In Kentucky, they take bluegrass and brown liquor (bourbon to be precise) quite seriously.
asserted
they → take → bluegrass
But this past week, at the Kentucky Distillers' Association meeting in Louisville, high spirits were undermined by frustration with
and .Kentucky's Democratic Governor Andy Beshear, just a few months shy of his 49th birthday, was there, shaking hands and looking to shake up Washington.
asserted
Beshear → undermine → Washington
"I continue to push the current administration to pull back these destructive tariffs," he told the crowd.
asserted
he → continue → crowd
Beshear told us, "The fight with Canada, even before tariffs, has bourbon down 85% in that country.
asserted
fight → tell → country
And listen, I'm not blaming Canadians, but this president's insulted them."
asserted
president → listen → them
Kentucky bourbon might not be the typical fuel for presidential ambition, but the fight has thrust Beshear into the 2028 conversation.
uncertain
fight → thrust → conversation
The title of his new memoir,
(to be published Tuesday by St. Martin's), quotes Jesus, who said people should follow in the footsteps of the Good Samaritan, to "go and do likewise.
asserted
people → publish → Samaritan
"Asked if Democrats should do more to engage with people of faith
asserted
Democrats → do → faith
, Beshear replied, "Oh, I think so.
asserted
I → reply → ?
I mean, think about the lessons the Bible teaches.
asserted
Bible → mean → lessons
In a place of scarcity, Jesus makes sure that everybody has enough.
asserted
everybody → make → enough
Democrats are fighting to make sure there is food assistance for all of America's children, that kids don't go to school hungry, that seniors don't go to bed hungry.
asserted
seniors → fight → bed
And look at what Donald Trump tried to do: He
during a shutdown for the first time in history, to use starving Americans as leverage.
asserted
Trump → look → leverage
It's not the right thing to do.
asserted
It → do → ?
"Beshear has said that Democrats have to do a better job of speaking "normal."
asserted
Democrats → say → job
Asked to explain, he said, "We've got to sound like normal human beings.
asserted
We → ask → beings
I think that it was advocacy-speak that was meant for the right things, right?
asserted
that → think → things
It was meant to reduce stigma, but I don't think you reduce stigma by changing words.
asserted
you → mean → words
You reduce stigma by changing hearts.
asserted
You → reduce → hearts
You think about the term 'food insecurity' – it doesn't convey what that person is going through.
asserted
person → think → what
It doesn't convey your compassion for trying to make sure everyone has enough to eat, like the word hunger does."
asserted
hunger → convey → enough
President Trump has won big in deep-red Kentucky, but Beshear points to his record – one term as attorney general and two as governor – as proof that Democrats can win in the South.
asserted
Democrats → win → South
And the past success of Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, both Democratic governors from the South, could provide a playbook.
uncertain
success → provide → playbook
"You look at Bill Clinton as someone who was good at being president, I think the last president to run a surplus," Beshear said, "and I think part of that was bringing in that outsider's perspective of having been a governor, where you have to run a balanced budget every single year, or you've got to start cutting mid-year."
asserted
you → look → -
Beshear may claim the mantle of outsider, but his father, Steve, once served as governor as well.
uncertain
father → claim → governor
"Yes, sometimes people try to do the 'nepo baby' deal with my dad being governor," he said, "and they look at me and they say, 'How old were you when your dad was elected governor?'
asserted
dad → try → me
And I look at them and say, 'Thirty.'
asserted
I → look → Thirty
As a lawyer, I did more free legal work for that man than anybody in my lifetime.
asserted
I → do → lifetime
He has still yet to repay me!"
asserted
He → have → me
Beshear, who is now chair of the Democratic Governors' Association, tells us he'll wait until the midterms, and after consulting with his wife and two children, to decide about 2028.
asserted
he → tell → 2028
But he's already on the offense against one potential GOP candidate, publicly taking on Vice President J.D. Vance, who has also been out talking about faith.
asserted
who → take → faith
Beshear sees stark differences: "Well, I try to use faith to lift people up.
asserted
I → see → people
I see JD Vance using it to kick them while they're down," he said.
asserted
he → see → them
"I see the arrogance, which he goes about his job and his life using faith to judge people, to demean people.
asserted
he → see → people
Engaging in the poverty tourism that his book 'Hillbilly Elegy' was, judging our people and claiming the people of Appalachia are lazy and that addiction is their fault, when opioid companies sent hundreds of pills into counties for every man, woman and child that lives there."
asserted
that → engage → man
Earlier this spring, Beshear appeared at South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn's fish fry, a famous proving ground for presidential contenders, where he looked every bit ready to throw his hat into the ring.
asserted
he → appear → ring
And in his book, he references what he calls "The Great American Reset."
asserted
he → reference → what
"We've lived through a civil war," he said.
asserted
he → live → war
"We've lived through McCarthyism, which by the way, Donald Trump is engaging in right now.
asserted
Trump → live → way
Yeah, we can get beyond this.
asserted
we → get → this
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
