re: #3 Destro

Some of these southern and western states have pockets of progressive culture - Nashville is very hip and so is Austin. Some southern states have shifted cultures like Virginia.

I don’t know much about Kentucky but it may be more progressive than we think deep down. So far the south has been under the thumb of post Nixon Strategy Republicans where guns, god and gays and dog whistle racism were wedge issues but those may not be motivating factors these days as they used to.

McConnell doesn’t need those things very much. He’s got pork, and people are much more likely to vote for the person who brings in jobs and contracts than for someone’s beliefs. Judd is also fairly hostile to coal, and that means neither the coal companies nor coal miners will support her. Nor is “progressive” a well-received word in the Bluegrass State. She might have a chance if she was facing some idiot like Todd Akin, but Mitch McConnell is really smart and he’s got lots of experience. And with 20 seats to defend, the Democrats will be thinking defense in 2014, not offense.

Ashley Judd won’t win if she runs.