Former KY Ag chief and Lt Gov nominee Richie Farmer (R) going to prison

[DINGO Joe]

He parlayed his Kentucky basketball career into two terms as Agriculture Commissioner and was on the losing ticket with David Williams in 2011.  I think he was the top vote getter or at least the top Republican vote getter both times he won the Agriculture job (if or how he was qualified, I know not).

He was convicted of pretty much every abuse of office.  Took state property from his office when he left.  Created fake jobs for friends--who did things like build a basketball court at his house.  Billed the state for hotel rooms for his extended family during State Fairs.

But since this is Kentucky, the judge said this at his sentencing:

The judge took note of Farmer's basketball triumphs and said: "Nothing I'm saying today should take away from those accomplishments."

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2014/01/14/3033479/farmer-sentenced-to-more-than.html#storylink=cpy

[Miles]

Wow, wasn't he supposed to be a rising star? IIRC, lots of Rs were more enthusiastic about him than Williams. Yikes.

[TX Conservative Dem]

Farmer reminds me of former Texas State Attorney General Dan Morales (D), who was a rising star of the Democratic Party and saw his political career go downhill

[Indy Texas]

Kind of off topic, but does anyone know why basketball is such a big deal in Kentucky? Everywhere else in the country, it has basically become an urban, minority sport; professional basketball has a negligible white fanbase, and college basketball's is generally confined to a handful of standout schools. So how did Kentucky, an extremely white, rural state with few college graduates, become such basketball enthusiasts? (I thought maybe it was invented there, but checked Wikipedia and it was not.)

[Donerail]

Kind of off topic, but does anyone know why basketball is such a big deal in Kentucky? Everywhere else in the country, it has basically become an urban, minority sport; professional basketball has a negligible white fanbase, and college basketball's is generally confined to a handful of standout schools. So how did Kentucky, an extremely white, rural state with few college graduates, become such basketball enthusiasts? (I thought maybe it was invented there, but checked Wikipedia and it was not.)

A long and storied program at UK and to a lesser extent ULouisville (even with the college grad numbers, chances are you know at least somebody who went there) and a lack of competition from any other sports teams - Kentucky basketball is basically the only thing on TV, since there's no pro teams anywhere in the state. Derby only happens once a year - having a consistently good team that's the only thing on results in a lot of popularity, and UK draws some of the best players in the country.

[DINGO Joe]

Indiana, Iowa, Kansas are all just about as hardcore about basketball.  In some places what else are you going to do? (well, I guess meth/oxycotin).

[Vosem]

Kind of off topic, but does anyone know why basketball is such a big deal in Kentucky? Everywhere else in the country, it has basically become an urban, minority sport; professional basketball has a negligible white fanbase, and college basketball's is generally confined to a handful of standout schools. So how did Kentucky, an extremely white, rural state with few college graduates, become such basketball enthusiasts? (I thought maybe it was invented there, but checked Wikipedia and it was not.)

Basketball is a pretty big deal here in Cleveland's suburbs -- I got home a few hours ago from being a student announcer at a high school JV girl's basketball game, and turnout for basketball (of either gender) is a pretty solid third behind football and soccer; and in terms of professional basketball, I'd have to say it's the second-most popularly followed sport after professional football. (Baseball, oddly, has very few adherents; student sections at baseball games are underpopulated and very few people follow professional baseball.)

Obviously, that's all anecdote, but I think it's a legitimate point to be made.

[pbrower2a]

Indiana, Iowa, Kansas are all just about as hardcore about basketball.  In some places what else are you going to do? (well, I guess meth/oxycontin).

In some high schools it is easier to put together a high-school basketball team than a high-school football team. Obviously we are talking about very small communities in deep-rural areas.

....Team sports have usually been seen as one of the few youth outlets in some places, and if one is really good there might be a college scholarship that offers an exit from poverty.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Can't get over the fact that his last name is Farmer and he was the Agricultural Commissioner.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Why being a local sports hero trumps everything else in politics, I'll never know. It's like most voters never left high school.

[pbrower2a]

Why being a local sports hero trumps everything else in politics, I'll never know. It's like most voters never left high school.

To the contrary -- they DID leave high school.

They dropped out!