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Advancing English First

By Kleinheider Posted on June 23, 2008 at 10:17 am

Sean Braisted doesn’t think Eric Crafton’s English First effort is design to drive up conservative turnout but is instead an effort to drive up his name recognition:

Despite Davidson’s Democratic tendencies, a measure like English First will still probably have a solid majority of support (just like the anti-gay amendment had about 80% support in this county), and by tapping into this populist xenophobia, Crafton might be able to translate that into a future run for something else (or at least, that is what he may be thinking…not quite sure it’d work out that way).

So what office would Crafton have designs on? The legislature? Does believe he can, if Jim Cooper leaves the seat, win the Fifth for the GOP? Or does he have designs on succeeding Karl Dean? He was very close to the Clement campaign. Does he believe that a similar campaign with a better candidate (in his eyes) capture the Mayor’s office?

The options for political advancement for Crafton are limited by his geography so much so that the interpretation one is inclined to come away with his that Crafton is motivated by genuine ideological belief on English First, not political opportunism.

Or am I missing something?

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2 Responses to “Advancing English First”

  1. Sean Braisted writes
    June 23rd, 2008 10:52 am

    Crafton lives in the 21st Senate district occupied by the soon to be retired (by his own volition or nature) Doug Henry. There are concerns by some Democrats that this district might trend towards a Republican once he leaves office, and so that could be an opening for Crafton.

    Not to mention, there is always Councilman At-large or vice-mayor in 4 years.

  2. Donna Locke writes
    June 23rd, 2008 4:09 pm

    I sent a letter to The Tennessean today about this subject. That paper has a habit of not publishing my letters to the editor, so here’s my letter:

    The Editor:

    The Tennessean has spent much time and ink trying to undermine the measure to make English Nashville’s official language, while professing concerns about health and safety.

    Let’s talk about health and safety. I am the mother of a child injured by an apparently illegal-alien driver who could not read or understand English, or at least that’s what the driver indicated to police. The driver skipped and never showed up in court and continues to be untraceable in this country.

    In 1996, I lived two houses down from a family, an entire family, killed in the ValuJet crash that year in the Florida Everglades. No one survived that crash. Subsequent federal investigation found that oxygen canisters loaded into the cargo hold of the plane had been mishandled, causing the fire/explosion. The canisters had instructions in English. The National Transportation Safety Board suggested that the use of non-English-speaking employees may have been a problem.

    I owe my daughter and my neighbors this letter. And I am asking the newspaper to spend equal time investigating and reporting the sources of funding for organizations and groups devoted to the settling of illegal aliens in this country and this state and the assisting of those aliens in plugging into our public services. It is illegal under federal law to assist anyone one should reasonably suspect is an illegal alien in remaining in this country.

    Donna Locke
    Columbia, TN

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