Wednesday, 30 June 2010

Mongiardo Not Taking Sides In U.S. Senate Race

In a shocking development, Mongiardo has decided not to take a position in the U.S. Senate race.

Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo said Tuesday that he is “not taking a position” in the U.S. Senate race between Democrat Jack Conway and Republican Rand Paul.

“I have spoken with Jack Conway the week after election day and haven’t heard from him since,” Mongiardo said Tuesday night before speaking at the Community Action Council’s Poverty Forum in downtown Lexington.

It is a truly startling decision that I didn't see coming. Oh wait, no. It really wasn't all that surprising. Anyone who followed the Democratic primary knew that the two sides despised each other. The Democratic primary was exceptionally bitter and acrimonious. A campaign that both sides took very personally. Thus it isn't all that astonishing that Mongiardo would flip Conway the bird as a final parting shot.

What I want to know is if we will see articles from the media wondering if the Democratic party will be unified for the election? Kinda like they did with the Republicans in the immediate aftermath of the relatively tepid primary battle between Paul and Grayson. I am not going to hold my breath waiting for it.


Posted by brians at 9:24 PM in Kentucky Politics
Responses (1)

Tuesday, 29 June 2010

Conway Skips Biden Visit

The biggest story out of the Kentucky U.S. Senate race this week is Conway's decision to skip the Biden visit to Louisville.
Kentucky Democratic Senate nominee Jack Conway will miss Vice  President Joe Biden’s event in Louisville on Monday morning because  he’ll be meeting with former Sen. Wendell Ford (D-Ky.) in Washington,  according to Conway’s campaign.

“Jack Conway has a scheduling conflict and will not be attending the  event,” said Conway spokeswoman Allison Haley. “Jack is pleased that the vice president will be in Kentucky talking about jobs. Job creation and deficit reduction will be Jack Conway’s top priorities as our next
senator.”

The scheduling conflict is hilarious. Like he couldn't reschedule his meeting with the former Senator from Kentucky. If the Obama administration were popular in Kentucky, I can guarantee you he would be front and center the entire time. The only answer for his absenteeism is his desire to stay away from the current administration. He doesn't want his picture taken with Biden because it will be used by the Paul campaign.

Conway's disappearing act highlights the undercurrents of this election. Conway's positions and the positions of his party are really unpopular right now with Kentuckians. As much as Conway and the media in this state will try to focus this election on anything but the issues, it is the economy, health care, and the general incompetence of this current administration which will drive voters to the polls this election. It shows just how tall a mountain that Conway is going to have to climb just to have a chance to win this election.

Bonus thought: I do find it interesting that the Courier Journal conspicuously avoided this story (props to the Herald Leader for at least covering Conway's absence).  Hmmm, I guess it was just an oversight and not editorial bias.

Posted by brians at 9:54 PM in Kentucky Politics
Responses (0)

Thursday, 24 June 2010

Why Soccer Will Continue To Fail In The US Even With The Success Of The World Cup

There is no doubt that soccer can be an exciting sport. If you watch the sport long enough you begin to learn the intricacies of the game. Once you begin to understand the flow of the game, it is apparent why the sport is so popular around the world. It provides the level of drama that can match any other sport. Yet it continues to be a second tier sport in the U.S.. They question is why? Contrary to idiots on the left, it is not because Americans are racists. Personally, I think soccer fails to resonate with Americans for three reasons.
  1. Lack of Scoring: The first comment you here is their isn't enough scoring. I don't think low scores by themselves is enough to discourage Americans from the game. I believe the side effects of low scoring affairs offend American sensibilities more than the result. Goals come at to large of a premium. That means one side can dominate a match only to lose because they can't manage to get a goal while the weaker side can luck into a goal and win (see Switzerland vs Spain). I think Americans are put off with the fact that the weaker side wins too many games. The better team on game day should usually win. In every American sport the best side on any given day rarely loses the game. Yes I know upsets happen. But it is usually because the better skilled team plays poorly while the weaker side steps up and plays above themselves. Unfortunately, in soccer this isn't the case. Luck plays too large a part in success.

    Another problem with low scoring is that it puts a premium on good officiating. A bad call (USA vs Slovenia) can be devastating to one team. Having a goal erased based upon a bad call can easily eliminate up to 100% of a teams possible scores. That puts an immense amount of pressure on the officials to get the call correct.

    On top of that, the difficulty of scoring makes the penalty kick a tremendously harsh call that can be handed out for a foul. Especially since the success rate for penalty kicks is around 85%. Not only does it have a ridiculously high conversion rate, but the advantage gained is massive. It is the football equivalent of being given a field goal attempt that if successful gains you 14 points.

    If that isn't enough the lack of scoring makes it even more likely for a soccer game to end in a tie. Americans hate ties. Ties have been all but scrubbed out of baseball, basketball, and football. Americans don't want to watch a sporting event and it not have a decisive ending. Ties frustrate Americans. Especially the casual sports fans.

    Solution: The problem is the average game might have 3 goals. That is the equivalent of a 14-7 football game. Few would consider that an exciting game. On the other hand, a 28-21 score would be a very good game. That would be the equivalent of a 7 goals soccer game. That means the scoring would need to double. The best suggestion I have heard to increase scoring would be to make the goals slightly bigger. Currently the goal is 8x24 feet. If they increased the goal size to 9x26, more goals would occur. Think about it. Almost every game has 1 or 2 shots that smack off the post. Those would go in with the new dimensions. I don't know if it would double the scoring, but it would be a step in the right direction. Regardless, something needs to be done to bring better balance to the game.

  2. Poor Officiating: As noted previously, poor officiating can have a major effect on the outcome of the game. The biggest problem is soccer only allows 1 official on the pitch during the match. 22 players and 1 referee is a recipe for a disaster. (yes I know they have sideline officials, but they have few responsibilities outside of calling offsides and out of play.) It is virtually impossible for a single official to see everything. This leads to players acting in order to catch the officials attention. Many of the bad calls are just the referee being in a poor position to see what actually happens on any given play. In a game that puts such a premium on goal scoring, the problems with poor calls are just exacerbated.

    Solution: Soccer needs to put more officials on the pitch. They need multiple officials with each given a specific responsibility depending on the game situation. In football they have nine referees and each one has a specific assignment. Heck even basketball has three officials and they only manage ten players within a very small court. Personally, I think they should add two more officials. Such a move would eliminate much of the chicanery that goes on during a game. It would be much harder for players to get away with play acting and cut down on all of the fouls that occur on set plays. Having multiple eyes on the box can only help get more calls right. That should be a major goal for the soccer federation who controls the game. Heck they should even use instant replay for all potential goal / penalty kick situations just to make sure they are clean.

  3. Pansy Aspect Of Soccer: Watch any soccer game and within minutes you will see a player fall to the ground writing in pain. Most Americans first thought is generally, I hope that player is OK. Then magically he hops up and starts playing again.This is known in the soccer world as "diving". The player acts like he is hurt in order to draw a call from the official. The whole spectacle is ridiculous. Can you imagine a football player rolling on the ground in agony after a play and then a few seconds later get up and continues playing? Bottom line, diving offends American sensibilities.

    Solution: Two things. First, they need more officials on the pitch. It would lessen the need for players to act in order to draw attention of the referee and it would increase the chances that the officials would see the dive and issue a yellow card. Secondly, all fouls should be reviewed post game. Any player that dives without being touched should be banned for two games. Such harsh penalties would help eliminate diving.
I think soccer has real potential as a sport in America. I just don't think it will gain a real foothold until the problems outlined above are resolved. Otherwise it will continue to be second tier sport.


Posted by brians at 9:12 PM in Sports Topics
Responses (0)

Thursday, 17 June 2010

The Distraction Campaign

What are the most pressing federal issues facing Kentuckians? I would have to think that the following is a pretty good list of priorities for most in Kentucky.
  1. Overcoming economic stagnation
  2. Reducing the massive federal debt
  3. Repeal of Obamacare
  4. Stopping Cap n Trade
  5. Stopping illegal immigration
Some might argue over the list, but these elements would definitely be in the top 6 or 7 issues that most Kentuckians would identify are pressing federal problems. What do all of these issues have in common? Democratic senatorial candidate Conway is on the wrong side of all these issues.

I was wondering how the Dems in this state with their accomplices in the media would wage war against Republican front runner Rand Paul. The answer has crystallized in the last month. They are going to play a distraction game. They are going to try and make it an election about  periphreal issues. The goal is to discredit Paul so his message of limited federal government will fall in deaf ears.

The Democrats have no choice. They have to make the race about something other than the issues. They won't win if the discussion is on the issues. And so the focus has been on distraction. The campaign has had limited success. The gap between Paul and Conway in the polls has narrowed. But I haven't seen a poll with Paul trailing Conway. If Conway can't gain the lead now, he is in deep trouble in the fall when Kentuckians start focusing on the race. Because then those top issues outlined above will become the central focus of the campaign.
When that happens Conway's numbers will do nothing but head south.  If he doesn't have the lead before then, he is toast.

Note: It should be a lot of fun tracking the distraction campaign in the coming months.


Posted by brians at 6:56 AM in Kentucky Politics
Responses (0)

Thursday, 10 June 2010

DNC Smoking Crack

This is absolutely hilarious.



I couldn't stop laughing after watching the video. Apparently the Democrats have decided to double down on Obamacare. Are they serious? I think this definitely has to fall in to WTF were they thinking category. The last DailyKos poll in Kentucky (End of May) showed that support for repeal of Obamacare in Kentucky stood at 52%. Only 32% of Kentuckians supported Obamacare. Does that sound like Obamacare is a winning platform here in the bluegrass state? I just hope all the Democrats in Kentucky follow the DNC's lead on this one.

Posted by brians at 9:48 PM in Kentucky Politics
Responses (0)

Wednesday, 9 June 2010

Beshear: New Found Leadership?

Much has been made of Beshear's leadership in coming up with a compromise between the senate and the house on the state budget. Personally, I think he was late to the game, but he did get it done. So has Beshear reached a turning point in his administration?

I wouldn't count on it. Just look at his attempts during the special session to authorize free bourbon samples at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. What happened? It failed to pass the Democratic controlled house. It is obvious he didn't even bother to talk to his fellow legislators before including it on his wish list. Otherwise he would have learned their reservations and he could have crafted something that would have easily passed.

This is the same ridiculous strategy he used when he set out his own budget. He made crap up without consulting legislators and seemed shocked when they rejected it. It is as if he lives in this dream world where if he declares something then it will become a reality. That is not how the legislative process works today in Kentucky. It might have worked 50 years ago, but not today. So now the Governor is left scrambling to find a way to allow free samples. Great leadership!

While he deserves some credit for solving the budget empasse, don't expect a renaissance of new found leadership in the Governors office. I think the budget was a one time deal that he was forced into doing. If not, he would have had the compromise crafted before the end of the regular session and not a month later.

Posted by brians at 9:08 PM in Kentucky Politics
Responses (0)

Back From Hiatus

It is a bit obvious that I haven't blogged in the last few weeks. The reason for the absence is I decided to take some time off from blogging to recharge the batteries. Hopefully I have accomplished my goal and am ready to get going again!
Posted by brians at 6:08 PM in Announcements
Responses (0)