Siddique Malik

Opinion contributor

Kentucky Democrats are on the cusp of changing the course of history. Not only can they place their state on a trajectory of progress and modernity, they can also set a much-needed example of differentiating between rhetorical dwarfs and true leaders for the nation to follow during the 2020 presidential and congressional elections.

They can do that by nominating Adam Edelen for governor.

Edelen’s main opponent in the primaries is Andy Beshear, whose only asset seems to be his last name. When a politician hides from voters, it’s a tell-tale of his leadership deficit and/or his arrogance. Beshear did not show up at a debate organized by the Simmons College of Kentucky on April 4 and at a debate organized by the Metro Democratic Club on April 10.

Did he think that those who organized and attended these two events were below him? Most of the faculty, staff and students at the Simmons College are our black brothers and sisters. Was that the straw that broke the camel’s back? Was the fact that the Metro Democratic Club debate was held at a union center the reason Beshear shunned it?

I don’t know the answers to these questions, and I have seen no cogent explanations for these conspicuous absences that should incense the rank-and-file Democrats. The problem with most famous last-name candidates is that they think they are entitled to the job, and party establishment tends to support them. But the real master of a political party is its rank and file who must take the control from the party’s lethargic establishment.

Election 2019:Kentucky governor's race fundraising: Edelen leads with $2.3 million

Or perhaps, Beshear had not yet rote-learned points to utter in response to questions. So he skipped the debates. A politician lacking the confidence to answer questions without first having been intensely coached by aides who rely upon public opinion polls, rather than society’s pulse, is not a leader.

Hillary Clinton was also a polls-dependent candidate. To the post-2016 questions as to why she did not take a firm stand against Donald Trump’s obvious shortcomings, she said her campaign had not researched that topic. What about one’s own intellectual ability to raise a point and sustain it out of one’s sheer spontaneity and courage?

Spontaneity requires intellect, but to deploy it at the right moment, one needs courage. Clinton has never been short on intellect, but she neutralized this great strength with her intellectual cowardice. And the rest is history. But let this history not repeat itself in Kentucky’s gubernatorial elections this year.

Edelen is amply endowed with intellect and courage. He knows and understands the facts relevant to just about any issue. I heard him answer questions at the MDC debate. He is succinct and persuasive. His stand on the plight of teachers is replete with facts and logic. He boldly castigated Gov. Matt Bevin for taking his children to chicken pox parties rather than having them vaccinated.

A governor does not get involved with the nation’s foreign policy. So I was surprised when the moderator at the MDC debate raised a question on foreign policy. Out of the three candidates present, Edelen was the only one with an impressive response. That clearly showed his ability to deal with an impromptu situation. I am sure he would never be desperate for the polls data.

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Another sign of leadership-deficient candidates is their propensity to take undue credit. They need to do it to create a fake sense of accomplishment because they know they haven’t really done much for society. Al Gore’s internet went through my mind when on the day of the MDC debate, I saw Beshear’s op-ed in the Courier Journal in which he claimed credit for saving Obamacare. He pretended that without him at the helm in Frankfort, Obamacare would collapse.

Supporting Obamacare is a standard Democratic policy matter. It has become such an integral part of the nation’s psyche that even many Republicans don’t want to be seen on its wrong side. This is why Obamacare has survived despite Trump’s obsession against it. Claiming to be a godsend for Obamacare in Kentucky smacks of utter dishonesty. Probably, a rote pollster suggested that Beshear write this op-ed.

In his op-ed, Beshear pretended that his participation in the suit by the nation’s Democratic attorneys general on behalf of Obamacare was something that only he could have done. What a terrible falsehood! Did he think that not joining the suit was an option for Kentucky’s Democratic attorney general?

Election 2019:Will Beshear's name beat Edelen's money and Adkins' rural roots?

Considering Edelen’s practical approach to policy matters and his reliance upon facts as opposed to rhetoric, he will do a great job at protecting Obamacare in Kentucky and serving Kentucky. It’s a given.

If Kentucky Democrats want a fellow Democrat to beat Bevin, their best bet is Edelen. To beat a trickster, you need someone who can confront him with facts, logic, courage and leadership. Edelen, a former state auditor, has all these qualities.

Let’s nominate Edelen. The Democratic National Committee can then use his success as an example in nominating similar candidates for the 2020 federal elections. After what America has been through since 2016, it desperately needs such an example.

Siddique Malik is an observer of sociopolitical affairs.