McConnell: It’s not “particularly enlightening” talking to constituents-especially “factory workers"

[kpete]

Mitch McConnell: It’s not “particularly enlightening” talking to constituents, especially “factory workers”

Mitch McConnell’s been in office for 30 years and twenty six years ago he explained on the Senate floor that he tries to avoid talking to actual voters because, quote, “I don’t find it particularly enlightening.”

Mitch McConnell is currently refusing to debate Alison Lundergan Grimes in front of voters.
Mitch McConnell spent three weeks refusing to discuss the great issues of the day on the state’s most popular radio show (until finally he called in and yelled at the host for 13 minutes, claimed it’d been thirty and hung up).
Mitch McConnell is currently refusing to meet with the CJ editorial board for a live and uninterrupted interview while simultaneously attacking Grimes for doing so.
Mitch McConnell says it’s “not my job” to bring jobs to Kentucky while simultaneously, for twenty six years, refusing to go to the factory gates to actually talk to workers about what’s important to them.
Mitch McConnell is running scared from Kentucky voters because he doesn’t find them “particularly enlightening.” And that, friends, is Mitch McConnell’s way of calling you stupid.



http://www.barefootandprogressive.com/2014/10/enlightenmitch-mitch-mcconnell-explains-why-he-refuses-to-face-the-voters.html

[hobbit709]

1. Let's hope the workers finally figure it out and quit voting for him.

[BuelahWitch]

2. Sounds like he's becoming unhinged

If bringing jobs to your constituents is NOT part of your job, Mr. McConnel, just why the hell do you think they should send you back to DC?

[awoke_in_2003]

36. 98% of all politicians only have one constituent...

themselves- and they do everything they can to make themselves richer and sew up a cushy lobbying job when they leave office.

[tazkcmo]

3. Forgot One

Mitch McConnell is still neck and neck in the race in spite of all the above mentioned.

[tabasco]

6. Republican voters love to get shit on

Not exactly breaking news.

[dotymed]

25. Barring all of the

"stupid GOP voters" remarks, this makes me seriously question if our votes actually count.
The evidence seems to be very obvious by the continual election winning of incumbents.
Yes, I will keep voting but that nagging, pessimistic voice accompanies me every time.
Fortunately we do have a few politicians who seem to actually represent us..Bernie and Warren come to mind but (pessimism)
wouldn't TPTB want to throw us a few bones? IDK...it is frustrating.

[Chemisse]

4. Perhaps a loss in November will 'enlighten' him.

It sounds like he is ready to be put out to pasture, even minus his crazy politics.

[awoke_in_2003]

37. He'll just move his offices...

to K Street.

[Historic NY]

5. Little people don't count

[B Calm]

7. I would love to see this asshole out of office!

[JHB]

8. During handshakes at the factory gate at 4:30 am? Of course not.

Try meeting with them at the union hall at a time when they either are going to work or just getting off.

[N.Y. to Paris]

9. Imagine....

How it is for them.......!

[jwirr]

10. I don't think that serving 30 years in Congress has done McConnell any good. He has become

arrogant! Thinks he has power to refuse to campaign and the right to refuse to talk to the people he
represents. Lord if the people of his state re-elect him they will be very sorry. He hates them.

[toddwv]

11. In McTurtle's defense...

he's never represented factory workers anyways let alone other "common" people.

[Cha]

12. If it's not a Koch blowing monie$$$ up his way then why bother, eh?

ol mitch must be thinking.. it's better to keep his mouth shut and have people think you're stupid then debate Alison Grimes and have it confirmed.

mahalo kpete

[Lateedee]

32. Bahahahhaa..

Well I'd say this is about as true as it gets!!

[MontyPow]

13. Sadly, Yertle will be reelected.

And the Democratic take away will be to move rightward yet again. It's a red state, after all.

[roody]

20. not helpful

What are you doing to make it otherwise?

[MontyPow]

29. I encourage people to vote for better Democrats rather than simply more Democrats.

An approach, by the way, that leads to alerts and troll accusations here, which I find quite telling.

So I disagree with you. Telling fellow democrats what happens you vote for just any Democrat is VERY HELPFUL.

[LiberalFighter]

40. It doesn't do any good for Democrats to run on Republican crap.

Voters understand that Republicans do crap better than Democrats.

So give voters a choice. Run as a Democrat instead of a Republican.

[pacalo]

14. "...standing there *blurry-eyed at 4:30 a.m.* working the plant gate."

The time he chose to show up to engage in detailed discussions of the issues of the day shows how genuinely interested he was in hearing his constituents' concerns. At that time -- shift change -- the incoming workers are more concerned about clocking in on time & those leaving are concerned about getting the hell out of there to get much-needed sleep.

This shows how little he knows about the average person; his focus was strictly on his blurry-eyed experience. The fact is, he chose the time for the traffic of workers with whom he'd make contact & not for any meaningful dialogue.

[sheshe2]

15. Knr

[oldandhappy]

16. so exceptionally arrogant

[Zambero]

17. Telling

McConnell was referring to a scenario that would not represent an efficient means of engaging "potential supporters", as opposed to constituents in general. So if someone if not on record as being a potential supporter, they are not worthy of representation? Or being heard? Mitch may not be especially enlightened in terms of what he owes his constituents in terms of equal representation, but hopefully Kentucky voters WILL be enlightened by his remarks, in terms of whether or not they decide to invite him back for another term!

[redruddyred]

18. somehow, I got the impression that he was not much of a humanist.

[Plucketeer]

38. More to the heart of it

Mitch is not much of a human!

[Segami]

19. Someone, play this video on a flat screen TV

placed at the entrance where all these 4:30am factory workers are coming in to punch in for work.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

35. or at the bars, auto mechanics and doctor's offices instead of the fox spews they're used to.

[LiberalFighter]

41. Too bad there isn't a cutout of McConnell used as a punch clock.

Employee places card in slot and punches McConnell in the face.

[AllyCat]

21. And maybe that's why you aren't particularly enlightening

Mitch. If you actually did the job you were elected to do, you would listen to your electors and make some good decisions. But alas, you work for someone else (corporations)

[stillwaiting]

22. HOW do these assholes get support within the general population?!?!

I remain flummoxed.

[Stonepounder]

23. Quick answer is he is 'pro big coal'

Since Ky lost its biggest cash crop (from a tax standpoint) of tobacco, it has turned to coal mining. Mitch is very pro Big Coal. I get flyers daily about how Allison is "with Obama on his 'war on coal'". There are a LOT of folk in Ky whose livelihood depends on coal mining. Mitch's scare tactics and his vocal and generous support of 'big coal' gets him a lot of votes. Ky's metro areas vote strong Democrat. That's why Ky has a Dem majority at the state level, with the Gov, Lt Gov, SOS, and Atty Gen all Dems and Dem majority in the Ky House.

[negoldie]

27. big coal

Coal employs between 7-10 thousand coal miners. The decline in jobs (McConnell watched the down fall for thirty years) is due to economics. Cheaper natural gas, and hard to extract Kentucky coal. There is no war on coal. There are tens of thousands more folks involved in the horse and automotive industries, than coal.
Pot is the biggest cash crop.

[Stonepounder]

28. You are correct, but...

Coal is big in Ky and you and I know there is no 'war on coal', but then it is a great boogy man. And Mitch keeps the coal fired electric plants running, which also keep jobs (and of course keeps profits streaming, since they owners don't have to pay for costly upgrades).

And yes, pot is the biggest cash crop, but growers don't pay tax on their agribusiness, which is why I qualified my comment with the phrase 'from a tax standpoint'.

[WinkyDink]

24. You mean how many HERE use the term "Pennsyltucky"?

[DemocraticWing]

30. Pretty much.

Republicans don't win because they convince people they like them more than the Democrats do, they win because large portions of the electorate think both parties hate them and stay home. The ones who stay home would be more likely to vote for us, but instead we call them stupid and tell them to go away.

It's not the average voter who gets what they deserve when some asshole like Mitch spends 30 years in DC. It's us who are getting what we deserve.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

26. FU McConnell. GOTV2014 !!!

[Lateedee]

31. Yuck!

I hope all the voters see this!!!!

[nilram]

33. factory workers aren't enlightening == they don't write big checks

people without big numbers in their checkbooks are so *boring*.

[book_worm]

34. I hope KY will kick his ass to the curb

[99th_Monkey]

39. Happy to be 100th "Rec" ~nt~

[logosoco]

42. Well mitch there are a lot less factory workers now than there were 26 years ago,

hope that makes it easier on you.

[treestar]

43. Sounds like something Mittens would say

Does he want to retire? Or does he feel so safe he feels he can say a thing like that?