While Sarah Palin may be the darling of the Republican Party, Tennessee has it’s own “Sarah” wrapped up in Dayton’s matron, June Griffin, candidate for governor.
(HT: Post Politics)
And then there is this comparison:
Tim [Gobble] is a former U.S. Secret Service Agent and current Sheriff of Bradley County. He has a record of successfully helping bring jobs to the area, managing public budgets, and he has dedicated his life to helping and protecting people. I personally feel he is Tennessee's Scott Brown and so do many other people that I have spoken with.
Which other Tennessee political figures should temporarily replace their Facebook profile pictures?
]]>Boiled down, there are essentially three messages: (A) "I've got the most money, no matter where it came from;" (B) "I don't have any (or am not willing to part with) personal money, so I don't have the most money, but I received money from the greatest number of people;" or (C) "money isn't what makes a good candidate for office, but I sure wish I had some more of it so I could tell more people that."
A secondary theme that shows up sometimes is "wow, I raised x dollars in only y weeks." That's what we heard from state Sen. Jim Tracy, who is seeking to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon in the 6th Congressional District. Tracy has quite the task ahead of him, as the GOP field is crowded with folks eager to be the one that pushes this district into their party's column. (That'll be pretty easy to do, by the way, if no Democrat ever shows up to run. So far: nada.) Tracy's A-list counterpart is Lou Ann Zelenik, who has created a treasury by dumping about $300,000 into her campaign account.
Here in the 3rd District, Robin Smith issued the "continues to lead all Third District candidates in campaign contributions from individuals" release, with a total of $240,029 (over $90K for the quarter); while Chuck Fleischmann continued his "I'm dominating the field with way more cash on hand than anyone else" drumbeat. Cleveland businessman Art Rhodes, Bradley County Sheriff Tim Gobble, and Chattanooga real estate investor Tommy Crangle occupy the third financial tier in the GOP. Knoxville attorney Van Irion has not filed any reports. As with the 6th, there are no Democrats, as nothing further has been heard from Oak Ridge scientist Brad Parish; Chattanooga City Councilman Andrae McGary announced late last week that he will not seek the nomination.
Independents who have declared an interest in the race fare pretty poorly in the disclosure rankings: Mark DeVol raised no funds in the fourth quarter, and no records are yet available for Greg Goodwin. Newer entrants Jean Howard-Hill, Mo Kiah, and Spencer Owens are excluded from the reporting period.
In the gubernatorial race, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam is the undisputed money leader with $5.7 million, while U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp claims the momentum title, even though he was slightly edged out by Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey for the period. (Ramsey, it should be noted, is barred from continuing to raise money while the General Assembly is in session.) The Democratic candidates for governor have yet to release their reports as of this writing. Updates will be added as they become available.
References and further reading:
Watch for an announcement here and at Chattarati.com when the event is rescheduled.
]]>High schools: 11:30
Middle schools: 11:45
Elementary schools: 12:15
Magnet schools: 1:00
Please be safe, everyone.
]]>I never found it, but I did find a site called Chattablogs. It offered a free blog to anyone (even those not affiliated with Covenant College!). So I asked for one, and here it is. (And, as it ran on Movable Type, it turned out to be way less bug-ridden than the original Blogger, which I had tried.)
Site visitor statistics spiked quickly a few months later when several sitting Tennessee lawmakers were arrested by the FBI on bribery charges in the "Operation Tennessee Waltz" sting. I don't know that I've ever regained that traffic summit—but I want it to be clear that the only reason I care about visitor stats is to be sure I am providing information to as many voters as possible.
In 2006, I partnered with former (excellent) blogger Adam Groves to provide a comprehensive list of all candidates running for every applicable General Assembly seat, with supporting detail and links; and added local, gubernatorial and federal candidates to complete the information.
In 2008, esteemed Knoxville blogger R. Neal created a solution that provided that year's election data, and more, on his TennViews site, so I didn't try to create something else.
For the 2009 Chattanooga municipal elections, I was a candidate, so I didn't do much writing here. The invaluable experience of running for local office showed me, however, that this is what I would much rather be doing.
This year, I have made contact with a blogger who has similar goals to mine; talks have begun about a joint effort, though nothing has solidified. Ideally, we would form a network with writers across the state to provide regional and local information to voters in each county. That's probably a longer-term goal. Check back with me in five years to see what has been developed.
And, seriously, to those of you who have read this blog, whether for months or for years (or you just found it today), you have my heartfelt thanks.
]]>Wamp began his remarks with a somber nod to the families he has consoled during his tenure who have lost sons or daughters in military service. He said that he is humbled to be where he is, and views his role as a public servant. "I'm not in this for money or power," he said.
The campaign had wrapped up its tour of Tennessee's 95 counties on Friday in Haywood County. While the "Big Red" recreational vehicle sat idling outside, Wamp introduced its crew of drivers and other support personnel and presented them with gifts. He thanked local supporters, including Corky Coker.
Having said that he wasn't going to give his stump speech as "this is a different crowd," Wamp nevertheless emphasized his focus on third grade reading as a way to improve education; and he claimed a unique position in the race at understanding the excesses of federal government, leading to his support for state sovereignty as articulated in the Tenth Amendment. He closed with a rallying cry, saying that his campaign has the most momentum, and that there are possibly only two candidates who have a real chance at winning the election. To ensure it was understood who the other is, Wamp said that he will continue to travel the state and talk to voters between now and August, and isn't sure if the other candidates will stay out on the trail or "hide behind their money."
The campaign plans to open additional offices in Nashville and Memphis next month.
518 Georgia Avenue was the place to be seen on Saturday morning, especially for elected officials and those trying to become elected. Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland led the Pledge of Allegiance. Collegedale Mayor John Turner, who's running for the Hamilton County Commission in District Nine, worked the crowd. State Representatives Gerald McCormick and Richard Floyd were also there, along with Hamilton County Commissioners Curtis Adams (who is not running for reelection) and Bill Hullander (who is running for Trustee), and Chattanooga City Councilman Manuel Rico.
At least two of those seeking to replace Wamp in the U.S. House of Representatives were on hand to honor the occasion. Tommy Crangle and Robin Smith handed out cards and attempted to build enthusiasm about the upcoming primary.
]]>The state's largest teachers union, the Tennessee Education Association (TEA), came to an agreement with Governor Phil Bredesen's administration on the types of data that can be used to evaluate teacher performance. Even so, some of the Legislature's Democratic members voted against the bill, citing concerns over teachers' job security. Additionally, two conservative Republicans, Rep. Susan Lynn and Sen. Mae Beavers (both from Wilson County), voted against the bill, though Rep. Lynn had her vote changed after the fact.
The deadline has been met; the bill has been sent to Gov. Bredesen and is expected to be signed into law in time to turn in the federal application. But what are the chances of winning the grant?
And what happens if we miss out on the grant? Will the reforms, by themselves, improve the state's education system in ways that engender the dramatic and lasting economic recovery so desperately needed?
These are just a few of the questions. I don't have the answers. Some teachers I know are glad to see reform, yet understandably anxious about using lackadaisical students' test scores to judge their own hard-working performance. Yet most stakeholders agree that the status quo will not work.
As I intend to focus mostly on elections this year, I highly recommend keeping up with Chattarati contributor Aaron Collier's upcoming posts on education. I'll point out others, too, as the conversation continues.
References and further reading:
Nashville Public Radio (WPLN)
Andy Sher's Sunday cover story in the Chattanooga Times Free Press
Two more conservatives on why they voted for the bill
More on teacher concerns
Question 1: What is your opinion on the “Race to the Top” funding that Tennessee is trying to obtain and how what would you propose we spend that funding?Question 2: If this funding is received and expires in five years, what would your long term budget goals be to help the Tennessee school system?
Click here to read their answers. An aside: it doesn't seem that the candidates' responses were edited for grammar or spelling. This provides an informative glimpse into the verbal communication skills possessed by each of those who would be your next governor.
]]>You can go argue at Post Politics, or weigh in here if you'd like.
]]>In the Chattanooga area, WDEF (Channel 12) will carry the event. It begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time (7 Central), and will run for an hour.
The forum is presented by Tennessee SCORE.
Watch live or set your DVR.
*Candidates:
District Attorney Bill Gibbons (R)
Mayor Bill Haslam (R)
Senator Jim Kyle (D)
Kim McMillan (D)
Mike McWherter (D)
Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey (R)
U.S. Representative Zach Wamp (R)
Prediction: Mark White will win, but the margin isn't very predictable with turnout expected to be so low.
UPDATE: Mark it, Dude.
]]>Parish will face a sharp discrepancy, in financial terms, if he does decide to join the race. Several Republican candidates have a sizeable fundraising lead, including attorney Chuck Fleischmann, who today announced that he is the first candidate to raise more than a half million dollars.
Lopsidedness aside, however, it seems highly unlikely that the Democratic Party will let this open seat go uncontested. Whether Brad Parish will have company or not remains to be seen.
]]>“I really like the public sector, and if there are some opportunities there, I’d be open,” [Gov. Bredesen] said.
It could happen. Then again, he could decide to wait until 2014, which some think might involve an open seat.
Further reading: Kingsport Times-News
]]>The first gubernatorial candidate forum featuring both Democrats and Republicans is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 14, at Belmont University in Nashville, according to a statement from the Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE).
The forum is to air locally on CBS affiliate WDEF (Channel 12) at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
The SCORE organization is, you'll recall, headed by former U.S. Senator Bill Frist.
HT: KnoxViews
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