Gerth: Rand Paul "Zoomed Past Secretary of State Trey Grayson"

The Courier-Journal's Joe Gerth has a new article illustrating what other local and national reporters all seem to be agreeing about: Rand Paul is surging past the liberal former Bill Clinton supporter Trey Grayson:

Just when Gov. Steve Beshear was reversing himself on his plan to call a decorated evergreen tree on the Capitol lawn a “holiday tree,” two early favorites in next year’s U.S. Senate race were getting lumps of coal in their stockings — in the form of a WHAS Survey USA poll.

The poll showed that Bowling Green ophthalmologist Rand Paul had zoomed past Secretary of State Trey Grayson in public opinion among Republicans, while Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo posted a growing lead over Attorney General Jack Conway among Democrats...

Paul has been able to use his father’s extensive network of national contributors — his dad is U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, a former presidential candidate — to post a huge fundraising number in the third quarter of the year. And the son has made all the right moves to become a player in the Republican primary — despite indications that the national party is backing Grayson.

He’s more visible than Grayson — traveling the state and speaking to groups from east to west.