Nunn may have been one of the last great storytelling Kentucky politicians. He told me once about a county judge in a neighboring county. Nunn, who was also a county judge at the time, helped the judge get elected and also helped him set up his office. The judge happened to be a lay preacher and very religious.
When Nunn ran against his former law school classmate Marlow Cook for governor in the Republican primary in 1967, Cook visited the neighboring county for a political event. The county judge, who Nunn had helped get elected, sat up on the platform with Cook along with other county leaders.
The next time Nunn was in the county the judge made a point
of reminding Nunn that he was for him in the upcoming election. He told Nunn that he had to sit on that
platform with everybody else and insisted, "Now you know I’m for you
against Cook." Nunn replied,
"I know that, Judge, I never worried about you being for me. We've been friends all these years and I know
you're for me."
The lay preacher/county judge then said to Nunn, "I want to ask you one
thing. Is that fella Cook given to foul
language?" Without any hesitation
Nunn replied with emphasis, "Just when he's drinking, Judge, just when
he's drinking." Nunn knew that
would make sure the judge would never be for Cook and remembered having a good
laugh all the way home at Marlow Cook's expense.
