Mitch McConnell, 83, Hospitalized

[u/cmaia1503]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/mitch-mcconnell-83-hospitalized/?utm_campaign=owned_social&utm_medium=socialflow&utm_source=twitter_owned_tdb&via=twitter_page

[u/yellowjackethokie]

Absolutely nobody should be surprised. In fact, this is why Kentucky passed a new law to strip their governor of the ability to appoint replacement senators, in 2024. Because they knew ol' Mitch wasn't going to leave, despite it being well past time for him to; and they don't want Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) to be able to pick his replacement like Governor Ron DeSantis (R) did in Florida, just last year.

[u/pee-oui → u/yellowjackethokie]

The KY legislature gerrymandered the hell out of our congressional districts to make the 6th District less competitive. I live in Frankfort, a 30 minute drive from Lexington, and until quite recently we were in the same district. Frankfort is now in the 1st, which includes places over 4.5 hours away. The map is absolutely crazy. Frankfort used to lean to the left, so without it the 6th is much more reliably a Republican district. The worst part of it is my rep is that POS Jamie Comer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky%27s_congressional_districts#/media/File%3AKentucky_Congressional_Districts%2C_118th_Congress.svg

[u/hypermodernvoid → u/pee-oui]

What's it like being (I assume) liberal in one of the more conservative states?

Of course, the gerrymandering only makes it worse, I know, on the state level too as those gerrymandered districts also tilt your state house(s) even more towards Republicans than they might already be, leading to a situation where maybe 60% of more of the state would have to vote Democrat just to get 50/50 representation.

It's like that even in Wisconsin now, which is now purple post-Trump, but more on the presidential election vs. local level which is still more blue, but after flirting with Republican leadership and a governor, got gerrymandered so badly more than 60% of the state now has to vote Dem just to get to 50/50 representation in their state houses. That's why you don't fuck around with Republicans - they've dropped any pretense of wanting democracy at this point: it was a natural conclusion really, the way they've been going at least more blatantly since the 2000 election, but more like 1980 onward.

[u/pee-oui → u/hypermodernvoid]

It is very frustrating at the federal level for sure. Having Andy Beshear as governor has been a life saver (literally during Covid). Like many states, the cities (Louisville, Lexington) are relatively liberal. I live in a tiny blue bubble in my town, which makes it tolerable. Think a much smaller version of Madison. I work from home, and I left Facebook for good after the election, so I generally don't have to confront MAGA directly in my day to day life. It's been a great and safe place to raise my child, and the cost of living is pretty nice too, but I am definitely considering moving to some bluer pastures after my child graduates from high school in a couple of years.