Tough Times for Tennessee Democrats

While President-elect Barack Obama was leading the Democratic Party to sweeping victories in most of the country on November 4th, the oldest political party on earth was suffering crushing defeats in the Volunteer State. Not only did PE Obama underperform Sen. John Kerry's anemic 2004 numbers in Tennessee, the Democratic challenger (Bob Tuke) for the US Senate seat held by Republican Lamar Alexander was utterly humiliated in one of the worst thrashings a serious Democratic candidate for state-wide office has ever endured in the land of Andrew Jackson.

Even more devastating to Democrats in TN, the Republicans seized control of both houses of the state legislature for the first time since Reconstruction. The defeats suffered by Democrats spanned the state, with stunning losses in all three of Tennessee's historic "grand divisions" (East, Middle and West). With redistricting looming after the 2010 census, GOP control of the legislature most likely portends even more future electoral losses for Tennessee Democrats.

As a dyed-in-the-wool, double-dipped, true-believing, yellow-dog Democrat, it is very painful for me to admit this, but the magnitude of the catastrophe which befell the Tennessee Democratic Party (TNDP) twelve days ago is nothing short of breathtaking. Much more hurtful is the realization that this need not have happened. Although Tennessee is deep in the Red Belt, Democrats can win in these states. TNDP officials' whining about Tennessee's strong Republican leanings and their gnashing of teeth about the steep demographic challenges we face won't cut it. 

Just look around at our neighboring states, every one of them as ruby-red as Tennessee. In KY, NC, VA, GA and even MS, Democrats ran credible state and local campaigns in 2008. Democratic candidates won US Senate and gubernatorial races in VA and NC, forced a run-off in the GA Senate contest and ran valiant state wide campaigns for the US Senate in KY and MS. Why couldn't Tennessee Democrats manage to do the same?

The sad, awful truth is that the TNDP has become the captive of an inept, corrupt, power-hungry network of good old boys determined to hold on to their idea of political relevance no matter what. Compounding their incompetence and greed, many of the leaders of the TNDP are in fact DINOs (Democrats In Name Only), fleeing in terror at any mention by the Republicans of hot-button issues like God, guns or gays. Many of these DINOs pay only lip-service to the national Democratic Party, it's leaders and its core beliefs. They've sold their souls to the Republican donors who largely fund their campaigns these days. A state political party that has lost its moral fiber is living on borrowed time.

On November 4th, time ran out and the "no matter what" happened.  The TNDP has been shown the door by the voters of Tennessee. As disheartening as election day was, this is no time for Tennessee Democrats to give up. Instead, it's time to start over. Tennessee Democrats should look at this electoral debacle as an opportunity for rebirth, re-commitment and a renewal of our moral courage. 

We can - and should - forgive the unhelpful, tepid endorsement of the Obama-Biden ticket by our sitting Democratic governor (Phil Bredesen) and a post-election cheap shot at progressive bloggers by the head of the TNDP (Gray Sasser). Even the TNDP's disgraceful persecution of a Democratic state senator (Rosalind Kurita), who dared defy the Party big-wigs, can be put behind us. Focusing on the sins of the past will not get us where we need to be. Let us just hope that they are lessons learned.

So, take heart. There are, indeed, some signs of hope. In the chaotic days since the election, it seems that all of the top officials of the TNDP have decided to resign in the near future. A good thing, that. Moreover, Tennessee Democrats are blessed with some leaders of real courage and conviction. US Representatives Jim Cooper and Steve Cohen come to mind. We also have two nationally prominent Democrats who can help lead their native state's party out of the wilderness: former Vice-President Al Gore and former US Representative Harold Ford, Jr., who now heads the Democratic Leadership Council. Both of these fine men can, and should, provide much-needed guidance to a state party that has lost its way -- and nearly everything else. 

With a new leadership team at the helm, a sincere outreach to all of the key Democratic constituencies (including progressive bloggers), a genuine effort to be inclusive and a complete break with the good old boy politics of the past, the TNDP can return to being the vibrant, competitive party it once was. Anything less, I fear, will only lead to decades more of disappointing Novembers for Tennessee Democrats. (See this related post.)

Check out these Tennessee Blogs for more on this topic:

PostPolitics

R. Neal

SeanBraisted

TinyCatPants

LeftWingCracker

SharonCobb

SouthernBeale

FreedomToSpeak

Newscoma

TennesseeGuerillaWomen

NashvilleScene

Tennessee's Bob Tuke Blasts Republicans on Financial Crisis

In his weekly message to Tennessee voters, Bob Tuke, Democratic candidate for the US Senate, lambasts Republican economic policy. Tuke is challenging incumbent Republican Lamar Alexander in the November election. Mr. Tuke writes: 

We all have been reading about something I never thought I would see - the failure or takeover of three of the largest and most venerable investment banks in America, together with the failure of several commercial banks and mortgage lenders across the United States. Add to those catastrophes the threats to the financial viability of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and the insurance giant AIG, and we face a financial industry crisis we have not witnessed since the Great Depression. 

Of course this crisis does not necessarily mean there will be a world-wide financial collapse, but such a collapse is possible unless there is substantially better financial governance in the next several weeks than we have had in the past several years. CEO's and Boards of Directors in the private sector need to rein in the aggressive and reckless risk-taking that has weakened our financial markets and the public confidence in them. Government regulators need to enforce the laws and regulations that already are on the books, and they need to write and enforce new regulations that will require more sensible lending and investment policies and that will hold accountable those who fail to obey the rules. Congress, especially the Senate, needs to do its job of oversight. 

I have been practicing law in the financial services industries for more than 30 years, and I have never seen such willful incompetence in both the private and government sectors. On the private side we have witnessed grossly exorbitant salaries and benefits claimed by executives (and awarded by ineffective Boards of Directors), greed in investments in subprime mortgage loans with losses that were entirely predictable, and failure to manage portfolios and people the way good business executives generally have in America for decades.

On the government side, the regulators of the financial services industries simply abdicated. Led by our historically incompetent President and Vice President, and influenced by lobbyists and massive campaign contributions, the Bush-Cheney-Alexander Republican approach of letting the financial markets govern themselves has resulted in this debacle. It did not have to happen. Proper regulation and Congressional oversight could have - and should have - curtailed subprime mortgage lending. The unsound housing investment bubble could have been prevented. Reckless investments by traditionally conservative institutions could have been stopped. 

This is another reason I am running for the U.S. Senate: To offer Tennesseans a Senator who understands the financial industries and who will not be influenced by massive campaign contributions and cozy relationships with lobbyists. Lamar Alexander has voted lockstep with the Bush administration's economic policies and has voted to strike down legislation to protect consumers and to eliminate adequate oversight of our nation's financial system, which has led to the disaster we face today. At the same time he has received approximately $3 million in contributions from executives and PACs of banks, realtors and securities companies for his ardent opposition to government oversight that would have protected borrowers and consumers.

I will look after the interests of the people of Tennessee and America instead of giving in to the interests of big money and their cronies. Together, let's Take the Hill.

US Rep. Jim Cooper Speaks to TN Delegates in Denver

ElectBlue is pleased to publish the following speech given by Congressman Jim Cooper to the Tennessee delegation at a luncheon during the recent Democratic National Convention in Denver. 

Cooper currently represents Tennessee's 5th Congressional District which includes much of metropolitan Nashville as well as some surrounding suburban areas. He was elected to Congress from the 5th District in 2002, having previously served twelve years (1983-1995) in the Congress from Tennessee's 4th District. 

Cooper was an early backer of Barack Obama, having endorsed the Illinois Senator in May 2007. Congressman Cooper is also a strong supporter of Bob Tuke, Democratic candidate for the US Senate from Tennessee, who is challenging incumbent Republican Senator Lamar Alexander.  

After brief introductory remarks thanking various members of the Tennessee Democratic party and convention delegation, Rep. Cooper addressed the Volunteer State delegates about the 2008 election:

We have two big jobs to do: unify the Party and carry Tennessee in November.

You probably heard on the talk shows this Sunday that Barack Obama would already be 12 points ahead if the Democratic Party were unified but, sadly, we are not, so the race is dead even.  Polls indicate that 28% of Hillary Clinton’s delegates have not come home, which is actually up from 16% this summer.  We should not pressure Hillary delegates, but show them the love and respect that they deserve so that each one, in their own way, and in their own time, fully supports our nominee in November.  We must be sensitive and caring.  I thought last night was just about perfect with Ted Kennedy’s legacy speech and Michelle Obama’s focus on the future, but Pat reminded me that the evening could have been even better if the Kennedy video had also highlighted Hillary’s role as a champion of health care reform.  She made an excellent point.  Hillary is a marvelous Senator from the State of New York and her role in national politics is far from over.

We cannot play into Republican hands by letting them divide us because that is their only weapon.  They have no ideas of their own; they just want to cut us up.  Did you see the Washington Post cartoon today of an elephant sitting behind Hillary as she was preparing her speech tonight.  The elephant whispers, “Hillary… Hillary,” and then says, “Obama would have picked you as his Vice President if he loved you half as much… as I hate you.”

We also need to carry Tennessee.  Let’s be honest: we have slipped considerably from having failed to carry Tennessee for our own Al Gore in 2000 to not even being on the national radar screen today for Obama.  We must not be bullied by the pundits.  A long time ago, they said Harry Truman could not win.  Today they are trying to turn Obama’s strengths into weaknesses.  He is the most exciting candidate in modern times, and they deride his celebrity.  He is one of the greatest speakers ever, and they say he is not specific enough.  It reminds me of the story of Barack boating with the Pope.  They are in the middle of a lake in a small boat and the wind picks up.  The Pope’s hat blows off onto the water and Barack calmly gets up out of the boat, walks across the water, and picks up the hat, returning it to the Pope.  Even the Pope is impressed.  But the photographers with their telephoto lenses look at what happened and the headlines read the next day, “Obama Can’t Swim.”

Many of you have asked about my mother who is 89-years-old and a great Democrat.  But she gets worried about Barack.  She asks me questions like, “What kind of name is Barack Obama?”  Even Michelle Obama asked that question on one of their first dates.  My mother asks, “Who was Obama’s mother?”  “Who were her people?”  These are questions that the older generations asks and they deserve good answers.  Fortunately, there are great answers.  Barack Obama is not risky; he is solid as a rock.   He is the living embodiment of the American Dream.  It would be so sad if the rest of the world understood that, but we did not.

I have a head start in knowing Barack because we went to the same law school.  It is a snake pit with lots of tough, sometimes nasty people.  One student in my class proudly announced on the first day of class that he had already read every book for the year before the first day of class.  I hate people like that.  Other people kept their light on all night so that we would think they were studying, and they usually were working round-the-clock.  But in the snake pit, Barack was a snake charmer.  He is absolutely brilliant; I wish that I had done as well at law school as Barack.  He is smarter than Bill Clinton, and more disciplined.

And when it comes to carrying Tennessee for Barack, remember that McCain came in third in the Tennessee primary, behind Huckabee and Romney.  McCain may have even finished after “None of the Above.”  Tennessee Republicans aren’t really fired up about McCain.  He’s what was left over after everyone else dropped out.

Tuke Introduces "Real" Alexander

The US Senate race in Tennessee between Democratic challenger Bob Tuke and incumbent Republican Lamar Alexander may not yet be generating a lot of attention in the traditional media, but the battle is definitely underway on the new playing field of modern politics: the internet.

Tuke has produced a couple of videos that are sure to make Lamar squirm. The first one hammers the theme "Lamar Alexander May Not Be Who You Think," undercutting our sitting senator's rather dishonest image as a folksy, moderate, flannel-wearing populist.

Hosted on Nashvillepost's political page, the spot reminds viewers that, contrary to what he would have you believe, Alexander supports extending the war in Iraq, has voted with George W. Bush 90% of the time, and has taken more than $330,000 from big oil companies. Hardly the Euell Gibbons-type, eh? (Kids, ask your parents ....)

In the video below, Tuke tweaks Alexander for flip-flopping on his support for the flat tax, which at times Republicans have treated as a holy grail -- and at other times have treated like poison. In the spot, the 2008 Alexander heartily embraces and promotes the concept that the 1996 Alexander calls "a nutty idea."

All in all, it's good viewing to everyone whose name is not Lamar Alexander. Or Honey.