Practical motive for Ky. political positions

Republican Trey Grayson, Kentucky’s incumbent secretary of state, said the other day he wants to do away with “straight-ticket” voting – the method where a voter pulls one lever for all candidates of the same party.

Grayson called it “lazy voting” in a Thursday story by Enquirer reporter Pat Crowley. His opponent, Democratic challenger Bruce Hendrickson, issued a statement disagreeing, praising the benefits of “party loyalty.”

These positions aren’t surprising given the particulars of the Secretary of State race this year. Grayson has to worry not only about his own campaign, but the trickle-down impact that the governor’s race will have.

Republican incumbent Ernie Fletcher, whose first term included his being indicted, is lagging badly in the polls. If enough people who dislike Fletcher simply yank the lever for a straight Democratic ticket, Grayson suffers, even though he had nothing to do with the Fletcher scandal.
Likewise, Hendrickson, who doesn’t have the name recognition of the incumbent Grayson, just loves the idea of people pulling the “one-lever-fits-all” option because they associate all Republicans with the one at the top of the ticket.

Of course I have no reason to doubt the sincerity of either Grayson or Hendrickson – and the “straight-ticket” option will be a reality in this election anyway. But don’t you just wonder a little bit whether their positions would be the same if their situations were reversed?