Kentucky "right-to-work" opponent switches to GOP

[Bandit3 the Worker]

State Rep. Denny Butler of Louisville has switched from Democratic to Republican. It's unclear why, since he lives in a Democratic area, and has opposed "right-to-work" laws.

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

Rick Santorum was from a Democratic state and opposed Right to Work.

[rbt48]

KY House:  53D, 47R.

[Coolface Sock #42069]

There are lots of populists who have switched from D to R due to the cultural values of the two parties. These are the kind of people who caused Blanche Lincoln to get Blanched in 2010 and propelled Joni Ernst to victory in 2014 (although the latter benefited from an absolute GARBAGE opponent). They are disproportionately white and hate progressive groups' "check your privilege" attitude. They are disproportionately rural and poor and thus still economically populist.

I myself am against RTW and have been a Republican my whole life. My father was part of a labor  union for many years (he was a laborer at a chemical plant) and hasn't voted for a Democrat for president since 1976. The party base isn't monolithic in supporting RTW, although perhaps its politicians may be nearly unanimous in that belief.

[RINO Tom]

State Rep. Denny Butler of Louisville has switched from Democratic to Republican. It's unclear why, since he lives in a Democratic area, and has opposed "right-to-work" laws.

Louisville isn't that Democratic, pal.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

State Rep. Denny Butler of Louisville has switched from Democratic to Republican. It's unclear why, since he lives in a Democratic area, and has opposed "right-to-work" laws.

Louisville isn't that Democratic, pal.

Jack Conway won Butler's district with 56%.

[ElectionsGuy]

I believe in 2014 the D's actually picked up 1 seat, so this reverses that, I guess. Though this is concerning for R's, since this is a lean D district.

[BigSkyBob]

We have the second Democrat in the House to leave:

http://mycn2.com/politics/stumbo-we-re-worried-about-the-possibility-of-more-defections

John Tilley has accepted a job in the Bevin administration.

I'm reminded of when a Democratic governor repeatedly offered sitting Republican members of the Senate state jobs in an attempt to flip the chamber. Now, the shoe is on the other foot, and, Democrats such as Stumbo are crying foul.

Here is Stumbo on Tilley taking a state job:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Here is Stumbo on Wade Hurt switching to the Democratic party in 2011:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Here is then Democratic chairman on the party switch of Milward Dedman to the Democratic party in 2007:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Fuzzy Stands With His Friend, Chairman Sanchez]

There are lots of populists who have switched from D to R due to the cultural values of the two parties. These are the kind of people who caused Blanche Lincoln to get Blanched in 2010 and propelled Joni Ernst to victory in 2014 (although the latter benefited from an absolute GARBAGE opponent). They are disproportionately white and hate progressive groups' "check your privilege" attitude. They are disproportionately rural and poor and thus still economically populist.

I myself am against RTW and have been a Republican my whole life. My father was part of a labor  union for many years (he was a laborer at a chemical plant) and hasn't voted for a Democrat for president since 1976. The party base isn't monolithic in supporting RTW, although perhaps its politicians may be nearly unanimous in that belief.

I'm a registered Republican and a union shop steward, and I can tell you that if there were ever scumbags in politics, it's the GOP Governors that promised not to sign RTW laws, then turned
around and signed them into law.  Mitch Daniels, Rick Snyder, and Scott Walker are a special breed of scumbag in this regard. 

[Coolface Sock #42069]

There are lots of populists who have switched from D to R due to the cultural values of the two parties. These are the kind of people who caused Blanche Lincoln to get Blanched in 2010 and propelled Joni Ernst to victory in 2014 (although the latter benefited from an absolute GARBAGE opponent). They are disproportionately white and hate progressive groups' "check your privilege" attitude. They are disproportionately rural and poor and thus still economically populist.

I myself am against RTW and have been a Republican my whole life. My father was part of a labor  union for many years (he was a laborer at a chemical plant) and hasn't voted for a Democrat for president since 1976. The party base isn't monolithic in supporting RTW, although perhaps its politicians may be nearly unanimous in that belief.

I'm a registered Republican and a union shop steward, and I can tell you that if there were ever scumbags in politics, it's the GOP Governors that promised not to sign RTW laws, then turned
around and signed them into law.  Mitch Daniels, Rick Snyder, and Scott Walker are a special breed of scumbag in this regard. 

Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I supported Scott Walker for president until he lied to unions about RTW. He told private-sector unions he wouldn't sign RTW, got a couple of endorsements from them in 2014, won, and then signed a RTW bill into law. Then I switched to Rubio.

[pbrower2a]

The gutting of the power of unions is a cornerstone of the Republican Party. Without question this is a party of brutal management of cheap labor.

[BigSkyBob]

The gutting of the power of unions is a cornerstone of the Republican Party. Without question this is a party of brutal management of cheap labor.

In turning a blind eye to illegal immigration it could be said that the Democratic party is the other party of cheap labor.

[BigSkyBob]

Another Democrat Representative, Tanya Pullin, has resigned to take a job offer:

http://m.dailyindependent.com/news/pullin-appointed-to-law-judge-position/article_a22cfa78-a39c-11e5-9c9e-bb13381f8faf.html?mode=jqm

One more such departure and control of the House of Representatives is potentially at stake, if the Republicans sweep all the special elections.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Another Democrat Representative, Tanya Pullin, has resigned to take a job offer:

http://m.dailyindependent.com/news/pullin-appointed-to-law-judge-position/article_a22cfa78-a39c-11e5-9c9e-bb13381f8faf.html?mode=jqm

One more such departure and control of the House of Representatives is potentially at stake, if the Republicans sweep all the special elections.

This might not be a big problem except that I don't have much faith in the Democrats actually fighting for these seats. If they actually fought, they wouldn't have lost other seats.

Nonetheless, Romney didn't carry Tilley's district by an overpowering margin, so that one could stay Democratic if people actually bother to vote. I could actually see Quarles's seat flipping back to the Democrats if people, you know, voted.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

They said the special election probably won't be until March, so the Democrats have months to straighten up. I'm not confident that they will, since they don't even have a challenger to Thomas Massie yet!

[Rockefeller GOP]

I wouldn't say Romney's or Obama's percentages are the best indicators of how local Democrats will do in KY.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I wouldn't say Romney's or Obama's percentages are the best indicators of how local Democrats will do in KY.

The Democrats still do much, much better at the local and state level than at the federal level. I don't know if it's enough to save them, when they don't fight for it.

The Kentucky GOP is beatable, but their scandals have to be highlighted. There was a Republican official in eastern Kentucky who was beaten by 3-to-1 once his scandals came to light. The problem is that the Democrats usually don't have the guts to capitalize on Republican scandals.

[RINO Tom]

I wouldn't say Romney's or Obama's percentages are the best indicators of how local Democrats will do in KY.

The Democrats still do much, much better at the local and state level than at the federal level. I don't know if it's enough to save them, when they don't fight for it.

The Kentucky GOP is beatable, but their scandals have to be highlighted. There was a Republican official in eastern Kentucky who was beaten by 3-to-1 once his scandals came to light. The problem is that the Democrats usually don't have the guts to capitalize on Republican scandals.

That wasn't his point, and I think you helped prove his point: local KY Democrats can and do win many districts that voted heavily for Romney.