Presumptive Democratic Governor Candidate Jack Conway will not be in attendance when President Barack Obama visits Louisville Thursday.
Obama, who will be talking about the economy in Louisville, has been unpopular in Kentucky and state Democrats have distanced themselves from the president in recent years.
University of Louisville Political Science Professor Dewey Clayton says that state politicians distance themselves from the president to avoid losing favor with more conservative Democrats across the state. But he says that might not be advised.
“I kind of think that some of this distancing themselves from the president is not always the best thing to do," Clayton said. "Particularly there are a lot of policies and programs that he has initiated and he supports that many Kentuckians support as well.”
More than half a million Kentuckians have signed up for health insurance through Kynect, the state-run health exchange implemented through Obama’s signature Affordable Care Act.
But Obama’s environmental priorities have been unpopular in the state, especially the implementation of more stringent carbon regulations.
