David Williams Aims To Energize Base, Seeks An Upset Of Steve Beshear.
Williams reaches out to base, hopes for upset
By ROGER ALFORD
NEWPORT, Ky. (AP) -- Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams took his campaign Saturday to northern Kentucky's GOP stronghold where he told supporters to be on the lookout for an Election Day upset, while Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear headed to the eastern coalfields to energize his base on the final weekend before Tuesday's general election.
Beshear has a commanding lead in the polls over Williams, has raised five times more money and has racked up an impressive list of newspaper endorsements. But Williams, a tenacious campaigner, stayed on the attack Saturday, calling Beshear "a do-nothing governor" and urging Republicans to turn out in big numbers to oust him.
"Let those other folks who think they're going to have a sweeping victory next Tuesday, let them just stay at home," Williams told about 50 supporters Saturday morning in Newport. "We're going to be out knocking on doors, talking to conservatives, asking (for the votes of) tea party people, patriot people, regular Republicans, Libertarians, and conservative Democrats that are tired of that mess in Frankfort."
Beshear has been urging supporters to take nothing for granted, even with public opinion showing him leading by 25 to 30 percentage points. Hop-scotching the state by plane, he made a series of stops in western Kentucky on Friday. Saturday, he headed east to Pikeville, a coal town in the state's Appalachian region that has a tendency to support Democrats in state-level races, to tell supporters to get their families and friends to the polls.
"If they don't go vote, they don't count," Beshear said. "So our job is to make sure we turn out the vote."
Election officials are expecting a small turnout on Tuesday. Secretary of State Elaine Walker, who oversees elections, predicted that as many as 75 percent of Kentucky's registered voters may stay home, despite around-the-clock TV advertising and heavy pre-election coverage in the state's newspapers.
Most major newspapers in Kentucky have endorsed Beshear for re-election to a second term, citing his performance in managing the state under difficult economic circumstances.
"Gov. Steve Beshear has provided steady, scandal-free leadership during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression," the Lexington Herald-Leader said.
"By any reckoning, the last four years have been brutal ones to undertake running Kentucky state government," The Courier-Journal of Louisville said. "... The challenge was to do as much with less as humanely possible. In that context, Gov. Steve Beshear has done a competent and, in many respects, admirable job."
Former U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, campaigning for Williams in Newport on Saturday, urged Republicans to ignore the newspapers.
"I mean, all the bull we've read in the papers, and all the stuff that's been put in the papers is put in by people who want to see us lose," Bunning said. "You've got to remember that when you read the paper. They don't want good fiscal government. They don't want people who spend your money wisely."
The Daily Independent of Ashland endorsed Beshear "not because the state has taken great strides forward" under his leadership, but because he has done "a remarkable job of managing state government" through the recession. The News-Enterprise of Elizabethtown said Beshear received its endorsement by default.
"Many will read this as a lukewarm recommendation," the newspaper said. "It is. We're disappointed that stronger options aren't present for consideration."
The Daily News of Bowling Green endorsed Williams, saying Beshear hasn't measured up to his campaign slogan, "tested, trusted, tough."
"During the past four years, Beshear has, more than anything, been a caretaker governor," the newspaper said. "There is not much in terms of new initiatives that the governor can say or point to that he has accomplished during his time in the governor's mansion, which is quite sad."
By ROGER ALFORD
NEWPORT, Ky. (AP) -- Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams took his campaign Saturday to northern Kentucky's GOP stronghold where he told supporters to be on the lookout for an Election Day upset, while Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear headed to the eastern coalfields to energize his base on the final weekend before Tuesday's general election.
Beshear has a commanding lead in the polls over Williams, has raised five times more money and has racked up an impressive list of newspaper endorsements. But Williams, a tenacious campaigner, stayed on the attack Saturday, calling Beshear "a do-nothing governor" and urging Republicans to turn out in big numbers to oust him.
"Let those other folks who think they're going to have a sweeping victory next Tuesday, let them just stay at home," Williams told about 50 supporters Saturday morning in Newport. "We're going to be out knocking on doors, talking to conservatives, asking (for the votes of) tea party people, patriot people, regular Republicans, Libertarians, and conservative Democrats that are tired of that mess in Frankfort."
Beshear has been urging supporters to take nothing for granted, even with public opinion showing him leading by 25 to 30 percentage points. Hop-scotching the state by plane, he made a series of stops in western Kentucky on Friday. Saturday, he headed east to Pikeville, a coal town in the state's Appalachian region that has a tendency to support Democrats in state-level races, to tell supporters to get their families and friends to the polls.
"If they don't go vote, they don't count," Beshear said. "So our job is to make sure we turn out the vote."
Election officials are expecting a small turnout on Tuesday. Secretary of State Elaine Walker, who oversees elections, predicted that as many as 75 percent of Kentucky's registered voters may stay home, despite around-the-clock TV advertising and heavy pre-election coverage in the state's newspapers.
Most major newspapers in Kentucky have endorsed Beshear for re-election to a second term, citing his performance in managing the state under difficult economic circumstances.
"Gov. Steve Beshear has provided steady, scandal-free leadership during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression," the Lexington Herald-Leader said.
"By any reckoning, the last four years have been brutal ones to undertake running Kentucky state government," The Courier-Journal of Louisville said. "... The challenge was to do as much with less as humanely possible. In that context, Gov. Steve Beshear has done a competent and, in many respects, admirable job."
Former U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, campaigning for Williams in Newport on Saturday, urged Republicans to ignore the newspapers.
"I mean, all the bull we've read in the papers, and all the stuff that's been put in the papers is put in by people who want to see us lose," Bunning said. "You've got to remember that when you read the paper. They don't want good fiscal government. They don't want people who spend your money wisely."
The Daily Independent of Ashland endorsed Beshear "not because the state has taken great strides forward" under his leadership, but because he has done "a remarkable job of managing state government" through the recession. The News-Enterprise of Elizabethtown said Beshear received its endorsement by default.
"Many will read this as a lukewarm recommendation," the newspaper said. "It is. We're disappointed that stronger options aren't present for consideration."
The Daily News of Bowling Green endorsed Williams, saying Beshear hasn't measured up to his campaign slogan, "tested, trusted, tough."
"During the past four years, Beshear has, more than anything, been a caretaker governor," the newspaper said. "There is not much in terms of new initiatives that the governor can say or point to that he has accomplished during his time in the governor's mansion, which is quite sad."
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