The Daily Caller read a book, and they don't like it, but maybe they finished it? So that's something, anyway.
The book in question is "All That Is Bitter And Sweet," a memoir co-written by actress Ashley Judd, who may or may not be considering a run for the Senate against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). As our own Howard Fineman reported over the weekend, "sources" say that Judd is weighing an announcement, although Judd herself denies that anything like that is afoot. I've previously signaled some skepticism about a very liberal actress running in a very conservative state whose Democrats are all largely beholden to coal interests, but as Fineman points out, a more pressing problem is that Judd is not actually a resident of Kentucky at the moment, and that might become somewhat important.
Alex Pappas has read this memoir a bit late in the game, as he basically rounds up a bunch of opposition-research stuff that you've probably already come across if you've been paying even a little bit of attention to this story. For example, Judd has previously expressed an affinity for the state of Tennessee (where she would face an equally daunting challenge, electorally speaking) and has written about her decision not to have children, suggesting it would be "unconscionable to breed" and that doing so would be "selfish."
"Expect Judd to be asked if she thinks those in Kentucky who have decided to have families of their own are 'selfish,'" writes Pappas, apparently finally figuring this stuff out.
Anyway, Judd has an affection for a lot of different religions and doesn't like the fundamentalist strain of Christianity, which, you know, is kind of unsurprising. Also, she "winters in Scotland," which I guess sounds pretty hoity-toity, but again, this is well-worn stuff.
Also, she is a supporter of Planned Parenthood, like a lot of Democrats, and "considered volunteering" with the organization, like a lot of human beings. Says Pappas, just killing it at making predictions: "Expect reporters to ask her more about her history with the organization."
The uncontroversial point here is that it might be a stretch for Judd to make herself relatable to the voters of Kentucky, who, as you might recall, just sent Rand Paul to the Senate. What Judd might prove to be very good at doing, on the other hand, is drawing the sort of fire (think crazy sexist remarks) from GOP opponents, inside and outside of Kentucky, that ends up blowing back on the very people who enunciate it.
But again, most of what the Daily Caller pulls from the memoir -- the love for Tennessee, the Scotland stuff, her support for reproductive rights and her "selfish" comments -- are all well-known, well-trod and baked into the challenge she faces with Kentucky voters. Is there anything I don't already know about Judd?
Well, there's this:
While it probably won’t hurt her very much in Kentucky to rail against rap music, Judd expresses a strong distaste for hip-hop music in her memoir.
So if the Kentucky Senate race comes down to whether or not it's Ashley Judd or Mitch McConnell who has the more popular take on hip-hop, then I'll have very badly underrated Judd's chances.
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