Judge James Hillary Mulligan wrote the poem In Kentucky (which closes with the line that appears at the top of this blog) in 1902, an era when Kentucky politics really were the “damnedest.” Just a couple of years earlier, a dispute over a gubernatorial election brought opposing armed militias to Frankfort and resulted in the assassination of William Goebel, who was sworn as governor after he was shot.
Lexington filmmaker Sean Anderson has produced a new documentary on Goebel, … damn bad oyster: The Times of William Goebel, Governor that will air multiple times on KET1 beginning Thursday, Jan. 29, at 10 p.m. ET. (It will also air several times on digital KETKY, starting Sunday, Jan. 25, at 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET.)
The hour-long film, which I had a chance to preview, offers an interesting perspective on Goebel, as both populist and machine boss, and on the politics of the era that produced him. As a journalist, I particularly enjoyed the numerous cartoon depictions of Goebel from contemporary newspapers.
If you have any interest in Kentucky political history, … damn bad oyster is well worth your time.
Larry Dale Keeling, a columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader, has spent most of his 35-plus years in journalism reporting on or writing editorials and columns about Kentucky’s politics and political issues. He now brings his experience and expertise on those topics to the KyKurmudgeon blog.
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