Race for governor of Kentucky might be a pickup for Republicans

October 20, 2015

Editor

Matt Bevin, candidate for Governor of Kentucky, joined Glenn's radio program Tuesday to share what sets him apart in the race from his Democratic opponent.

"Tell me why - if anybody is listening to us and they're in Kentucky," Glenn said. Why should they vote for you?"

Bevin's response:

I'll tell you what, I'm not a career politician. I'm a guy that grew up in a humble way, in a simple way. I grew up with strong Christian values. I'm a guy who grew up having to make his own way, below the poverty level, but blessed to go to college. Joined the military. A guy who got out and spent 20-plus years in the private sector. A job creator. I'm a father of nine children. Four of my children are adopted. I'm a normal person.

I'm a guy like so many out there who simply want better opportunity for themselves, for their families, for their state and for America, for people that are weary about how the fabric of this nation is being shredded. Used to be a thread at a time. We're seeing fistfuls of it, twisted out of the fabric of who we are as Americans. And for people who want a counterpoint to that, for people who want somebody to fight for them who is one of them, who will be a representative of and by and for the people, like this government was intended to be, I'm that guy. I'm trying to step forward and truly be a public servant.

Later, Glenn asked how this election might also be important to people from other states.

"This is a bellwether for 2016," Bevin said. "This is the only race in 2015 that has the ability to move to conservative hands. It is the only one that could be a pickup for Republicans in this case. And it is the only one that will be a bellwether for Medicaid expansion. It will be a bellwether for school choice. It will be a bellwether for energy policy. And it will absolutely move the needle on discussion in 2016. This race is critical."

Listen to the full segment or read the transcript below.

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors.

GLENN: Matt Bevin, welcome to the program. How are you, sir?

MATT: I am doing well. I was doing better prior to Biden Watch 2016, however.

GLENN: Really?

So tell me about your socialist policies for Kentucky.

MATT: I'll tell you who has them is my opponent in this race. Jack Conway is a rubber stamp for Obama. You want to talk about whether it's spending other people's money. He's a career politician. Has never created a job in his life. He's a liberal who supports taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood. He wants to restrict people's gun rights. He's pro-abortion. He's anti-coal. He's a rubber stamp at every turn. Heaven help us.

GLENN: Okay. So you won the primary. This is the real deal now.

MATT: It is. He's the state's attorney general. He's a Democrat. And he's a very, very liberal version of that.

GLENN: Okay. So what's -- how are you doing in the polls? And what's the -- we haven't talked to you in a while. How are things going?

MATT: I've begun to feel a little bit personally slighted actually. I miss you guys.

GLENN: Oh, wow.

MATT: You guys have been truly just stellar throughout, and it is truly great to be back on with you. The polls are good. It's neck-and-neck. We have two weeks from day. Two weeks from today is the election. Tuesday, November the 3rd. And we're just trying to fire up the base. It's a sleepy, sleepy electorate. It's an off year.

GLENN: Okay. So let me ask you this. You realize that we're pretty much the kiss of death. Anybody that we like is the kiss of death.

MATT: I'm not going to accept that. We're going to break the right here.

PAT: Good. How is it possible, Matt, that the person you described to us with such socialist policies like that, with such liberal policies, how can he even be in this race in Kentucky?

MATT: It's a good question. I'll tell you what people don't realize about Kentucky. 72 percent of all elected officials in this state are Democrats. 72 percent.

PAT: Wow. Really?

GLENN: It's old-style Democrat.

MATT: It's old-school. But we're a check the box, vote straight ticket state, which I think is usually a disservice. And, unfortunately, many people do that. Only 38 percent of registered voters are Republicans. So it is an uphill slug. We've only had two in the last 75 years that have been Republican, each for one term in the governor's seat.

STU: Wow.

GLENN: Holy cow.

PAT: Surprising. Really surprising.

MATT: It is. We're different -- I'll tell you, to be in the mix is almost unprecedented. To be tied neck-and-neck --

GLENN: No, no, don't say that, Matt. No, no, no. That's what people who lose the Oscar always says. It's just an honor to be nominated.

MATT: No, no, I'm saying that this is the thing that should give people great hope. Because there are still about 10 percent that say they're undecided. And the 10 percent invariably breaks to the conservative side. This is good for us. I think we'll win this thing by 4 to 6 percent, somewhere in that range.

STU: Matt, is there a third party candidate here that there's a lot of coverage that will screw up your race here?

MATT: It won't hurt me actually. I think it will actually help me, if it ends up being a factor. He was a liberal Democrat up until a few months ago. He's voted for Obama twice. He's even more -- he's like our version of Bernie Sanders a bit. And to that end, he's now pretending to be an independent. I'm not sure exactly what his thinking is. He's a good guy. But he's not going to have any chance of winning. And he will pull votes, but probably more from the other side.

GLENN: So, Matt, tell me why -- if anybody is listening to us and they're in Kentucky. Or hell, they're dead in another state.

Why should -- why should they vote for you?

MATT: I'll tell you what, I'm not a career politician. I'm a guy that grew up in a humble way, in a simple way. I grew up with strong Christian values. I'm a guy who grew up having to make his own way, below the poverty level, but blessed to go to college. Joined the military. A guy who got out and spent 20-plus years in the private sector. A job creator. I'm a father of nine children. Four of my children are adopted. I'm a normal person. I'm a guy like so many out there who simply want better opportunity for themselves, for their families, for their state and for America, for people that are weary about how the fabric of this nation is being shredded. Used to be a thread at a time. We're seeing fistfuls of it, twisted out of the fabric of who we are as Americans. And for people who want a counterpoint to that, for people who want somebody to fight for them who is one of them, who will be a representative of and by and for the people, like this government was intended to be, I'm that guy. I'm trying to step forward and truly be a public servant.

PAT: We're believers, Matt. And obviously there's mattbevin.com, I'm guessing.

MATT: It's still there. When it ain't broke, my friend.

PAT: Yeah. Go fix it. Go fix it. So can they get involved on a volunteer basis as well and help you out with the campaign? Go door to door too? All that kind of stuff too?

MATT: We need all of the above. Yes, if people would go to Mattbevin.com. M-A-T-T-B-E-V-I-N.com. We need time, talent, and treasure. The time and talent: Door knocking, phone calling. They can come into our offices. They're all over the state. They can also do it from home. We can provide them with lists. We need people to make contributions. If they're able and willing, any amount will help us to stay on-air. Liberals are pounding the snot out of us on the airwaves because that's the only thing they have. We're excited though, just last night, the RGA put in a significant buy. They're getting back into this race in a significant way. They've been in and out. They're all in, all the way through to the end. So that bodes well for us as well. I'm excited by this.

GLENN: We'll be watching this. As you know, Matt, we're very big fans of yours. And we expect big things when you become governor. We really expect you to really hold fast to the promises that you've made and make Kentucky an example in the rest of the country on what can be done when you have good, solid principles and you live by those principles and you don't become a crony capitalist or just a dirty politician.

PAT: We also want really good tickets to the Kentucky Derby.

MATT: I can promise you the former. I can't promise you the latter. But I will tell you, in all seriousness, guys, the first and last line of defense against overreach by the federal government, overencroachment on our constitutional rights, the first and last line of defense -- and you know this -- is the governor's seat. It is what happens at the state level. The Tenth Amendment still means something. It's still truly a powerful tool, the sovereignty of a state. And I absolutely intend to make Kentucky a beacon for the rest of America.

GLENN: If somebody is listening, because we've actually had other people that have listened to governor races, et cetera, et cetera, and they've gone -- Scott Walker was one of them -- they've gone from California and they've driven across the country to help in the campaign.

Why is your election important to somebody in another state?

MATT: This is a bellwether for 2016. I mean, heaven help us if we have to listen to Biden Watch 2016 with anything other than a joke in our minds. Because whether it's Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden, that is the worst thinking of American political -- of the American political scene. This bellwether for this race, what happens with even with the message on the Republican side is going to be driven by what happens in this race. This is the only race in 2015 that has the ability to move to conservative hands. It is the only one that could be a pickup for Republicans in this case. And it is the only one that will be a bellwether for Medicaid expansion. It will be a bellwether for school choice. It will be a bellwether for energy policy. And it will absolutely move the needle on discussion in 2016. This race is critical.

STU: You know, if you become governor, is there some sort of a retirement plan you could recommend to Mitch McConnell?

MATT: I will tell you what, I made a pledge myself that I will not participate in any kind of a taxpayer funded retirement plan. I will let others speak for themselves as to what they will do. I will not participate.

(laughter)

GLENN: Matt, always good to talk to you. And, by the way, I am a Kentucky colonel. So at some point, I can marshal the troops.

MATT: Please do. Rally the troops. And ride into town. We need all the reinforcements we can get. I would be great grateful. I really would, guys. Good to talk to you.

Trump branded a tyrant, but did Obama outdo him on deportations?

Genaro Molina / Contributor | Getty Images

MSNBC and CNN want you to think the president is a new Hitler launching another Holocaust. But the actual deportation numbers are nowhere near what they claim.

Former MSNBC host Chris Matthews, in an interview with CNN’s Jim Acosta, compared Trump’s immigration policies to Adolf Hitler’s Holocaust. He claimed that Hitler didn’t bother with German law — he just hauled people off to death camps in Poland and Hungary. Apparently, that’s what Trump is doing now by deporting MS-13 gang members to El Salvador.

Symone Sanders took it a step further. The MSNBC host suggested that deporting gang-affiliated noncitizens is simply the first step toward deporting black Americans. I’ll wait while you try to do that math.

The debate is about control — weaponizing the courts, twisting language, and using moral panic to silence dissent.

Media mouthpieces like Sanders and Matthews are just the latest examples of the left’s Pavlovian tribalism when it comes to Trump and immigration. Just say the word “Trump,” and people froth at the mouth before they even hear the sentence. While the media cries “Hitler,” the numbers say otherwise. And numbers don’t lie — the narrative does.

Numbers don’t lie

The real “deporter in chief” isn’t Trump. It was President Bill Clinton, who sent back 12.3 million people during his presidency — 11.4 million returns and nearly 900,000 formal removals. President George W. Bush, likewise, presided over 10.3 million deportations — 8.3 million returns and two million removals. Even President Barack Obama, the progressive darling, oversaw 5.5 million deportations, including more than three million formal removals.

So how does Donald Trump stack up? Between 2017 and 2021, Trump deported somewhere between 1.5 million and two million people — dramatically fewer than Obama, Bush, or Clinton. In his current term so far, Trump has deported between 100,000 and 138,000 people. Yes, that’s assertive for a first term — but it's still fewer than Biden was deporting toward the end of his presidency.

The numbers simply don’t support the hysteria.

Who's the “dictator” here? Trump is deporting fewer people, with more legal oversight, and still being compared to history’s most reviled tyrant. Apparently, sending MS-13 gang members — violent criminals — back to their country of origin is now equivalent to genocide.

It’s not about immigration

This debate stopped being about immigration a long time ago. It’s now about control — about weaponizing the courts, twisting language, and using moral panic to silence dissent. It’s about turning Donald Trump into the villain of every story, facts be damned.

If the numbers mattered, we’d be having a very different national conversation. We’d be asking why Bill Clinton deported six times as many people as Trump and never got labeled a fascist. We’d be questioning why Barack Obama’s record-setting removals didn’t spark cries of ethnic cleansing. And we’d be wondering why Trump, whose enforcement was relatively modest by comparison, triggered lawsuits, media hysteria, and endless Nazi analogies.

But facts don’t drive this narrative. The villain does. And in this script, Trump plays the villain — even when he does far less than the so-called heroes who came before him.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Can Trump stop the blackouts that threaten America's future?

Allan Tannenbaum / Contributor | Getty Images

If America wants to remain a global leader in the coming decades, we need more energy fast.

It's no secret that Glenn is an advocate for the safe and ethical use of AI, not because he wants it, but because he knows it’s coming whether we like it or not. Our only option is to shape AI on our terms, not those of our adversaries. America has to win the AI Race if we want to maintain our stability and security, and to do that, we need more energy.

AI demands dozens—if not hundreds—of new server farms, each requiring vast amounts of electricity. The problem is, America lacks the power plants to generate the required electricity, nor do we have a power grid capable of handling the added load. We must overcome these hurdles quickly to outpace China and other foreign competitors.

Outdated Power Grid

Spencer Platt / Staff | Getty Images

Our power grid is ancient, slowly buckling under the stress of our modern machines. AAI’s energy demands could collapse it without a major upgrade. The last significant overhaul occurred under FDR nearly a century ago, when he connected rural America to electricity. Since then, we’ve patched the system piecemeal, but it’s still the same grid from the 1930s. Over 70 percent of the powerlines are 30 years old or older, and circuit breakers and other vital components are in similar condition. Most people wouldn't trust a dishwasher that was 30 years old, and yet much of our grid relies on technology from the era of VHS tapes.

Upgrading the grid would prevent cascading failures, rolling blackouts, and even EMP attacks. It would also enable new AI server farms while ensuring reliable power for all.

A Need for Energy

JONATHAN NACKSTRAND / Stringer | Getty Images

Earlier this month, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt appeared before Congress as part of an AI panel and claimed that by 2030, the U.S. will need to add 96 gigawatts to our national power production to meet AI-driven demand. While some experts question this figure, the message is clear: We must rapidly expand power production. But where will this energy come from?

As much as eco nuts would love to power the world with sunshine and rainbows, we need a much more reliable and significantly more efficient power source if we want to meet our electricity goals. Nuclear power—efficient, powerful, and clean—is the answer. It’s time to shed outdated fears of atomic energy and embrace the superior electricity source. Building and maintaining new nuclear plants, along with upgraded infrastructure, would create thousands of high-paying American jobs. Nuclear energy will fuel AI, boost the economy, and modernize America’s decaying infrastructure.

A Bold Step into the Future

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This is President Trump’s chance to leave a historic mark on America, restoring our role as global leaders and innovators. Just as FDR’s power grid and plants made America the dominant force of the 20th century, Trump could upgrade our infrastructure to secure dominance in the 21st century. Visionary leadership must cut red tape and spark excitement in the industry. This is how Trump can make America great again.

POLL: Did astronomers discover PROOF of alien life?

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Are we alone in the universe?

It's no secret that Glenn keeps one eye on the cosmos, searching for any signs of ET. Late last week, a team of astronomers at the University of Cambridge made an exciting discovery that could change how we view the universe. The astronomers were monitoring a distant planet, K2-18b, when the James Webb Space Telescope detected dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide, two atmospheric gases believed only to be generated by living organisms. The planet, which is just over two and a half times larger than Earth, orbits within the "habitable zone" of its star, meaning the presence of liquid water on its surface is possible, further supporting the possibility that life exists on this distant world.

Unfortunately, humans won't be able to visit K2-18b to see for ourselves anytime soon, as the planet is about 124 light-years from Earth. This means that even if we had rockets that could travel at the speed of light, it would still take 124 years to reach the potentially verdant planet. Even if humans made the long trek to K2-18b, they would be faced with an even more intense challenge upon arrival: Gravity. Assuming K2-18b has a similar density to Earth, its increased size would also mean it would have increased gravity, two and a half times as much gravity, to be exact. This would make it very difficult, if not impossible, for humans to live or explore the surface without serious technological support. But who knows, give Elon Musk and SpaceX a few years, and we might be ready to seek out new life (and maybe even new civilizations).

But Glenn wants to know what you think. Could K2-18b harbor life on its distant surface? Could alien astronomers be peering back at us from across the cosmos? Would you be willing to boldly go where no man has gone before? Let us know in the poll below:

Could there be life on K2-18b?

Could there be an alien civilization thriving on K2-18b?

Will humans develop the technology to one day explore distant worlds?

Would you sign up for a trip to an alien world?

Is K2-18b just another cold rock in space?

Big Pharma’s role in rising neurological disorders: Will RFK Jr. uncover the truth?

Anna Moneymaker / Staff | Getty Images

Our children are sick, and Big Pharma claims to be the cure, but is RFK Jr. closer to proving they are the disease?

For years, neurological disorders in our children have been on the rise. One in nine children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with ADHD, and between 2016 and 2022, more than one million kids were told they suffer from the disorder. Similarly, autism diagnoses have increased by 175 percent over the past decade. RFK Jr. pledged to investigate the rising rates of neurological disorders as Secretary of Health and Human Services, and this week, he announced a major initiative.

Earlier this week, RFK Jr. announced that the HHS has embarked on a massive testing and research effort to uncover the root causes of autism and the sharp spike in recent diagnoses. The HHS Secretary vowed that the results will be available by September of this year, leaving many skeptical about the study's rigor. Conversely, some speculate that the HHS may have unpublished studies revealing critical insights into these disorders, just waiting to see the light of day.

Glenn brought up a recent article by the Daily Wire referencing a New York Times piece in which experts questioned the legitimacy of ADHD diagnoses. Glenn agreed and suggested that people are just wired differently; they learn, work, and study differently, and the cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all school system simply fails to accommodate everyone.

New York Times' ADHD Admission

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

Earlier this week, the New York Times published an article that made a shocking admission: there are no concrete biological markers for ADHD. The clinical definition of ADHD is no longer supported by the evidence, and there are no physical, genetic, or chemical identifiers for the disorder, nor is there any real way to test for it. The paper also admitted that people diagnosed with ADHD would suddenly find that they no longer had any symptoms after a change of environment, profession, or field of study. This suggests that "ADHD" might simply be a matter of interests and skills, not a chronic brain sickness.

The most horrifying implication of this admission is that millions of people, including children, have been prescribed heavy mind-altering drugs for years for a disorder that lacks real evidence of its very existence. These drugs are serious business and include products such as Adderall, Ritalin, and Desoxyn. All of these drugs are considered "Schedule II," which is a drug classification that puts them on the same level as cocaine, PCP, and fentanyl. Notably, Desoxyn is chemically identical to methamphetamine, differing only in its production in regulated laboratories rather than illegal settings.

Worse yet, studies show that these medications, like Desoxyn, often provide no long-term benefits. Testing demonstrated that in the short term, there were some positive effects, but after 36 months, there was no discernible difference in symptoms between people who were medicated and those who were not. For decades, we have been giving our children hardcore drugs with no evidence of them working or even that the disorder exists.

RFK Jr's Autism Study

Alex Wong / Staff | Getty Images

Autism rates are on the rise, and RFK Jr. is going to get to the bottom of it. In the year 2000, approximately one in 150 children was diagnosed with autism, but only 20 years later, the rate had increased to one in 36. While some claim that this is simply due to more accurate testing, RFK Jr. doesn't buy it and is determined to discover what is the underlying cause. He is an outspoken critic of vaccines, asserting that the true scope of their side effects has been buried by greed and corruption to sell more vaccines.

RFK Jr. doesn't plan on stopping at vaccines. Similar to ADHD, RFK Jr. suspects other environmental factors could increase of autism or exacerbate symptoms. Factors like diet, water quality, air pollution, and parenting approaches are all under investigation. It's time to bring clarity to the neurological disorders that plague our nation, cut through the corruption, and reveal the healing truth.

Neurological Intervention

WIN MCNAMEE / Contributor | Getty Images

Big Pharma has been all too happy to sit back and watch as the rate of neurological disorders climbs, adding to the ever-growing list of permanent patients who are led to believe that their only choice is to shell out endless money for treatments, prescriptions, and doctor visits. Rather than encouraging lifestyle changes to improve our well-being, they push ongoing medication and costly treatments.

All RFK Jr. is doing is asking questions, and yet the backlash from the "experts" is so immense that one can't help but wonder what they could be hiding. Both Glenn and RFK Jr. have their suspicions of Big Pharma, and the upcoming HHS study might be one of the most important steps to making America healthy again.

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