Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam To Frist Country Amid Gubernatorial Bid Speculation
Posted on June 9, 2008 at 9:51 amR. Neal remarks that the name of Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam on the bill of the Statesman’s dinner, the TNGOP’s annual social event and fundraiser, as evidence the East Tennessee executive may have his eyes on the Governor’s mansion.
Indeed. A potential Gubernatorial candidate would be silly not to make on appearance at “the” GOP occasion of the year but is this appearance itself proof positive of such intent or is a more overt act needed to encourage such speculation?
How about this? Next Saturday, at a rather low key event for the Davidson County GOP, a picnic and straw poll for local races here in the county, Mayor Haslam will be the featured speaker.
The Statesman’s Dinner is one thing, every GOPer and their momma will be there, but a Davidson GOP county picnic in Nashville? That’s quite a trip for a elected Mayor to make three hours from home.
This, of course, is to say nothing of the curious omission from the bill affaire. Former Governor Winfield Dunn will be there as well as Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn and the Republican state legislators from Davidson but Davidson’s county’s resident rumored Gubernatorial candidate Bill Frist will not be in attendance, at least according to the announcement.
Makes one wonder. These two titans under normal circumstances would be “field clearers” and if one or the other got in they would likely do just that.
The question is: will they either clear the way for the other? With the Democratic bench looking a bit peaked and the trend in Tennessee being that a two term Governor of one party is succeeded by a man of the party opposite will the reality that the Republican primary likely determines who sits in the Governor’s chair force these two field clearers to face each other?
UPDATE: R. Neal reacts
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3 Responses to “Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam To Frist Country Amid Gubernatorial Bid Speculation”
No argument here about the state’s trend in switching gubernatorial parties almost exactly every eight years; but I’m assuming that by “the Democratic bench” you’re speaking of the Lincoln and the Ford, and maybe Purcell; but don’t be so ready to count out Kim McMillan.
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