Mary Potter
Saturday, February 13, 2010 8:40 pm
Three GOP candidates met on the stage at Paducah Tilghman High School for the first Republican only candidates’ forum. Competing to be the candidate to face the winner of the Democratic primary, either Attorney General Jack Conway or Lieutenant Governor Dan Mongiardo, are three Republicans: Secretary of State Trey Grayson, Dr. Rand Paul and a newcomer to the political scene, Bill Johnson.
Johnson has come from being a very long shot outsider to a serious contender. He still lags far behind the frontrunners, Paul and Grayson, but he is no crank candidate. He may just turn out to be a spoiler for one of his rivals if he keeps on performing as he did on Saturday.
Johnson, who served in the first Gulf War, is even more small government conservative than his rivals. When asked how to cut government spending, he recommended eliminating not only the Department of Education and the EPA (a desire shared by all three candidates) but the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Energy. He wants all earmarks abolished.
Johnson describes himself as a “moral conservative.” He is pro-life, pro home schooling, pro-military, for little or no business regulation. On global warming and energy, he told the crowd that government shouldn’t get in the way of mining coal, drilling for oil and building nuclear plants.
He carries around a pocket edition of the US Constitution which he calls the ownership manual. In his closing remarks, he told the crowd of seven hundred that he wants to “chart a course back to the Constitution.” The line drew big applause.
Bill Johnson’s come a long way since his faltering performance at Fancy Farm last August. Either he’s getting some very good coaching or he’s a quick study. Maybe both. He came to the event with supporters poised to take names and pass out his campaign materials.
Bill Johnson’s humor and his well mannered attacks on his rivals, (usually beginning with “I’m confused”..) were crowd pleasers. If he can raise money to keep in the game, he will be a factor on Primary Day.