Friday, September 03, 1999
Willie Nelson draws for Ky. candidate
Galbraith: Get government out of bedroom and bloodstream
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LEXINGTON — Christy Sexton, a 25-year-old unemployed Lexington woman, has never voted and probably won't do so in November's gubernatorial race. So she didn't come to Thursday night's political rally here for Reform Party candidate Gatewood Galbraith to hear speeches, discuss issues or make a campaign contribution.
She came to see Willie Nelson.
“I don't know who Gatewood Galbraith is, and I could care less about what he has to say,” an anxious Ms. Sexton said as she waited for the county music legend to begin his free concert at the Red Mile harness racetrack.
“I just want to hear Willie.”
So did about 5,000 other people who came to the track on the outskirts of downtown Lexington for a little politics and a lot of music.
Mr. Nelson — wearing his signature long braids, black hat, blue jeans, gray sneakers and a black T-shirt — donated his services and musical talents for Mr. Galbraith's fledgling gubernatorial campaign.
“I don't do this for many politicians,” the soft-spoken Mr. Nelson said during a rowdy preconcert news conference that was packed with the candidate's backers and vocally dominated by a woman who hollered “Go, Gatewood, go!” as Mr. Galbraith spoke.
“He's the only one.”
Mr. Galbraith, a Lexington lawyer, has run previous campaigns for governor on a platform to legalize marijuana. He said he met Mr. Nelson in 1991, when the singer called to offer his help after seeing a story on Mr. Galbraith's campaign.
“I guess I just like stubborn people,” Mr. Nelson said to whoops and cheers at the news conference.
Mr. Galbraith appeared at the event with his lieutenant governor running-mate, Kathy Lyons, who whipped the crowd into a near frenzy when she answered a question about gun control with: “I carry a gun.”
The pair is running against Democratic incumbents Gov. Paul Patton and Lt. Gov. Steve Henry, and Republican long shots Peppy Martin and Wanda Cornelius.
“The other political parties have abandoned the people of this state,” Mr. Galbraith said.
“We on behalf of the Reform Party claim that abandoned political territory,” he said. “We will represent smaller taxes and less government in this state. We're going to take the government out of your bedroom, your bloodstream, your back pocket and your billfold.”
The eclectic crowd at the concert featured young men in Willie Nelson T-shirts, teen-age and Gen X girls in tight tank tops, bikers, yuppies, senior citizens, college students and even a few families.
Beer, soft drinks and food were being sold and Galbraith supporters worked the crowd collecting campaign contributions — mostly hand fuls of change and a few dollar bills — in milk jugs.
Many in the crowd want Mr. Galbraith, who now barely mentions his pro-marijuana stance, to continue talking about legalizing hemp, both to smoke and to grow.
In the crowd were a pair of Northern Kentuckians who host Hemprock Radio on WAIF-FM (88.3) in Cincinnati: Lynne Wilson, 40, of Elsmere, who goes by the name “Happy Hemptress”; and Ronnie Smith of Gallatin County, who calls himself “Roland A. Duby.”
“I've always been a Gatewood fan,” said Mr. Smith, a Libertarian who ran last year for county sheriff. “He's for liberty and for letting people be free.”
Mr.Galbraith said the event cost his campaign about $7,000 to $8,000. Asked how much he hoped to raise, he smiled and said, “More than that.”
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