Kennedy 'excited' for race with Foxx

By: Jim Mcnally | Statesville Record & Landmark
Published: May 07, 2010

He has perhaps the most famous surname in American politics in the last half-century.
But Billy Kennedy knows his main task, somewhat ironically, is going to be overcoming the name recognition of his rival in November's general election.
Kennedy, a kind of jack-of-all-trades from Watauga County, was the lone Democrat to enter the race for North Carolina's 5th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
When incumbent Virginia Foxx beat Keith Gardner, of Hickory, in Tuesday's Republican Primary, the final slate of candidates for the seat's race was clarified.
And while most would see Foxx's 80 percent to 20 percent victory over Gardner as rout, Kennedy -- demonstrating an overflowing sense of glass-is-half-full optimism -- said the results reveal a kink in Foxx's armor.
"It shows me that one out of five people from her own party are unhappy with the job she's doing in Washington," Kennedy said.
And Kennedy hopes to exploit a grander and growing discontent citizens have adopted for virtually all elected officials.
"I think she is out of touch," Kennedy said. "People are going against incumbents and she is an incumbent. And not only that, she's a career politician. I know she's only been in the House for five years, but she also served in the state Senate before that."
But Kennedy's task is not only getting by Foxx but by the sensibilities of the voters.
In a simple political formula called the Partisan Voting Index, the 5th District has a score of "R-15," which means that in the last two presidential elections, Republican candidates George W. Bush and John McCain received 15 percent more votes in the district than they did against the national average.
On the other hand, two of North Carolina's eight Democratic Congress members -- Heath Shuler (7th District) and Mike McIntyre (11th) -- represent districts that were carried by both Bush and McCain. And two others -- Larry Kissell (8th) and Bob Etheridge (2nd) -- serve districts that Bush won.
Nationally, 69 Democrats serve in Republican-leaning congressional districts.
But Kennedy is not so concerned with those kinds of numbers as he is with the way his grassroots campaign has progressed.
He said he has received donations from 960 different individuals.
"I'm very excited and encouraged by what I see and hear," Kennedy said. "I'm optimistic, too. I know there are a lot of people going through a lot of struggles but this is an opportunity for us to all come together and work to fix this."
Kennedy said his campaign has its foot on the gas pedal and it's not letting up until Election Day.
"I'm enjoying get out there," he said. "And I can tell you, word of mouth is the best advertising and the best way to get your name and your ideas out there."

Kennedy 'excited' for race with Foxx

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