Democrats Are Unprepared For A Rare Opportunity To Win A Senate Seat In Tennessee

Anti-immigrant Know Nothing Joe Carr (R)

Tennessee's congressional districts are so gerrymandered that Democrats can only win in the state's two districts that are primarily in big cities, Nashville and Memphis. And in Nashville, the Democratic incumbent, Jim Cooper, is a conservative corporate-friendly Blue Dog who votes with the GOP very frequently. Statewide, it's not as clear cut, although the state has trended red in recent years. Democrats lost every presidential race in Tennessee after Bill Clinton's narrow 48-46% win in 1996. And last year, Obama did worst of all, failing to even break 40%-- down 3% since his 2008 drubbing there by McCain.

In 2012 Republican Bob Corker didn't have a legitimate Democratic opponent and trounced right-wing psychopath, Mark Clayton, 64.9- 30.4%, who ran as a Democrat without the party's backing. When Corker first ran, in 2006, in a Democratic year, he beat another conservative Democrat, corrupt Wall Street shill Harold Ford (who scored nearly 48%). The state's senior senator, Lamar Alexander, a former governor and U.S. Secretary of Education, ran for the Senate when Fred Thompson retired in 2002. The far right opposed him in the primary but he narrowly beat lunatic fringe congressman Ed Bryant and then Democratic Congressman Bob Clement 54-44% in the general. In 2008, he trounced Democrat Bob Tuke, 67.3-32.6%.

The far right of his own party is still after his scalp and teabaggers are howling for his blood again. A couple dozen teabagger groups signed a letter to him this month demanding he retire or be put to the sword face a primary.

During your tenure in the Senate we have no doubt that you voted in a way which you felt was appropriate. Unfortunately, our great nation can no longer afford compromise and bipartisanship, two traits for which you have become famous. America faces serious challenges and needs policymakers who will defend conservative values, not work with those who are actively undermining those values. Quite honestly, your voting record shows that you do not represent the conservative values that we hold dear and the votes you have cast as Senator are intolerable to us. Furthermore we have serious doubts about your ability to fix our problems since you have played such a significant role in creating them.

The Little Plaid Book you authored contains very sage advice on politics. Rule #297 is especially important because you advise anyone running for office to “Serve two terms, then get out.” Are you willing to follow your own advice, or will you fall into the mire of hypocrisy?

As you are likely aware, there have been polls conducted that show your vulnerability. While no viable contender has yet emerged, it is becoming more probable with each passing day that one will rise to the challenge. When a serious contender eventually does enter the race, the moment their fundraising capability makes them a viable candidate, your re-election is in serious jeopardy.

Therefore, we urge you to conclude your long and notable career by retiring with dignity instead of fighting against a serious conservative primary challenger who would expose to all Tennessee voters the actual history of your voting record.

Sincerely,

Sevier County Tea Party
Tea Party of Lincoln County
Gibson County Patriots
Benton County Tea Party
Carroll County Tea Party
Jackson Madison County Tea Party
Dickson County Tea Party / 912 Project
Obion County Tea Party
Stewart County Tea Party
Tennesseans for Liberty (Madison County)
Volunteers for Freedom (Henry County)
We the People (Tipton County)
Rutherford County Tea Party
TN 9-12 Project
Caney Branch Tea Party
TN Republican Assembly
Smoky Mountain Tea Party Patriots (Blount Co)
McMinn County TEA Party
North Sumner Tea Party
Tennessee 8th District Tea Party Coalition

And the candidate they had in mind, right-wing extremist Joe Carr, started leaking the word that he's in on Monday and then made the announcement Tuesday on Ralph Bristol's WTN-FM show that he's given up his bid to ouster Scott DesJarlais and that Alexander is his target instead.

Carr was unable to raise much money against DesJarlais but he's hoping that national teabagger groups hate Alexander enough to finance his primary. He's best known in Tennessee for being a vicious anti-Hispanic bigot and a total NRA shill.

Alexander had a competent and appealing response out yesterday in the Tennessean. But if a clownish sociopath like Carr wins the primary anyway, it's not likely that many independents-- and even some mainstream Republicans-- will vote for him. That opens the door for a Democrat. But what Democrat? The DSCC doesn't have anyone yet and local grassroots Democrats know who they want-- Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke-- but fear he won't do it. Berke was a popular state senator who was just elected to be Chattanooga's mayor a few months ago. He's probably the only plausible Democrat in the state who could take the seat. I wonder if Harry Reid has called him. I bet not.

And so what if he was bad at spelling in school? Tennesseans aren't hiring him to win spelling bees; they want someone to turn back the hands of time and keep progressive and change from ever darkening their doorsteps. But he should at least know how the spell the office he's running for, no?