Ivan C. Potter, Publisher West Kentucky Journal
Tuesday, August 5, 2014 5:05 pm

Post Fancy Farm Analysis

Ivan Potter
West Kentucky Journal

(Clinton, KY, August 5, 2014) - It started on Thursday night at the McCracken County Democratic Dinner, Democrats started to embrace each other as long lost family. Two days before the Fancy Farm Picnic, July 31, 2014, some 400 Democrats had dinner together. Eating BBQ, along with chicken tenders, old family feuds were put aside for the evening.

The Progressive wing of the regional Democrats in the Jackson Purchase of Western Kentucky hugged their hard right wing fellow Democrats. Speaker after speaker attacked Senator Mitch McConnell and the politics of being Republican. The evening was a pep rally for unifying behind Alison Lundergan Grimes bid to upset Senator Mitch McConnell.

The next day, Friday, August 1, 2014, this Democratic love fest moved to the Marshall County Bean Supper at Kentucky Dam Village. Another 400 people plus shared a warm feeling of unity with Marshall County Judge Executive Mike Miller in what it means to share the heritage of being a Democrat.

By August 2, 2014 the stage was set for a rip roaring political hoedown at Fancy Farm, in Graves County. The day started over scrambled eggs, ham, biscuits, coffee and orange juice at the Graves County High School. From 8:00 am till 9:45 am, some 375 hardcore Democrats enjoyed breakfast together.

Many various Kentucky “Democratic Tribes” sat by each other to listen to the morning speeches. Lexington Young Democrats, Lexington Party Bosses, Louisville urban organizers, union leaders, progressives, Blue and Yellow Dog Democrats, Mountain Democrats, Northern Kentucky Democrats all broke bread together and shared moments to rekindle old spirits about the glory days of past Democratic victories in Kentucky.

By high noon, on August 2, Democrats were in a fever pitch of excitement as they gathered at Fancy Farm.

As over 2,000 people mixed or walked around the Main Speaking area, another 2,000 hard core political types secured seating for the main event.

At 12:10 pm Alison Grimes campaign staff pulled off a major unity event. Locking arms, Grimes, Governor Beshear, Ex Governor Paul Patton, Attorney General Jack Conway, State Auditor Adam Edelen, and Treasury Todd Hollenbach led a parade into the Fancy Farm Picnic.

Just over 500 people followed their state Democratic leaders in the parade. Union workers, teachers, county volunteers, marched as one.

The Democrats came to the 134th Fancy Farm Picnic as a single force, ready to do battle with Senator Mitch McConnell and his Republican Party in Kentucky.

The last time this show of party unity was in the 1972 race of Wendell Ford against Republican Governor Louie Nunn. That struggle ended well for the Democrats.