Of the hundreds of political people I’ve interviewed over 40 years in broadcasting, Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin understands the value of radio more than any other. He knows that long form conversations give him instant, unedited contact with constituents as opposed to edited clips packaged through the prism of any given reporter.
Bevin and I have a scheduled monthly chat – he calls them Talk Radio Tuesdays and appears on 4 or 5 shows in different areas of the state – and I am usually last on the clock.
Because WHAS is in his home city, I often get in-studio interviews, a rarity for governors. We had a scheduled interview on December 12th. The text shows that he decided to make it a visit.
Yesterday’s pop-by was a complete surprise…an impromptu year in review and look at 2018.
No matter how the conversations are generated, I appreciate the access for WHAS listeners to hear how the commonwealth’s top elected official gauges various issues.
Matt Bevin and I established a rapport years ago as he listened to me while driving around the state to meet people before launching his political career. By the time we first met, he already knew me better than I know myself.
The familiarity factor shines through in the conversations we have on the radio. Matt Bevin is devoted to reshaping Kentucky from its lethargic, debt-ridden status into a friendly business environment to create jobs and revenue.
His detractors think he’s an over-zealous Christian steering a theocracy while lining his own pockets. They accuse me of coddling Bevin, hoping that I will attack him.
Most of them never listen to our talks. They just lash out with predictable partisan vitriol. Sad!
After four years of conversations, I am inclined to believe Matt Bevin is – in this order – an honest father, husband, and leader. He used to be naive but has learned to wade through ages of political quicksand. He wants to unwind generations of patronage nonsense to streamline the government machine so that more Kentuckians can flourish. It does indeed require a little skin in the game and a lot of fortitude. Bevin brings both to the task.
Here is our final chat for 2017
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BEVIN AND THE MEDIA
Governor Bevin has had a rancorous relationship with the media as he notes in the above interview. He routinely sidesteps The Courier-Journal and Lexington Herald Leader, claiming that they “try to start fights” asking questions about his rivals and then exaggerate his answers to create a false narrative.
Although most “journalists” vehemently deny that their partisanship seeps into their work, the collective media product is overwhelmingly biased in favor of Liberals. It detracts from the overall media mission of informing the public, not choosing sides to fawn over Democrats and pillory Republicans.
Bias in action. This, ladies and gentlemen, is how the press puts its finger on the scale. It’s why liberal bias is over the top. They’re for Obamacare. They’re against tax cuts. pic.twitter.com/UPWe4prBzp
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) December 21, 2017
We all have each other. Let’s make everyone’s voice count.
