This is perfect.
In hotly contested statewide primaries, the Republican Party of Kentucky has made a tradition of inviting the combatants to pledge to attend a post-election unity rally.
In the 2003 gubernatorial campaign, the move helped solidify support behind Ernie Fletcher. In 2010, a skeptical tea party contingent with Rand Paul met a shocked and dismayed establishment cohorts Trey Grayson and Mitch McConnell to start that successful fall campaign.
As the polls continue to narrow in his favor, Matt Bevin has every reason to continue hedging on whether or not he will attend if the voters choose McConnell. In fact, on Monday or Tuesday Matt should put out a press release demanding full retractions and apologies from McConnell for each and every false personal attack McConnell has launched against Matt as a condition to further discussions.
Here's my thinking on this: McConnell has already announced his support for Matt as the Republican nominee if the election does not go his way. McConnell should have to explain his own horrific behavior during that campaign and seek to make amends now or explain why he thinks someone as untrustworthy as the cartoonishly corrupt image he has spent millions of dollars trying to create would deserve general election support simply in the name of party loyalty.
Very few people outside the very insular established moderate professional politician circles view party loyalty as sacrosanct as does McConnell. Mitch could be made to sweat on this point a lot in the coming days and Matt should make him do it.
