Fischer gets Herald-Leader endorsement

The editorial board of Lexington's Herald-Leader newspaper issued its endorsement of Democratic Senate candidate Greg Fischer today.

The paper chose Fischer from a seven-candidate field that includes Bruce Lunsford, a Louisville businessman with a 19-point lead over Fischer in the latest SurveyUSA polls.

The Herald-Leader said Fischer -- himself a Louisville businessman -- and Lunsford "have much in common," including their ability to self-finance their campaigns.

Each of these two men would be a worthy candidate for the Democratic Party. And either would be a preferable alternative to McConnell, who has spent 24 years in the Senate serving his rich friends and campaign contributors far more ably than he has served Kentucky.

The bottom line for Democrats comes down to the question of which candidate has the best chance of defeating McConnell in November.

The newspaper says Lunsford enters the race with "baggage that has been thoroughly vetted in previous campaigns and will not be rehashed here" and also argues Fischer is an "untested political novice" that "hasn't run the best of campaigns."

In recent weeks, Fischer has targeted Lunsford's "baggage" in a series of attacks that has earned him criticism from some prominent Kentucky Democrats.

The paper concludes by saying Fischer's freshness as a politican influenced its endorsement.

As a novice, he delivers the message of change with a fresher voice.

He makes that message resonate with more hope, more idealism, more commitment.

And if "change" is the message the Democrats think can inspire Kentucky voters in November, who better to deliver it than a fresh face with a fresh voice?

Finally, the Herald-Leader argues Fischer enters the race with fewer things McConnell could attack.

The second thing is the simple fact that Fischer lacks Lunsford's baggage.

Whomever the Democrats nominate, McConnell will loose the attack dogs on him, just as he has loosed them on all comers for 24 years. But as Fischer asks, why give McConnell "a target-rich environment"?

UPDATE: The Herald-Leader's circulation is the second largest in the state, behind Louisville's Courier-Journal, which endorsed Lunsford today.

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