The first primary debate in Kentucky’s Senate race didn’t just introduce candidates; it crystallized the soul of the contest and perhaps the battle for the soul of the Republican party. Over the course of the debate, we got a glimpse into two diametrically opposed visions for Republicans: Trumpism vs. McConnellism.
Nate Morris articulated the vision of Trumpism from his opening statement onward: “Kentucky deserves a Senator who recognizes that this is Donald Trump’s Republican Party and votes accordingly.”
Morris told his story, being raised by a single mother on food stamps, descending from a family rooted in the grit of autoworkers. It was a perfect proxy for the story of millions of Americans who feel left behind by decades of political failure.
It was truly a star-making performance from Morris, one of the best first debates I have ever seen from a first-time Senate candidate. And what made it more jarring was just how much better Morris was than his opponent, career politician Andy Barr.
Politics is quite literally Barr’s only job: he’s been running for office for more than 15 years, but you wouldn’t know that if you watched the debate. He spent the entire night flustered, sounding rushed and even bizarrely yelling at various points throughout the night.
The consistent theme overall was one candidate, Nate Morris, being perfectly in control of his message, of his emotions, and of the conversation vs. “beta” Andy Barr, who seemingly lost control the minute the lights got bright.
It’s hard to ignore the fact that Barr got dogwalked. Plain and simple.