Conway’s ‘small misstep’ takes on life of its own
By Jack Brammer – jbrammer@herald-leader.com
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jack conway speaks at the 2009 Fancy Farm picnic.
FRANKFORT — Political experts say U.S. Senate candidate Jack Conway will need the “tough hide” he bragged about at the Fancy Farm picnic to endure growing mockery of his declaration that he’s “one tough son of a bitch.”
Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report, a satire on news, had in its cross hairs on Wednesday Attorney General Conway’s use of profanity at last Saturday’s political picnic in far Western Kentucky.
At least three videos posted on YouTube this week also use snippets of Conway’s speech in a ridiculing manner.
It’s not surprising that Conway’s political misstep, for which he has apologized, has quickly taken on a life of its own, said Stuart Rothenberg, publisher of The Rothenberg Political Report, a nonpartisan analysis of American politics.
“Whether it’s pure viral expansion or it’s an orchestrated plan on the part of opponents, we live in a day and age when technology magnifies any mistake of a politician,” Rothenberg said. “This is what is happening now to Conway because of his small misstep.”
Rothenberg cited the “public attention and near constant ridicule” endured by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, South Carolina Gov.
Mark Sanford and former Democratic U.S. Sen. John Edwards. Sanford and Edwards had adulterous affairs, while Palin made several controversial statements during her run for Vice President last year.
“More and more of this stuff gets picked up on TV and the Internet,” he said.
A spokesman for the campaign of Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo, Conway’s main opponent in next year’s Democratic primary election for U.S. Senate, said Thursday that it had “absolutely nothing to do” with the YouTube videos.
“We have no idea where they came from but we did have a good chuckle over them,” said Kim Geveden, Mongiardo’s campaign consultant.
One of the videos played Conway’s profanity several times as the tune of “Macho Man” from the Village People, a late 1970s disco group, blared in the background.
Another noted the profanity and Conway’s graduation from Duke, a nemesis to University of Kentucky basketball fans. A third repeatedly played Conway’s profanity, followed by video of startled-looking school children.
“They are classless, gutter, juvenile politics,” said Mark Riddle, Conway’s campaign consultant. “That is why so many leaders from across the state support Jack and why he has raised more money than any other candidate.”
Riddle blamed Mongiardo for the videos, noting that a Democratic-leaning blog, pageonekentucky.com, alleged that people close to Mongiardo’s campaign produced the video featuring the Village People.
Riddle said Conway saw The Colbert Report Wednesday while tending to his newborn baby daughter. “He thought it was funny,” Riddle said.
Comedian Stephen Colbert reported that “at the picnic, Democratic candidate Jack Conway said some awful things about Democratic candidate Jack Conway.”
Colbert then played a clip of the profanity and asked, “How dare he use that kind of filthy language during what I assume was his lunch break from AutoZone?”
Colbert proceeded to mangle Mongiardo’s name and make light of Mongiardo’s objections to the profanity.
Rothenberg said Conway should be glad his misstep happened early in the campaign instead of several days before the election.
“He has plenty of time to get this behind him,” said the political expert. “What he doesn’t want is for this to define him as a candidate.”
To move on, Conway must find a way to change the subject and remind people of what he stands for, Rothenberg said.
Democratic political consultant Danny Briscoe of Louisville, who is not involved with any candidate in Kentucky for the U.S. Senate, said no candidate ever wants to be the butt of jokes.
“But Jack Conway can and will overcome this as long as this is not systemic of his campaign,” he said. “If mistakes like this keep occurring it will be very troublesome for him.”
Briscoe said he had no idea last Saturday that the profanity “would become this big.”
“It should have been nipped in the bud at least by Sunday,” Briscoe said. “Here it is days later and it’s still being talked about.”
Riddle said Conway “wants to move on.”
“We know the Mongiardo campaign is feeding this but that’s an insult to the people of Kentucky,” Riddle said. “Maybe the news media and Mongiardo ought to apologize for rewriting and rewriting it.”
Here’s a snipped from The Colbert Report:
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| 2010 Midterms – Joe Sestak | ||||
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Here are links to the YouTube videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEXuKTvnCUo, http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=qgMiWYPXiR0 and http://www.youtube.com./watch?v=oiuJHnX3yuw
Filed Under: Daniel Mongiardo • Democratic Party • Elections • Jack Conway • US Senate Race
About the Author: John Stamper is the accountability editor for the Lexington Herald-Leader. A native of Monticello, Ky., he has been with the Herald-Leader in a variety of roles since graduating from Western Kentucky University in 2000. Reach him at jstamper@herald-leader.com
Didn’t Conway used to be a blonde? Maybe AutoZone doesn’t like blondes.
Jack Conway is a spoiled little rich boy who has always gotten his way. He is more shocked because Kentuckians are not worshipping him like some did Obama (that is why he went to the church picnic at Fancy Farm so he could be worshipped). It backfired when he begin to preach like the devil. As a republican I am changing my registration so I can vote for Dr Dan and then in then in the general election I will vote for the winner Trey Grayson
It appears that Jackie threw his poor mother under the bus. Maybe he thinks he’s another Barry O’Bama.
Why is this important?
Would it be possible to focus on real issues that impact Kentucky or would that be too taxing on the brains of the folks that just like to deride and yammer.
It looks like we are going to have yet another year of backwoods politicin’ and mud slinging. Anything to avoid addressing our education needs, our job needs our budget needs and trying to figure out how to move Kentucky out of the bottom 20% of nearly every category that is rated. Nice.
YEP–HE’S TOAST..
He’s just another in a long list of embarsssments for this state.
Rand Paul will be the fresh air the state needs.
Why is this important????
If you have to ask then you’re too stupid to vote. And a lot of stupids have been voting lately.
My anti-spam word is “dan” So its official, The HL is giving me subliminal messages to vote for Dr. Dan. It worked
Why does Kentucky rank so low in all aspects? Because people want to focus on trivial stuff like this instead of hard core issues that will actually change Kentucky. I am amazed about this and would call it no more than just plain pitiful.
What is more stupid than the act is the public and Press taking this up as an issue.
Wow this thing is going viral. Links anyone? I bet his mom and dad are proud
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgMiWYPXiR0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiuJHnX3yuw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsG-k364qmo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAqhwn76QCg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EAf-twmzog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEXuKTvnCUo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjZieBeVRew
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtJ–0jRaXA
It was at a church sponsored event, and he went totally nuts! Conway, and his campaign need to stop attacking people for reporting on what HAPPENED, and just stick with their apology and try to move on.
Their childish response is not endearing me to Jack’s campaign. He screwed up. Please don’t be afraid to admit your mistakes.
McAllister: Doesn’t that just about sum up EVERY political meeting? It’s not about the issues; it’s about whether or not you talked “dirty.” There’s no hope for this country; simply no hope.
Love the touch about Conway attending his new baby girl – nice, but I caught that one easy. I believe Kentucky must elect someone really intelligent and not into politics for the power. From what I see and read, Rand Paul is a secure bet. Oh and the comment about Ben Chandler is so right on – these people are nothing but cowards. If you think of it, some of thes cowards hold positions on military and war committees. Geesh, we should all be very fearful if these politicians are so afraid of their own constituents. COWARDS ALL!!!!
Conway watched Colbert while tending to his baby daughter? Is that stupid statement supposed to get him sympathy? Somebody needs to figure out who that baby’s daddy is, because Macho Man by the Village People was the right choice of music for the youtube video!
Tray Grayson puts the milque in the toast. But Rand Paul? There’s something amiss.
“”(Rand) Paul is a critic of the Federal Reserve,[6] the Patriot Act,[27] the federal government’s bailout of Wall Street, and the erosion of civil liberties. Like his father, he supports significantly smaller government and balanced budgets, and opposes the Department of Education, the war in Iraq,[26] and the federal income tax.[28] He encourages legislators to pledge not to raise taxes,[19] and fought the plan to raise hotel taxes in Kentucky in 2000.[21][24] On abortion, Paul has said that he would “introduce and support legislation to send Roe v. Wade back to the states,” and he is also supportive of term limits for politicians.[30]
Paul is also involved in health care reform.[14] In a 2007 Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, “True reform would require an infusion of ethics, something that can’t be taught or purchased”.[11]“”
Yet he says he’s a Republican. That inconsistency is enough for me to question his honesty.
Jacob Payne has NO credibility left. He’s a Conway hack. Jacob Payne, who is by no means a journalist, is a good example of the type of loose canon supporters that Conway has and why Kentuckians aren’t going to vote for him.
Conway is a pretty boy idiot…if the people,of K elect this silver spoon fed pretty boy to the senate then they are stupider than most people think kentuckians are…..
I “Wonder” how this story would be playing out if it had been a Democrat who made the statement?
I’m pretty sure that the left leaning news media would have let it drop after one day, two at the most.
“Wondering, just Wondering”!!
MO,
Pardon me, Conway is a DEMCOCRAT.
Says so whenever you read the news.
As a member of the Conway family I can add a few facts regarding our heritage in comparison to that of Mongiardo.
There have been Conways and family members in this state from the beginning. Thomas Walker, Jack Conways Great, Great, Great, Uncle walked through the Cumberland Gap with Daniel Boone. He is responsible for surveying the Commonwealth.
Conways migrated in wagon Trains to Kentucky and settled and founded Union County and Morganfeild.
To call Jack a silver spoon is nothing more than to attack the very thing that all Kentuckians strive for–a better life. Jack Conway was born into an affluent family. But I can tell you that his work ethic came from a father who was the example of prosperity rising from Hard work. Jack Conway is the brightest and the best that this long standing Ky family has to offer.
I suggest that Mr Mongiardo should stick to the issues in the campaign as his own heritage does not lend to credibly being a true Kentuckian.
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