Today,thisnewspaperstepsalittleoutsideofwhatsomeperceiveisitscomfortzone.WeendorsetheDemocraticParty'scandidateforgovernor. SteveBeshearisthebestchoiceinthiselection. Wedonotapproachthisdecisionlightly.UntiltheRepublicanprimaryearlierthisyear,whenweendorsedAnneNorthup,weprofessedsteadfastandconsistentsupportforErnieFletcherinbothhiselectionstoCongressandtotheofficeofgovernor.Butthisisoneofthosetimeswhenleadership,orthelackthereof,trumpsphilosophy. Thebestmeasureofaleaderishowhedealswithcrisis,realorpolitical,andGov.Fletcherhasdemonstratedlessleadershipthanstubbornnessinthegreatestpoliticalcrisisofhiscareer.Hisresponsetothemerithiringscandal-whichhecorrectlydescribesasa"witchhunt"butwhichalsowasatestofpoliticalacumen-andhissubsequentabandonmentofhisparty'slong-terminterestsbystayinginthisrace,havediminishedanyclaimshecanmakeofoverallsuccess. Campaigns,andpartisanpoliticsingeneral,havebecomesofraughtwithmisinformationthatitisdifficulttodiscernthetruth.Theissuesarethesameasalways:healthcare,education,jobs.Andthepromises,too,arethesamefrombothsides:betterandmorewithrespecttoallofthosenoblecauses. Ifyouareinpoliticaloffice,it'snothardtofindstatisticsortospininformationthatwillmakeyoulookgood,andit'snothardforyourpoliticalopponenttodothesametomakeyoulookbad.ThelatterisincrediblyeasywhenyouhaveFletcher'sproblems. Inhiszealtoovercome,Fletcherhasfoundhimselfstoopingtodesperatetactics-callinganill-advisedspecialsessiontoadvancehisreelectionbid;flip-floppingonthecasinoissue,thenmisrepresentingBeshear'spositiononthatissue;diggingupdirtabouttheKentuckyCentralcaseandpouringwateronittomakemud;questioninghisopponent'sreligiousconvictions. Fletcherhasattemptedtoframethisracearoundthecasinoproposal,anissuenotyetontheballotandonewhichthevoterswouldbeabletorejectaseasilyastheycanrejectFletcher. Thatsaid,BeshearhasappropriatelyandinfairnesspointedtoFletcher'sindictmentandhisprematureuseofthepardonforstaffmembersasreasonsenoughnottoreelecthim.Hehasappropriatelydescribedthisraceasoneaboutleadership. AndBeshearhasprovenhisabilitytolead.Heservedthisstateadmirablyasstaterepresentative(1974-79),attorneygeneral(1980-84)andaslieutenantgovernorunderMarthaLayneCollins(1983-87).Asattorneygeneralheattackedtheissueoffoodstampfraudandenabledconsumersseekingjustice.Aslieutenantgovernor,heformedtheKentuckyTomorrowCommission,agroupthatsoughttogetaheadofourproblems. Beshearbravelytookupacontroversialissueinthiscampaignfromthestart.Hestoodhisground,andinafracturedfieldofprimarycandidates-whicheveryonethoughtwouldproducearunoffelection-Beshearmanagedtobringhispartytogetherandwinconvincingly. Underthecircumstances,webelieveBeshearisinthebestpositiontoprovidetheleadershipneededtoadvancethecausesinKentuckythatarerepeatedinelectionafterelection. WhenandiftheRepublicanPartyhealsitswounds,maybewecanreturntoadebateofpoliticalphilosophy. Butfornow,weneedadifferentleader.SteveBeshearisattheready.