# Liberty Movement > Liberty Campaigns > Liberty Campaign Evaluation >  Campaign Evaluation: Matt Bevin (U.S. Senate, R-KY) - campaign ended

## malkusm

This thread is intended to be a collection point of the strong pros and cons of any potential liberty candidate / campaign that is being discussed / promoted on the forum. You are welcome to post both positive and not-so-positive attributes about the candidate as they related to their position on supporting liberty as well as issues relating to their campaign. The most important information may be aggregated in this top post for easy reference.

*Candidate Name:* Matt Bevin
*Office Sought:* U.S. Senate, Kentucky
*Website:* https://mattbevin.com/
*Social Media:* Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

*Candidate Profile: On the Issues*
Civil Liberties: [Rating TBD]
Constitutional Issues: [Rating TBD]
Economic Issues: [Rating TBD]
Foreign Policy: [Rating TBD]
Social Issues: [Rating TBD]
*Overall Issues Rating:* [Rating TBD]

*Race Profile: Competition & Demographics*
State: Kentucky
District: N/A
Incumbent: Mitch McConnell (R-SC)
Other Primary Candidates: Gurley L. Martin
Non-Incumbent Candidates from Other Parties: Alison Lundergan Grimes (D), Greg Leichty (D), Bennie J. Smith
Cook PVI: R+13 (Solid Republican)
Relevant poll numbers: http://images.politico.com/global/20..._7-24-2013.pdf
McConnell 58.9%
Bevin 19.9%
Undecided 21.2%
*Overall Race Profile Rating:* [Rating TBD]

*Miscellaneous Pros/Cons*
Key strong points:

Unknown points for further research:

Possible weak points:

Possible deal breakers:

*Overall Rating:*

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## Tywysog Cymru

I turn 18 one month before the primaries and I will be voting for him.  I think he has a serious chance even though it looks like McConnell will win.  McConnell isn't as popular here as people think.

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## malkusm

Interesting poll from PPP today:
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/m...nell-by-2.html

Perhaps the Bevin campaign should be hammering the message that McConnell is unpopular and leaves the GOP vulnerable if he is the candidate?

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## malkusm

Poll is now open. Please vote within the next 2 weeks.

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## Brian4Liberty

From Matt Bevin's website:




> Bailouts
> 
> When Washington politicians bailed out the Wall Street banks and the auto companies, they made hardworking taxpayers pay for other peoples irresponsible mistakes. Matt believes taxpayers need to be protected from the lobbyists and special interests who pull the strings in Washington.
> 
> https://mattbevin.com/issue/bailouts/





> Second Amendment
> 
> Matt and his wife are both proud, conceal carry gun owners and Matt believes the Second Amendment is the lynchpin of the Bill of Rights, as it was designed to protect all of the other Amendments.  The right to bear arms is not just limited to ownership but includes the right to carry as well.  Matt will fight to fully restore the Second Amendment by pushing for national right to carry legislation. He will also fight off any attempt by career politicians to dictate the types of guns and ammunition that Kentuckians choose to own.
> 
> https://mattbevin.com/issue/second-amendment/





> Education
> 
> Matt believes we should limit the federal governments role in our education system, allowing states and local towns to make education decisions that best suit the unique needs of their communities. The federal governments one-size-fits-all, top-down policies rob states of their sovereignty and have failed our students.
> 
> Over the past several decades, the federal government has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into our education system with little constructive progress to show for it. It is a travesty that low-income children are trapped in failing public schools with no hope in sight. Government bureaucrats should not have the power to decide where our children go to school.
> 
> Matt is a passionate supporter of school choice, and will actively fight to inject our broken system with badly needed competition. He also believes we need to repeal No Child Left Behind and give states and towns more local control over their education systems.
> 
> Matt is also a strong supporter of alternative education models, including charter schools and home schooling. Matt and his wife, Glenna, homeschool their nine children.
> ...





> National Security and Our Civil Liberties
> 
> Politicians often present us with the false choice between protecting our civil liberties and building a strong national defense. There is no reason we cant rigorously fight terrorism and other national security threats without violating the constitutional protections of our civil liberties. The news of the NSAs extensive wiretapping program is just the latest example that our government has gone too far.
> 
> Matt believes we have the right to defend our country and our allies when our security and freedom are being threatened, but we cannot sacrifice our constitutional principles in the process. To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, if we trample on our liberty in the name of security, we will have neither liberty nor security. Matt will fight to protect our constitutional freedoms, including rolling back the Patriot Act and limiting the governments ability to engage in unconstitutional surveillance of American citizens.
> 
> https://mattbevin.com/issue/155/





> Foreign Policy
> 
> America has the strongest military in the world and we must keep it that way. But we cannot be reckless in how and where we use that strength. As a veteran, Matt personally appreciates how important this is. Before voting to send our soldiers to war, Matt will be guided by two key questions: Is it in our national interest and is it in keeping with our constitutional principles? Matt will oppose all engagements that do not meet these two fundamental criteria. Anything less is unfair to the soldiers who put their lives on the line and unfair to the taxpayers that pay the bills.
> 
> Matt will also fight to reform our broken foreign aid system that sends billions of taxpayer dollars to entities or countries that support terrorism and dont enhance our interests. Finally, Matt will fight against any foreign treaty, such as the New START and LOST treaties, that weaken our sovereignty and appease our enemies.
> 
> https://mattbevin.com/issue/foreign-policy/





> Energy
> 
> Our country is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. Matt believes we can lower the cost of energy, decrease our dependence on foreign oil, and create badly needed jobs by exploring and developing these resources. At the same time, we must also defeat President Obamas War on Coal and his efforts to impose costly energy regulations on job creators across America.
> 
> Matt will be a vocal supporter of Kentuckys coal industry and will adamantly oppose efforts  like the cap-and-trade tax  to increase the cost of energy in this country. He will be a leading advocate against the EPAs burdensome regulations that are killing Kentucky jobs and he will fight to repeal ethanol and renewable fuels mandates that drive up the cost of energy. Matt will also work to reform our judicial review process that holds up coal production and nuclear power plants in frivolous lawsuits and bureaucratic red tape.
> 
> https://mattbevin.com/issue/energy/





> Judicial Nominees
> 
> Regardless of which party nominates a judge for the federal bench, Matt pledges to vote against any judicial nominee who will not interpret the Constitution as originally conceived by our Founders.
> 
> https://mattbevin.com/issue/judicial-nominees/





> Spending
> 
> Our government doesnt have a revenue problem. It has a spending addiction. Sadly, this has been a bipartisan disease. Over the past decade, federal spending has ballooned at the hands of both Democrats and Republicans. This spending addiction has pushed our debt to nearly $17 trillion and our government to the precipice of a potential debt crisis.
> 
> It is clear we cant trust Congress to follow through on its promise to cut spending next year or next month. Its time for taxpayers to hold our politicians accountable. Thats why Matt supports passing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution that will force Congress to balance the budget every year and to keep spending at or below historical spending levels.
> 
> Matt will also refuse to vote for a debt limit increase unless we make substantial spending cuts and reforms. This would include having a plan agreed upon by the President and the US Congress that balances the budget in 10 years or less.
> 
> https://mattbevin.com/issue/spending/





> Taxes
> 
> A lot of politicians promise to never increase our taxes, but once they get to Washington, their promises fall flat. Matt has spent many years in the private sector creating jobs, and he knows that higher taxes mean fewer private sector jobs and more money for career politicians to spend. Matt has pledged to oppose all tax increases and supports passing legislation to make it harder for Congress to raise taxes on hardworking Americans.
> 
> Our tax system also needs to be reformed  desperately. At over 60,000 pages, it is overly complex, inefficient and unfair. With its numerous pages of special-interest loopholes and thorny rules, the tax code is just a way for politicians and the IRS to reward their friends and punish their enemies. Matt supports scrapping the current tax code and instituting a flat tax that will encourage job creation and allow taxpayers to fill out their tax forms quickly and without expensive assistance.
> 
> Furthermore, Matt will passionately oppose the effort of special interests to institute a job-killing internet sales tax scheme that allows states to tax sales across state lines and violates the principle of no taxation without representation. The burden this would place on small business would be crippling and is unacceptable.
> 
> https://mattbevin.com/issue/taxes/

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## Brian4Liberty

Matt Bevin on Syria:







> Matt Bevin on Syria:
> 
> “We don’t have a dog in that hunt.” (National Review, 7/29/13)
> 
> “Why would we be jumping into the middle of something that we have no control over, that we don’t intend to influence the outcome of? Why are we doing this? We have no business being militarily involved in Syria. I couldn’t be more clear on that.” (CN2, 8/30/13)
> 
> “We have no business being there. It’ll lead to the same kind of mess that we’ve found ourselves in on any number of other fronts in the Middle East right now. And it’s a waste of our nation’s greatest resources.” (CN2, 8/30/13)
> 
> “We have no business being there. We don’t even know who’s zooming who. We literally don’t even know fully what each side is doing, who is responsible for what.” (Power Play, 9/4/13)
> ...

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## Brian4Liberty

Poll will be closing soon.

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## TaftFan

I'm surprised at a lot of the lower votes.

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## Brian4Liberty

Anybody want to change their 1 or 2 star votes?

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...Punch-in-Nose/

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## Brian4Liberty

And I would now like to reduce my rating of Bevin by one star:

http://wfpl.org/post/matt-bevin-does...didates-silent

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## compromise

> Anybody want to change their 1 or 2 star votes?
> 
> http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...Punch-in-Nose/


I'd change to a 3 or 4 star.

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## Anti-Neocon

I'm not going to change my opinion of Bevin due to what McConnell said.  He just comes off as some rich guy who wants to ride the tea party discontent to get elected, and loves pandering to the Christian Zionist crazies.

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## RonPaulGeorge&Ringo

Matt Bevin Doesn't Trust Iran in Nuclear Talks, Other Candidates Silent
WFPL ‎- 1 day ago
The preliminary agreement stipulates Iran must halt any uranium enrichment above 5 percent and eliminate any stockpile that is near-20 ...

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## Tywysog Cymru

> I'm not going to change my opinion of Bevin due to what McConnell said.  He just comes off as some rich guy who wants to ride the tea party discontent to get elected, and loves pandering to the Christian Zionist crazies.


Matt Bevin is a good guy, and he is not a neocon, I live in Kentucky, go to church with his sister, and I trust him.

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## lib3rtarian

FreedomWorks endorses Bevin: http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...06#post5384706

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