Tennessee Democrats Must Feel Stupid Now
How pathetic does the Tennessee Democratic Party look now? The economic turmoil is giving Democrats hope for victories in unlikely places around the country. Even Elizabeth Dole and Mitch McConnell may be on the ropes. Here, though, Lamar Alexander is enjoying a free ride, with only the hapless Bob Tuke in the way of his reelection.
Tennessee Democrats can thank Gov. Phil Bredesen, who is very quick to offer bad political advice to any and all. It was Bredesen who told Mike McWherter not to challenge Alexander. That was back when there still was time to raise enough money to mount a credible challenge. McWherter wrung his hands for a while, long enough to make it impossible for any other serious contender to run, then bowed out. The New York Times reports:
Democrats say they feel confidently ahead in five Senate races where they hope to pick up Republican seats, and they believe their candidates are running competitively in seven more.
Tennessee could have been one of those states. If Democrats can't recruit a serious statewide challenger in an obviously Democratic year, then they ought to fold up their big tent and disband.
Comments
Oh, but the Democrats have much more to thank Bredesen for than that! He was the one who, several times, stated publicly that Obama shouldn't waste his time on Tennessee.
Posted 10/09/2008 at 04:11:03 PMNow honestly, if Phil himself were on the ballot this year, he'd have begged to bring Obama here to help energize Democrats and get them to the polls. But since it's only the Tennessee House and Senate, he doesn't care if Dems come out or not. Worse, he's publicly angling for the cabinet post he imagines for himself in the Obama administration.
Now, Obama's making inroads into Virginia and perhaps even North Carolina, and even Missouri's considered to be in play. Obama has revived the Democratic Party all around us. And here we sit. Red-faced.
Heckuva job, Phil.