Advice from Somewhere Left of Center

I have never claimed to be a moderate, but I am reasonably familiar with where the political center lies. Which is why it came as something of a surprise to learn that Dr. Dan thinks Change for Kentucky declined to support his bid for the US Senate because he was "too moderate".

I am not making this up! Dr. Dan is under the impression that he is a moderate.

Let me correct this impression. "Dr. Dan, trust me on this one, you are firmly on the right. You are not an extremist, but you are nowhere near the center." That being said, I voted for him. I am Lesbian, I am Liberal, and I voted for him because he was the better choice for the job.

I was on the Change For Kentucky Committee charged with selecting the CFK Twelve (the twelve candidates from across Kentucky we would recommend Democracy for America as possible Dean Dozen Candidates). The committee unanimously rejected Dr. Dan because he did not fit the criteria by which we were making our choices.

First of all, he did not meet with us or actively welcome our participation in his campaign. Secondly, we sought to support candidates that were more progressive than their opponents. Mongiardo's positions were identical to those of Jim Bunning, something not lost on us or the Herald-Leader. Finally, our criteria included genuine need: how badly did the candidate need our help? Dr. Dan had strong support from the Kentucky Democratic Party, unlike many of the candidates running for lesser offices. We had no trouble finding twelve candidates who could better benefit from our help.

I have one other piece of advice for Dr. Dan. "The fact that I voted for you did not sit well with many of my friends. Your right wing positions cost you a lot of votes among liberals. Those were votes you could not afford to lose. By standing strong on the right, you lost the liberal base. So, next time you run for office, remember the ads the Republicans ran against you this time." It did not matter that your position on the issues was to the right of mine. Bunning effectively labeled you as belonging to the far left. Had you been the moderate you see yourself as, you just might have won.