“By Tuesday, July 30, the New York Times reported that McConnell was enraged by the nickname, and on Wednesday, July 31, the KDP started taking orders for its merch.”
Kentucky Democratic Party
Frankfort, KY— “Moscow Mitch” was back in the news this week. The growing scandal over McConnell’s ties to Russia is energizing Democrats across the country — but particularly in Kentucky. In fact, each time “Moscow Mitch” stands in the way of what voters want, it drives donations.
As reported by New York Magazine the “Just Say Nyet to Moscow Mitch” campaign is inspiring first-time donors to get involved and commit resources to help defeat McConnell:
“Syd Weedon first met Mitch McConnell at a 1978 prayer luncheon in Louisville, Kentucky, [...] Over the years, the retired Presbyterian minister and lifelong Democrat would regularly run into McConnell at the local Kroger store. “I’ve stared at him, eye to eye, over the oranges before,” Weedon told Intelligencer.
But until this year, Weedon had never opened his wallet in an attempt to defeat McConnell. Like those of thousands of Americans, his first donation to the Kentucky Democratic Party (KDP) was spurred by a phenomenally successful new line of merchandise built around the one nickname the self-professed “Grim Reaper” doesn’t embrace: Moscow Mitch.
Wednesday marks two weeks since the KDP began selling its line of Moscow Mitch merch, headlined by a red T-shirt with the slogan “Just say nyet to Moscow Mitch.” In that time, the party, which isalso selling beer koozies, shot glasses, and Cossack-style hats, has brought in $500,000 on 13,526 unique sales. Each of those is a donation to the KDP, and more than 90 percent have come from people like Weedon who have never before given to the state party.”
The Kentucky Democratic Party expects the campaign to be ongoing given its success in raising the resources needed to take on McConnell in 2020.