Kentucky Elects Governor with No Experience. A Precursor of 2016?

Kentucky Governor-elect Matt Bevin (R)

If you're like me, you are waiting for the day when "real" Republican voters go to the polls and demonstrate that they are not as delusional as those being counted by poll takers.  They will demonstrate their common sense by refusing to vote for inexperienced clowns like Donald Trump or Ben Carson.  They will demonstrate their awareness for self-preservation by refusing to vote against their own personal interests.  

This story out of Kentucky makes me think maybe I'm the delusional one.

(Any underlines are mind.)

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FORMER GOP 'CON MAN,' NEWLY ELECTED GOVERNOR, by Steve Benen 

Under two-term Gov. Steve Beshear (D), Kentucky has been one of the best-run states in the nation.  Not only is the Bluegrass State's unemployment rate at a 14-year low, but Kentucky has been so successful in implementing health care reform, it's cut its ininsured by over 40%.

Perhaps the state's voters grew tired of success and decided to go in a different direction. 

Governor Beshear was not on the ballot on Tuesday, but State Attorney General Jack Conway (D) who worked hand in hand with Mr. Beshear to steer Kentucky's success was.  Nevertheless, Kentucky voters chose to ignore the Beshear/Conway success record and instead elected Matt Bevin (R) to lead the state.

Bevin's road to the governor's office was, for lack of a better word, improbable.  A year ago, the right-wing candidate, who's never served a day in public office, launched a primary fight against incumbent Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).  Republicans quickly labeled Bevin a "con man" who lies "pathologically."  The first-time candidate was exposed (as) a man who lied about his educational background, and who even struggled in the private sector--his business needed a taxpayer bailout.

At one point, he even delivered a speech at a cockfighting gathering and then lied about that too...

...What happens now is likely to have a major impact on many of his constituents' lives.  One of the central tenets of Bevin's odd platform has been scrapping Medicaid expansion, which would have the effect of taking away health care benefits from many low-income families statewide.  And because outgoing Gov. Steve Beshear (D) used executive orders to create much of the state's health network, the new right-wing governor-elect will have the power to undermine the health security of a significant chunk of Kentucky's population rather quickly...

...This sets the stage for the first real test of whether far-right officials are prepared to hurt their own constituents, on purpose, to advance a partisan goal. 

During the first ACA sign-up period, I laughed at several stories about Kentucky citizens who were proud to tell reporters that Kentucky didn't need the devil's brew of "Obamacare," because they had Kynect which was a much better program.  People in Kentucky refused to accept the fact that Kynect was the state portal to the ACA. The liberal media was simply lying to them. 

State Republicans were only too happy to support that myth.  Remember Mitch McConnell promising that, if he was re-elected, he would repeal the evil ACA "root and branch" while leaving the newly enjoyed healthcare benefits available to his state's citizens in place?  Mr. McConnell was not at all concerned that he was out and out lying as long as he got sent back to Washington.  And voters were willing to believe him, no matter how many times it was pointed out by his opponent that what he promised was impossible.

Yesterday, it was Kentucky voters who were given a "real test," and they failed miserably.  Republicans have been poisoning the well of common sense for nearly eight years.  If yesterday was any indication, conservative Kentucky voters are totally unaware they have been drugged into believing that the only thing standing between them and the good life is a Democrat.

Kentucky voters looked at a growing state economy, a shrinking unemployment rate, a record number of citizens with health coverage and chose to elect a braggart with no government experience who has promised to make their lives tougher by returning them to the time when health coverage was not a right but a privilege reserved for those who could afford it.  In essence they elected Donald Trump and Ben Carson.

But this can't happen in 2016.  Can it?

You can read Mr. Benen's complete article here.