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June 28, 2006
Inevita-Phil-ity - And when your choices aren’t your own
Nominee by Decree
Governor Phil Bredesen has managed his way through more than one seemingly intractable situation during his term. That figures, as he’s reportedly a highly skilled manager. He might have seen the TennCare crisis coming (who didn’t?), but the Tennessee Highway Patrol donations-for-promotions program, the multiple accusations of sexual harassment aimed at his team members, and, of course, Operation Tennessee Waltz (which continues to almost exclusively net corrupt politicians in the Governor’s party)—these were not likely obstacles with pre-calculated strategic approaches. Whatever value one places on public opinion polls, the fact remains that the Governor’s numbers have stayed high enough to count as a reasonably sure thing come election time. Executive acumen aside, there is also an historical precedent to consider. Tennesseans of late almost never fire their governor after one term. Taken together, these factors pretty much guarantee Bredesen a spot at the helm until early 2011.
Given the near inevitability of Governor Bredesen’s return to office, it would almost seem a waste of thought to delve into an analysis of the opposition; but there are forces and factors worth describing, as they demonstrate how removed our electoral processes really are from the concept of citizen self-governance. Many months passed, earlier in this election cycle, wherein one could almost feel the hands wringing and hear the sweat dropping in boardrooms at GOP Central. The problem—if you asked insiders and operatives – was that there was no one to run against the incumbent. And when those approval numbers were nearing their nadir, there could have been light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, only no lantern-bearer could be found. One by one, names were floated and then wistfully bid adieu: banker Scooter Clippard, 2002 primary runner-up Jim Henry, State Senators Ron Ramsey and Mark Norris—and the brightest light to never switch on, former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson, whose star power does shine, but in a different way, on NBC’s Law & Order. Finally, one man did step up and accept the challenge. That man is State Senator Jim Bryson of Franklin.
That’s to hear the state GOP leaders, conservative bloggers, and golf foursomes tell it. There’s another side to this story, one that often gets buried in the media chatter. Months before Senator Bryson acquiesced to be his party’s sacrificial lamb, Chattanooga businessman Mark Albertini was building a serious campaign. Why wasn’t his a well-known name at party central? Albertini’s brand of conservatism does not differ greatly from that of many A-listers, so it’s not like he’s outside the big tent. A glance at his qualifications renders him no less apt for candidacy than relative newcomer Bryson. The difference is that the party recruited Bryson, and Albertini more or less recruited himself. Primary voters in both parties take heed: your choices are too often made for you. In addition to Mark Albertini, Republicans Wayne Thomas Bailey, David Farmer, Joe Kirkpatrick and Wayne Young are seeking the nomination.
Governor Bredesen also has opposition in August, including two more Chattanoogans. Tim Sevier of Hixson qualified for the ballot, and Walt “Combat” Ward vows to bring his unique brand of karate-infused politics into the ring. And don’t forget perennial candidate John Jay Hooker—sometimes independent, usually running in multiple races (this year included), and always feisty. Hooker’s game is campaign finance reform, not so much winning outright. It’s sad to say that his stated goal of cleaning up money’s muddying effect in elections remains elusive.
The Odd Bunch
If you’re not from around here, or if you’ve forgotten what you knew about your state government, you may need a reminder that Tennessee is among a few states that does not popularly elect its second highest office. The State Senate chooses a Speaker every General Assembly, and the conferee is simultaneously awarded the Lieutenant Governor post. That’s wild; but here’s something Wilder: one man has held this office in Nashville since 1971. Since our Constitution calls for the even- and odd-numbered Senate districts to alternate election cycles, Lt. Governor John Wilder’s (D-Mason) Senate seat is not up this year. He could, however, face losing the Speaker/Lt. Gov. position if the Republicans add to their slim majority in November. If that were to happen, Senate Majority Leader Ron Ramsey would very likely be the first new Lieutenant Governor in decades.
Due to gerrymandered districts and the built-in incumbent advantage, not many Senate seats will change hands this time around. Even the open seats, including the aforementioned gubernatorial candidate Jim Bryson’s 23rd, will likely be decided in the primary, since whichever party doesn’t hold it now doesn’t stand much of a chance at changing that. There are six Republican candidates in District 23, and it’s anyone’s guess right now as to the outcome, as there are somewhere around four very strong candidates, and the other two ain’t slouches. Their names, in alphabetical order, are Bob Barnwell, Jeff Ford, Jack Johnson, Tom Neill, Andy Ogles, and, coming in last with what has been described as “the whitest name in the 2006 elections,” Ray “Chip” Throckmorton III. [UPDATE: Andy Ogles has recently withdrawn his candidacy.]
Here at home, Sen. David Fowler (R-Signal Mountain) decided to step down and focus on private sector work (that’s a grey definition, as his consulting group will be working very closely with his former Capitol Hill colleagues on so-called pro-family legislative concerns). This open seat (District 11) is the exception to the exception, in that everyone pretty much got right out of Rep. Bo Watson’s way when he decided to go for it. Next door in the Ninth, we have a GOP contest. Another pro-family guy (cough), Jeff Miller of Cleveland, is also stepping down, and another State Representative, Dewayne Bunch, is seeking the win. Unlike Bo, Bunch has viable opposition in former Bradley County Commissioner Lindsay Hathcock and Veteran Affairs director Gary Benefield, so look for this to be a close race.
There is some Democratic primary action in a few seats too. The most interesting is in District 33, which is currently held by Sen. Kathryn Bowers. Bowers is the only woman (so far) indicted in the Operation Tennessee Waltz scandal, and has consistently maintained that she is innocent. The charges and the impending trial (provided she doesn’t plead out after seeing Roscoe Dixon fall hard) are like blood in the proverbial water for a few Memphians. One of them, Jennings Bernard, may himself be a little too close to all the Waltz action, so we’ll see how that candidacy plays out. The others are John A. Brown and Steve Webster. In the state capital, Sen. Thelma Harper is fending off a spirited challenge from Jesse Tucker. Elsewhere in Middle Tennessee, Sen. Charlotte Burks is opposed by David Gentry in District 15, and there will be a primary election in District 17, though it’s expected that former Sen. Bob Rochelle will easily defeat Aubrey Givens and go on to challenge Republican Sen. Mae Beavers in the general. Sen. Doug Jackson of Dickson has a challenger, Travis Wood. Ivon Faulkner and Richard Klenz are each trying to be the one to beat Paul Stanley for Curtis Person’s long-held seat in the 31st. There were initially quite a few interested Republicans when Person announced his retirement, but Stanley apparently received the kiss of approval early enough.
And that brings us to District 29, where voter and election worker fraud were uncovered after last year’s special election, and Ophelia Ford was summarily unseated after briefly taking over her brother John’s old office. Commentary on this election is useless during all the continuing legal wrangling, and then there’s Terry Roland’s wavering, so we’ll just all wait and see what happens. The only Senate district to feature contested primaries on both ballots is the 21st, which is in Nashville, and which has been represented for a tortoise’s age by Douglas Henry. Henry will face Gary Pennington, and the blogging candidate himself, Bob Krumm, will try to defeat firefighter Manuel Fonseca for the GOP nod.
Wherever you vote, make sure you are well armed with knowledge about all the candidates for the offices you help fill.
[This column appears in the June 28, 2006 Pulse.]
Pulsations , State Senate Elections , TN Gubernatorial Elections | By joe lance | 10:50 AM