From the Lexington Herald Leader: Mister Rogers? Superman? Kermit? Memes are an ode to Andy Beshear in coronavirus fight.
By KARLA WARD
Kentuckians are showing some love to Gov. Andy Beshear by flooding social media with memes comparing him to the likes of Superman, Mister Rogers and Kermit the Frog.
Many of the memes lightheartedly point to Beshear and his afternoon news conferences as a comforting force in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
The phenomenon even has a Facebook group, “andy beshear memes for social distancing teens,” which was started Friday and by Saturday evening had more than 15,000 members.
From the Louisville Courier-Journal: Kentucky governor a 'clean-cut sex symbol' for the coronavirus age, Salon editor says
By KALA KACHMAR
While it's well-known by now that Gov. Andy Beshear is being praised for his empathetic response to the oronavirus pandemic, fans of the young governor have taken it a step further.
Beshear, 42, was called a "clean-cut sex symbol for the coronavirus age" in a Saturday Salon.com piece about the governor, who has been featured in a fury of social media memes for his strong leadership and compassionate response to the pandemic. Salon.com is a political and cultural online news site that's been around since the mid-1990s.
From Salon.com: "Govern me, daddy": Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear a clean-cut sex symbol for the coronavirus age
People are now lusting after Kentucky's "hot Mr. Rogers" because of his calm and empathetic leadership
By ERIN KEANE
Of all the wild turns 2020 could have taken, I doubt anyone had "Kentucky's new governor becomes a sex symbol during the coronavirus crisis" on their bingo card, but here we are. Or rather, here we were until Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, 42, delivered a loving yet stern call-out during his press briefing Wednesday to defiant bingo halls that weren't closing to enforce social distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19. These updates, live-streamed daily at 5 p.m. Eastern time, have become must-see and -listen events for Kentuckians thanks to Beshear's combo of trustworthy information, empathy, and uplifting we're all in this together messages. "If you are a bingo parlor in Pike County, you ought to be closed by the end of today," he said, with unmistakable concern in his eyes. "Those parlors cater to an older and more at-risk crowd." Forget being brave enough to face the toilet paper-hoarding supermarket crowds, there's a new benchmark for courage: Andy Beshear's not scared of angering stir-crazy grandmothers in order to protect his people.