Thread by @DavidPepper

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A Canary in Kentucky

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Tuesday, an election was held in Kentucky on an issue that occupies the core of every level of the right-wing movement that just dominated the national election.

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Both billionaires and far-right special interest groups prioritize this particular issue as paramount.

This issue is the top priority in every gerrymandered statehouse.

It’s a core plank of Project 2025.

Trump himself made it clear it’s a top priority of his.

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If a Republican doesn’t toe the line on this issue, he or she will be primaried in the next election, and will likely lose.

And in Kentucky, that issue was up for a vote.

And….

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…the right-wing position got absolutely destroyed.

What issue am I taking about?

The effort to push universal private vouchers.

To take money from public schools and send them to private schools.

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When the voters actually had a clearly presented choice, in Kentucky, on Tuesday, the issue lost…

65-35!

It lost in EVERY county.

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Issue 2, as it was called, fared the worst in the smallest county in Kentucky — losing 74%-26% among the 1,086 voters who voted in Robertson County. Robertson’s county seat is Mt. Olivet, population 347.

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And Issue 2 got crushed in the state’s largest county, Jefferson (home to Louisville)—losing 67%-33%.

Issue 2 managed to lose by 70-30 or worse in 8 counties; it lost by 65-35 or worse in 60 counties; it lost by by 60-40 or worse in 111 counties.

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The “Yes” vote only topped 40% in 9 counties.

And to dive a little deeper, the question Kentuckians voted No so decisively on was actually framed quite positively for the “Yes” side. Framed in the way that those peddling private vouchers like to frame it:

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“To give parents choices in educational opportunities for their children, are you in favor of enabling the General Assembly to provide financial support for the education costs of students in kindergarten through 12th grade who are outside the system of common (public)…”

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schools amending the Constitution of Kentucky as stated below?”

The yard signs for Yes on Issue 2 also sounded wonderful: “Putting Students First.”

And still, Issue 2 was absolutely shellacked.

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By the way, similar referenda failed in Colorado (52-48) and Nebraska (repealing a voucher bill 57-43).

And all this continues a stunning streak—no referendum establishing universal vouchers has ever won.

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I don’t just bring this up to laud the voters of Kentucky for seeing through what has emerged as a scam in state after state, including Ohio.

I bring it up because it tells us something.

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Again, the push for universal vouchers is at the heart of the conservative agenda. At all levels, everywhere. And when voters had a direct choice, it got absolutely clobbered across the board.

But universal vouchers are not the only issue where this is the case.

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The attack on abortion access is another central plank in the far right’s agenda, and it too was rejected Tuesday. Voters passed seven ballot measures on abortion rights across the country; in Florida, a strong majority voted Yes, but fell short of the 60% threshold.

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And beyond universal vouchers and abortion, I think it’s safe to say that almost all the promises made by the far right and in Project 2025 are equally toxic—which is why Trump ran away from most of them so quickly.

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But if we were to pull each of them out and demand a referendum on them, my guess they would almost all fare poorly.

All of this is of course frustrating, but also illuminating.

The far right is embracing toxic issues. The people oppose them…strongly.

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They vote accordingly when presented with those issues. Yet our candidates struggle to beat the very candidates pushing those policies despite how unpopular they are.

Including in the very states where these toxic policies are being pushed.

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In a very simplistic way, this disconnect between the underlying issues and the candidates/parties highlights a gap we must close.

It highlights an opportunity we are clearly not seizing.

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There’s so much we need to do to grab that opportunity.

It’s about organizing. Running in more places. The broader brand of the party. What we do when we’re in office—what issues we focus on and fight for, and fight against. And messaging.

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Speaking of messaging, I saw some of the ads on Kentucky’s Issue 2 because Northern Kentucky is in the Cincinnati media market. And they were so damn simple. They featured a teacher. And she stated plainly that public money should not be spent on private schools.

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They reiterated a simple message: “Public funds for public schools.” Period.

And that won.

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Simple. First principles. Common sense.

Appealing to communities across a diverse state, from the largest county to the smallest.

Leveraging inherent trust in public schools and public school teachers.

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If it can be done for issues, it should be possible for candidates.

And if we want to turn things around, failure to do this is not an option.

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