Leftovers from a transformational national election that bypassed Kentucky:
After Bruce Lunsford gave Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a scare in the closing days of the fall campaign, some Democrats may be playing the "what if" game.
As in: What if U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler or state Auditor Crit Luallen had been the party's candidate instead of the baggage-laden multimillionaire Louisville businessman?
But Democrats who let their minds wander in that direction ignore several important points.
At the time Chandler and Luallen opted out of the race last year, McConnell appeared far stronger than the vulnerable incumbent he became down the stretch.
And even though both Chandler and Luallen could have expected considerable help from national Democrats, it's questionable they could have raised the kind of money Lunsford pulled out of his pockets and invested in his own campaign. It was that investment up front that put Lunsford in position to be competitive when the collapse of the financial markets put McConnell at greatest risk.
To read the complete column, visit The Lexington Herald-Leader.