The Kentucky Democratic Party has never been known for memorable performances. Instead, the KDP has consistently been impotent on several fronts. From unimpressive fundraising to failing to knock off vulnerable Republicans in 2006 elections, the KDP consistently underperforms. Even the ultra-liberal blogger Mark Nickolas incessantly whined about the KDP's incompetence, focusing heavily on the half-million dollars it had to borrow last year.

There is no reason to believe this tradition of poor performances will be broken this year. While early polls have shown Steve Beshear leading the governor race over incumbent Ernie Fletcher, the gap is closing. There is one question we must ask: Can Steve Beshear maintain an election?

To try to answer this question, let's first look at Beshear's last two races. In the 1987 Kentucky democratic primary for governor, voters correctly viewed Steve Beshear as being soft on the issues. Consequently, he failed to get out of the democratic primary for governor. Ironically enough, the issue that beat Beshear is gaming, specifically the lottery.

Not satisfied with one sound rejection, Beshear took another gamble and challenged U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell in 1996. Once again, Beshear's inability to perform resulted in his defeat by some 160,000 votes. If Beshear failed to maintain an election when he was 20 years younger, I have serious doubts about his current ability.

However, we need to look at this race for signs that Beshear has found the winning prescription. With underwhelming commercials espousing irrelevant issues, like Beshear singing in church, it is hard to imagine he is on target to perform now.

In addition to the lackluster advertisements, Beshear's message is already going soft. Primary candidate Beshear advocated for casinos, mistakenly thinking they were going to be the little blue pill that would give Kentucky's economy the stimulant he thinks it needs. Now Beshear is limping away from the issue. If Beshear cannot sustain his own position for more than four months, why should we believe he can maintain an election?

Maybe he should consult with his running mate, Dr. Dan Mongiardo. Then again, Dr. Dan doesn't have a history of performing very well either. Dr. Dan failed to surmount a weakened and possibly senile incumbent who consistently made mistakes when he ran for Senate in 2004. A doctor who walks out on his patients will not be the boost Beshear needs to maintain his election.

Could the down-ticket democrat candidates be the lift Steve needs to maintain an election? Probably not. During his horrific Fancy Farm performance, Jack "Happy" Conway showed us all that he has trouble controlling his emotions. Conway even admitted to having serious issues. Maybe former Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig can see if he can't smack the walls of a couple of bathroom stalls to find some spare change to give. I'd say this Duke grad isn't an asset, but more of a drag.

The rest of the down-ticket candidates will not provide the boost Beshear needs to maintain this election. David Williams, the democratic commissioner of agriculture nominee, has regular legal troubles. As mayor of Pineville, Bruce Hendrickson, the Democratic secretary of state nominee, failed to satisfy his town of 2,000 people. His inability to win re-election as mayor is the sole reason he is running for secretary of state.

When thinking about whom to vote for this fall, remember the inability of the Democrats to perform. If they have trouble maintaining elections for a few months, how can we expect them to give a stellar performance in office for four years?

Thomas Roberts is the chairman of UK College of Republicans. E-mail opinions@kykernel.com

Issue date: 8/28/07 Section: Opinions

The parents are gone. You've met your roommates, and you sort of know your way around now. And, considering this is the fifth day of class, your professors have undoubtedly let you know that all Republicans are ignorant rednecks whose conservative Christian values do not belong in a tolerant, freethinking, learning community. After all, Republicans are intolerant bigots who would like nothing better than for all jobs to be shipped to Mexico or India.

I hope the crazy liberal UK faculty members do not persuade you to change your minds based solely on their claims. Although they may be experts in extremely useful fields like medieval French literature, Appalachian studies and geographic gender relations, not one letter after their names makes your opinion wrong. You should never feel intimidated, and you should never allow yourself to be silenced by your "free-thinking" hippie teaching assistants and professors. If you find yourself in an intimidating situation, talk to the Office of Academic Ombud Services.

None of what I just said should be taken to mean these people know nothing. If you are in a medieval French literature class and the professor teaches about medieval French literature, take advantage of that instructor's expertise and learn all you can about the subject.

Just remember the difference between an opinion on political topics and factual information in course subjects. If you are conservative, that guarantees that professors are going to lecture about things that directly oppose what you believe. That just means you have to know the facts behind your opinions. Challenge yourself to know why you believe what you do. Chances are, if you cannot justify your opinion, you just may be wrong.

Republicans aren't the Bible-beating, assault-rifle-toting, right-wing nut jobs the left proclaims. There will come a time, however, when you may doubt this. After all, if all of the lectures, the Kernel and the rest of the liberal media are all saying Republicans are bastards, it must be true, right? The shortest answer is "Hell no!"

Liberals are great at letting everyone know they're nearby. Whether they are whining on blogs, complaining about something Republicans did or having a couple of people with a bullhorn at a rally, they tend to be visible. While inexplicable, it always happens that those who know the least know it the loudest.

In any case, the next time you encounter such a brazen display of ignorance, remember that College Republicans are actually trying to fix the problems we face by addressing the tough issues and getting candidates who share our values elected to office.

I hope every one of you will take the time to come to our first meeting tonight at 8 on the third floor of Commons Market. Once there, you'll see we have a very diverse group. We have people ready for George Bush to leave the White House and those wishing he could run again. We have people on both sides of every issue.

We have people from all different faiths, from different economic classes. We've got punks, hippies, rockers, preppies, city people, rednecks and any other group you could imagine. If you want to know more about our organization - like how to get involved and when events are happening - check out our Web site (www.ukcollegerepublicans.com).

I can't think of a better year to get involved. We've got several social events planned, a ton of campaign internships still available, and unbelievable networking opportunities due to the heated state elections this fall. You'll only be cheating yourself if you decide that rerun of "Seinfeld" is more worthwhile than coming to the meeting to learn what we are about and make some new friends.

Thomas Roberts is the chairman of UK College Republicans. E-mail opinions@kykernel.com