Forty years of ‘success in politics,’ but KY sits at the bottom of every ranking | Opinion

With Mitch McConnell stepping down as Senate leader, a new political era is beginning in Kentucky. As we embark on this new era, I believe it’s critical to elevate some key questions as we consider what it means to be “successful in politics.’‘

Are you “successful in politics” if you help implement a failed economic model that emphasizes market primacy, deregulation, privatization, and more, contributing to a decline in the quality of life for many Kentuckians, exacerbating inequality and undermining the foundations of social cohesion and democratic governance?

Are you “successful in politics” if you spent 40 years representing a state that is at or near the bottom of every major indicator of quality of life (per capita income, health, education, employment) and those rankings are basically the same now as they were when you started your political career 40 years prior?

Are you “successful in politics” if your main source of power is deeply intertwined with dark money and corporate influence, and all the deregulation that paved the way for unchecked corporate spending in politics, benefiting some industries, at the expense of the public good?

Are you “successful in politics” if the 2008 financial crisis, an opioid epidemic that ravaged your home state, COVID and other horrific, total systems failures all happened on your watch and which cost us trillions of dollars and, more importantly, racked up an unimaginable human toll, a cost measured in both millions of lives lost and in shattered dreams of tens of millions more?

You can say that all our leaders failed on economic policy, or blame the strife on other developments. You can say Kentucky is failing because of the individual choices and behaviors of our people, however incomplete, cynical and irresponsible that, from my view, may be. You can say that it’s naive to think politics can be different. And you can certainly attempt to identify the actions of a few individuals as the reason for these total system failures. But wouldn’t you just be repeating the worn out tropes and false narratives that keep us trapped in a broken status quo?

Along with this new era in Kentucky politics, as I see it, our world is shifting into something new and it’s true we live in “interesting times,” as the Chinese proverb goes. Although at times scary, this shift is the chance, I think, to embrace a new kind of relationship with ourselves, our neighbors and our politics, one based in loving grace, connection, compassion, empathy and understanding. And one that can help us break generational cycles.

I hope you will do your own research and ask the questions above of yourself, your family and your friends. The answers are no doubt critical to choosing a path to the kind of vibrant, healthy, peaceful, safe and prosperous future that is real and possible and that we, as Kentuckians, most certainly deserve.

Taylor Coots, from Taylorsville, KY, is a political consultant with national experience. He has developed and helped implement political strategies that resonate with voters based on his deep understanding of the political landscape.

This story was originally published March 5, 2024 at 10:38 AM.