12-1-02, Voice in the Crowd
All's Fair in Love,
War--and Politics
By Pete Chaney
IPS Features
Right after the November elections across the country,
and especially in Tennessee, even the candidates were alarmed at their own
viciousness. Truth disappeared in
the advertising. A few candidates
kept their hands clean, but most couldn’t find enough mud to throw at their
opponents. Not surprisingly, the
ones most guilty were calling for future campaigns to be more civilized when it
was over.
Unfortunately, the public buys the negative ads despite
their proclaimed disapproval. An
example in the primary was the income tax drum Van Hilleary constantly beat.
He used a paper supporting school assistance signed by Jim Henry for
Governor Ned McWherter to claim Henry had supported an income tax.
He knew it was a lie, but it was the turning point that gave him victory.
Since the early Eighties, Tennessee has given eight-year terms to first the Republicans and then the Democrats. Republican Lamar Alexander served two terms, then Democrat Ned McWherter followed by Republican Don Sundquist. Now Democrat Phil Bredesen will sit in the governor’s chair. If he does a credible job, it will hard for anyone to unseat him. But there will always be competition.
Problems in the budget for Tennessee would test a
Solomon. Particularly the
legislators stuck their heads in the sand and ignored the financial storms
clouds. Then they blamed Sundquist
and anyone else they could find.
Three percent of the voters gave the election to
Bredesen, not what you would call an overwhelming mandate.
Hilleary built his political base on the extreme right of the Republican
Party and made no secret of his desire to keep the old guard influence of Brock,
Baker, Henry and others out of the GOP. His
own Republican governor was a particular target of his venom.
Even with aid from heavy hitters President George W. Bush, Vice-President
Dick Cheney and Sen. Fred Thompson, his negative attacks cost him the general
election. Democrats who had crossed
over for Jim Henry and the moderates swung their support to Bredesen.
Now Hilleary says he will be a candidate for statewide
office in 2006. The governor will
be up for reelection. More
importantly, Sen. Bill Frist has indicated he will step down when this term
expires then. He is extremely
popular across the state, the country and with the National Republican Party. Unless he aspires for higher office, government will be
losing a valuable asset. His fellow
Sen. Fred Thompson had a higher profile while Frist went quietly about doing the
job he was elected for.
If Hilleary decides on a try for the senate, he will be
confronting fellow congressman Rep. Zach Wamp for years has indicated he would
step down from the House of Representatives because of New Gingrich’s silly
Contract with America and term limits. It
has been generally known that Wamp wants to move to the senate.
The irony is that Wamp was a driving force for Hilleary’s reelection.
Now the gratitude might turn to competition.
All’s fair in love and war—and politics.
When someone has fed at the public trough for a time,
it’s hard to wean them away and back to the world or hard work.
Where else can you vote yourself a $5,000 or more pay raise each year
regardless of how poorly you do the job?
In 1992, Wamp lost to Marilyn Lloyd in his shot at the
House of Representatives. When she
retired in 1994, the open office had Wamp against Democrat Randy Button.
It was a tough race for Wamp to win, but he has had smooth sailing since.
Unless he shoots himself in the foot, which he has been
careful not to do, he is unbeatable in his home district.
A statewide race is a different story.
Hilleary, by virtue of the governor’s campaign, is
well known across Tennessee. He and
Wamp draw their strength from the same base in East Tennessee.
Hilleary has the advantage in West Tennessee, and still has the
organization in place.
Of course, don’t forget there is a fellow named Harold
Ford in Memphis who has been high profile with the Democratic Party for many
terms. You can be sure he will be a
candidate for the senate. Racial
barriers go down each year in politics and a black candidate may be even more
viable in four years.
Regardless of how good a job Bredesen does as governor,
he will have competition from the Republican side. Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker has been mentioned as a likely
candidate for the Republican nomination as governor. And supporters of Jim Henry feel he could have beaten
Bredesen in the general election. Many
would like to see him run again.
It’s going to be an interesting four years in
Volunteer State politics.
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