Chuck Todd freaks out over Alison Grimes non-answer

[Hawaii Hiker]

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/10/10/grimes_wont_say_if_she_voted_for_obama.html

I can't figure out if this is a big deal or much ado about nothing....Seems like she can't win either way, if she says she voted for Obama, Kentuckyians will be mad, if she said she didn't, they'd probably think she's lying....

[Dont call me Shirley]

1. Chuck Todd Freaks Out About A Hair Out Of Place

Oh, the horror! The terror! The indignation!

[samrock]

2. This seems obvious.. and we democrats mess up soo often on these kind of things..

Her answer should have been.. yes I did.. and I bet I am much happier with the results of my 2 votes for barack Obama, then you were with your 2 votes for George W Bush.. Uh you DID vote twice for ther man that got us into Iraq and nearly caused the melt down of our economic system? Didn't you??

[Atman]

7. I agree.

Republicans would stand up and pledge allegiance with Satan himself if it meant they'd hold true to their party. The still stay take the Reagan Doctrine seriously -- speak no ill of another Republican. But Democrats will throw each other under the bus before the bus has even left the curb.

[Botany]

3. Chuck Todd is republican hack

Grimes gave a politician's answer so what?

Todd is just carrying the Repug's water in trying to hurt A.L.G. by linking her
to "that black man," in a state that has many many racists.

[flpoljunkie]

9. Todd softened this later on MSNBC by saying 'probably' disqualified herself.

Todd and his ilk delight in hurting Democrats--Republicans, not so much.

[Botany]

11. Years ago I kind of liked Todd but anymore he is a no good republican hack

In his interview w/the President he accused Obama of not mentioning Syria
but in fact The President had mentioned Syria 4 times. Todd either was stupid,
paid no attention to what President Obama had said, and or was just waiting to
get in his republican talking point that Obama is weak on foreign policy.


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/09/08/1327926/-Chuck-Todd-Lied-Falsely-Accused-President-Obama-of-Not-Mentioning-Syria

Chuck doesn't care about the truth but about doing what he thinks and sees as what he needs to do
to keep the $$$ flowing to him.

[shraby]

4. It's totally out of line to ask how she or anyone voted. That's their business!

[Dawson Leery]

15. +1

[BeyondGeography]

5. Grimes is being so fucking lame here

She can't say she voted for Obama? To hell with it, really. What kind of message is she sending to all those people in Kentucky who actually do vote Democratic? Spinelessness on steroids.

[CherokeeDem]

8. I agree....

She rarely messes up but she did here. Grimes should have said, "I am a Democrat and of course I support my Party and I support the President of the United States. However, that doesn't mean that I agree with President Obama on all issues. In fact, I disagree with him on......"

How hard is that?

Bad move on her part. A last minute stupid ad and stupid answer by Jack Conway in the last senate election in Kentucky gave us Rand Paul. I hope Grimes didn't shoot herself in the foot with that rifle she likes to wave.

I'm in Kentucky and I will vote for her but this is not a good answer. If it weren't for the fact she is running against McConnell this kind of gaff could cause Party money to be withdrawn this late in the race. She's lucky that will likely not happen.

[Hawaii Hiker]

10. Grimes and McConnell debate Monday night on CSPAN

this will probably come up again...

I think if she shines in the debate, she can still win this....

[Yupster]

12. I think your answer is the right one

It's a tough one to answer, but it's better to answer it.

If you don't you'll just be asked again and again and it will discourage your friends and make you look not open and honest to the undecideds.

[Jamaal510]

22. Very clever.

"Grimes should have said, "I am a Democrat and of course I support my Party and I support the President of the United States. However, that doesn't mean that I agree with President Obama on all issues. In fact, I disagree with him on......"

[Hippo_Tron]

28. Obama's approval rating in Kentucky is slightly over 30%

http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/kentucky-obama-job-approval

A better answer would be "I voted for Obama because Mitt Romney was worse".

[CherokeeDem]

31. Have to disagree....

I think insulting Romney voters who may be unhappy with Mitch is not the way to go in this election. Some of the more moderate Repubs might vote for her and the others will hopefully stay home. Unfortunately, I think Grimes needs to distance herself from Obama but not throw him or Romney under the bus. Although, Romney deserves it.

Hard predicament Grimes is in but the fact is, regardless of what she should have said, it certainly wasn't what she did... or did not... say.

[Hippo_Tron]

33. Romney's favorables were consistently in the toilet as well

The vast majority of people who voted for him voted for him because he wasn't Obama, not because they liked him. I think Grimes could best neutralize the issue by saying that both choices in 2012 sucked. Most people in Kentucky would agree with that.

[CherokeeDem]

34. No, can't agree..

As a Democrat, I don't want anyone throwing a Democrat under the bus and call him the lesser of two evils. Barack Obama was not the lesser of two evils. We can all disagree with his policies or actions but equating him to Romney as only slightly better is highly unfair.

[Hippo_Tron]

35. Again, Obama has barely more than a 30% job approval rating in Kentucky

And even assuming the electorate mirrored the job approval numbers (and it won't because people who approve of the President will stay home in greater numbers than those who disapprove) she still would have to get over 40% of the people who disapprove of Obama's job performance.

There is absolutely no way she can do that by saying that she enthusiastically voted for Obama. She has to admit it, because refusing to answer the question makes her look disingenuous and foolish. But the only way she can win is to capitalize on voters' frustration with both parties.

[mgcgulfcoast]

19. maybe she voted for Romney, lol

who knows?

[LawDeeDah]

29. Yes, I wasn't sure what I thought of that initially.

But now I feel the same as you, wtf she ashamed to be a democrat? You want people to think you might have voted for Romney, ffs?

I don't much care for pretend democrats like this, but anything is better than that slack jawed Turtle -- unfortunate sadness because Grimes' comment/non comment truly was spineless. I bet it's part of the distancing from Obama that the Clintons want.

[LawDeeDah]

32. I'm wondering how Ashley Judd would have handled that.

Nevermind, I know. And not like Grimes did that's for sure.

[CTyankee]

6. I think it might h ave been best to say she voted for the candidate that could help

Kentucky and not for the candidate who had policies that could hurt Kentucky...

and leave it at that...

However, I do think all this running away from Obama is not a very good strategy. I think it looks terrible.

[Drunken Irishman]

13. She fucked up.

Big time. And it probably cost her any chance at winning. Sure, you could get all bent out of shape about the question but it's one often asked on states like these. I'm sure some Republican candidate in a more liberal state was asked at one point if they voted for Bush or Obama.

It's the nature of the beat and her non-answer looks completely phony.

If she voted for Obama, come out and say it. Duh. You're a Democrat, so, right there it's likely you voted for him, anyway. If you didn't, then say that and tell the voters why. But ducking the issue is not the way to win support and her campaign now is taking even worse hits for not answering than had she just answered the fucking question.

It was a lose-lose but now it's a total disaster.

[LawDeeDah]

30. That was a pretty stupid move, must of been on the advice of that Penn dumbass.

[JoePhilly]

14. Its a way to discuss the debate without actually discussing the debate.

Its not about a policy difference ... because that would matter.

Its a distraction.

[SmittynMo]

16. I don't think she voted for Obama.

But it really doesn't matter. She has disagreed with him on numerous items. So what. And it's no one's business who she voted for. The main thing for me is to get McTurtle out of there. He has destroyed this country with his inept attitude on taking down Obama, from day 1. His obstructionism in inexcusable. He's not for the American people.

[craigmatic]

17. Seems like some bullshit gotya question to me. This hack is just stirring the pot.

[left-of-center2012]

18. She goofed

She should have said "Yes, I voted for the President who gave you health care."

[jmowreader]

20. This is like what the GOP did to Michael Dukakis in 1988

Not the Willie Horton thing, the question during the debate about what the strongly anti-death-penalty Dukakis would do if his wife were raped and murdered.

[ZX86]

21. I'm still burning about this one.

When Bernard Shaw asked that question Dukakis should have jumped have jumped all up in his shit with something like, "What the hell is wrong with you! You can't find a way to ask a question about the death penalty that doesn't include the rape of my wife? And you call yourself a journalist? Are you so desperate for a catchy headline and ratings you'll publicly humiliate my wife with your fantasies of her violent rape and murder? No Bernard, I will not answer any public policy questions asked in the form of my wife's rape!"

But it wasn't to happen. Just another chapter in Profiles in Spinelessness by Democrats running for office. Next chapter, Party soils pants when Rove decides the Dean scream is an major issue that needs an apology.

[littlemissmartypants]

23. Silence is golden.

F*ck Chuck.

[demwing]

24. Grimes is attempting to slay a giant

McConnell is a 30 year political veteran, minority leader, and funded by angry billionaires in a state that doesn't like Obama one bit. It's AMAZING she's gotten this far! Do you really think that this race hinges on this one, perfectly reasonable (considering her state) comment?

For fuck's sake!

[CTyankee]

25. Lynn Sweet was on her about that this morning with Alex Witt...and I LIKE

Lynn, always have...

[JustAnotherGen]

26. That guy is such a loser

It's nobody's business who she voted for.

[Warpy]

27. Candidates for office need to answer some questions dead on

like disclosing how they voted under a secret ballot system. "None of your business, we have a secret ballot in this country so no one can make mountains out of molehills about the way we might or might not have voted. Back off, Buster."

[CobaltBlue]

36. Not since 1992

Kentucky hasn't elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1992, when Bill Clinton won a Democratic pickup of the state and incumbent Democrat Wendell H. Ford won re-election. It's a huge undertaking for the Democrats to win in Kentucky.