason to be upset with Obama, many Chandler backers still blame Lunsford for the then-state attorney general losing to Ernie Fletcher in the 2003 governor’s race.

While Lunsford withdrew from the governor’s race just days before the May 2003 primary — virtually assuring Chandler of his party’s nomination — the agressive, negative campaign Lunsford had waged against Chandler had already done its damage. Fletcher didn’t have to spend a lot of time and money telling voters why they should not vote for Chandler because Lunsford had already done it for them.

As if to add salt to the wounds, Lunsford openly endorsed Fletcher during the fall campaign. Five years later, many long-time Kentucky Democrats still are angry at Lunsford — a millionaire Louisville businessman who has never held elective office — and question his loyalty to the party.

Of course, Chandler recovered quickly from his loss to Fletcher by winning a special election to fill the Sixth District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives that Fletcher vacated to become governor. Today, Chandler is a popular member of Kentucky’s House delegation in a reasonably “safe” seat, while Fletcher’s failure to fulfill his campaign promise to “clean up the mess in Frankfort” assured him of serving only one term.

Until this week, Chandler had remained silent while Lunsford — who was encouraged by Gov. Steve Beshear to run against McConnell — won the primary in May and began his uphill battle to unseat one of the the most influential members of the U.S. Senate. But he ended that silence during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention in Denver by endorsing Lunsford.

Whether Chandler’s support will enable Lunsford to upset McConnell on Nov. 4 remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Without the support of Democrats who still blame Lunsford for Chandler’s deafeat in 2003, the odds of Lunsford defeating McConnell are slim to none. Lunsford needs Chandler like Obama needs Clinton.