BY TOM LATEK

Kentucky Today

The crowd was belligerent, candidate rhetoric was hot, and so was the barbecue on Saturday at the 143rd Fancy Farm Picnic and Political Speaking event in the small Graves County community of Fancy Farm, which serves as the start to the fall political season in Kentucky.

Current Attorney General and Republican Gubernatorial nominee Daniel Cameron accused his Democrat opponent, incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear, of fighting for the Biden agenda.

“Having boys playing girls sports, transgender surgery for kids. I’ve been watching Frankfort Andy up close for nearly four years, and I have just one question: Governor, are you auditioning for a job with Bud Light’s marketing team?  This governor lies more than a Hunter Biden tax return. But here’s the truth, his record is one of failure and flies in the face of true Kentucky values.

“We can restore law and order.  We can build a future that is based on true Kentucky values, instead of Biden’s radical ideology.  Governor, I know you guys are obsessed with pronouns these days, but come November, yours are going to be ‘has’ and ‘been.’”

Beshear, for his part, took no prisoners, either.  “I know you just heard from Daniel Cameron.  What he said is not true, it’s all lies.  If you’re willing to lie about a grand jury, he’s willing to lie to you.”

That was in reference to Cameron’s investigation of the fatal shooting of Louisville paramedic Breonna Taylor in a botched drug raid, where no indictments were returned against officers who fired the fatal shots.  Three jurors on the 12-member grand jury later came forward to say Cameron’s team limited their scope and misled them about what charges they could consider against the officers.

After describing some of his economic development efforts in western Kentucky, as well as recovery efforts from tornadoes and floods, Beshear told the crowd, “I’m reminded of the Golden Rule which is to treat our neighbors as ourselves. The good Samaritan said everyone is our neighbor.  You see the contrast in this race between my vision and Cameron’s division.”

The two candidates’ running mates for lieutenant governor, Republican Robby Mills and Democratic incumbent Jacqueline Coleman, expressed similar sentiments.

The speeches could barely be heard, due to chanting and yelling by opponents of the candidates.

The political sparring went on all afternoon with Constitutional office candidates taking a turn.