Don’t Call Her ED: Jennifer Buck Wallace New TNDP Ops Director
Posted on May 6, 2009 at 5:57 pmFrom the release:
“It is my pleasure to announce that Jennifer Wallace is joining the staff of the Tennessee Democratic Party full-time as our Director of Operations,” TNDP Chair Chip Forrester said in a letter the TNDP Executive Committee and county Democratic Party chairs.
The Director of Operations is a new position, created to meet the changing needs of the TNDP. The Director of Operations will be responsible for implementing and managing organizational change and for overseeing day-to-day development of a comprehensive new media program, building a vibrant 95 county party infrastructure, developing an active grassroots wing of the TNDP, coordinating special events, and developing relationships with elected officials, their staff, and issue-based advocacy groups.
A native of East Tennessee, Wallace graduated from Maryville College, where she majored in Political Science with a double minor in History and Business. She earned a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee’s College of Law.
As the Tennessee Field Director for Obama for America, Wallace organized thousands of volunteers across the state. In the last week of the 2008 campaign, she coordinated more than a dozen volunteer phonebanks which made over 120,000 calls. Before joining the Obama campaign, Jennifer worked as a writer and producer for Country Music Television.
“Jennifer brings production and new media knowledge, strong management and organizational skills, and grassroots organization experience to the Party - all invaluable assets as we continue to build our grassroots and 95-county Democratic Party base for the 2010 election cycle and beyond,” Forrester said.
Comments
44 Responses to “Don’t Call Her ED: Jennifer Buck Wallace New TNDP Ops Director”
If she handles the TNDP the way she did the Summit, the TNGOP is in DEEP doo-doo. She is tough as nails and gets things DONE.
You’re quick. I got the press release the same time as you and you had it up before I finished reading it!
Jennifer will do a great job in this new position, and it shows that Chip is listening to what a lot of journalists and some bloggers have been saying, and their awareness that we (Dems) didn’t have our own Bill Hobbs, not that they are alike, but relative to the job, we needed someone, and we got someone who has worked in major campaigns and understands new media and old media and reaching out.
Congrats, Jen!
Congrats to Ms. Wallace and the TNDP on this move. She’s as tough and smart as they get, and the party was shrewd to find a position for her where she can really make things happen for us statewide.
Being from East TN, let’s hope she remembers East TN doesn’t stop at Knoxville.
I don’t agree with the pick. I’d rather see someone with some state and local campaign experience in the job instead of someone who has no idea how a state house or senate race is run.
I do wish her the best of luck though. She has a tough job ahead of her.
After the summit, I thought the party was moving towards unity, not more of the same. Im just wondering if Chip ever looked at the results for the presidential race before making this decision? We lost the state and lost it bad. While the rest of the country moved more progressive, we had a country music producer running operations for Obama.
All I can say is I was expecting something different.
Buck, it’s laughably obviously that you have never met Jenn, much less seen her organize a campaign office. She’s one of the best in the state. Laying the failure of the TNDP to deliver our state for Obama at her feet is unfair and only reveals your extreme naivete about the situation. With the right resources and support, Jenn is going to be able to do some incredible things for the party statewide.
Maybe I could work for CMT and go to Camp Obama and become Executive Director of TNDP.
Ft. Campbell,
Well, maybe you could if you were willing to leave a job making $70K+ and went down to 20K (or less) simply because you were so inspired by the Obama campaign that you were compelled to run the campaign in TN when asked.
Maybe you could…but would you?
Apparently, there are still a few PUMAs out there who think that what Tennesseans did to help get President Obama elected is insignificant.
Well, that’s fine. Let the GOP think they’re winning. Let them get smug and self-satisfied. In fact, I’m sure that the GOP has more money than the Democrats.
jennifer is amazing and I wouldn’t donate or volunteer if she weren’t iinolved
I don’t really care how much she made. The fact is she doesn’t have the experience or personality. And yes I would. I’ve worked federal, state and local races. I know the players to get things done.
Well, Ft. Campbell Dem, if you’re applying for a job, you should probably email the TNDP. I’m sure you could do much better than Jennifer ever could. Tennesseans are so lucky to have you working for them.
Common sense, if you only had any.
Chip is going to run the Democratic party in the ground.
That’s a infinitesimal distance from where Sasser left it.
So Jennifer did a terrific job organizing a ’summit’ huh? With 6 million + Tennesseans, there are supposedly at least 1/3 who are Democrats - that would be 2 million Democrats. So getting 300 people and a handful of state legislators together is supposed to be a big deal?
Sad thing is, no one will stop to ask why the turnout was so low and why some real Democrats (those who believe in the DNC National Platform) would not attend the summit. If they bothered to ask they would hear that those Democrats knew that anything they had to say would not be welcome. Seems the only words the leadership in the Tennessee Democratic Party know are “We’ve always done it this way…..” What was it Einstein said about always doing the same thing and expecting a different result?
Hey, “Naoko”: It’s easy to criticize, isn’t it?
By the way, it looks like you are similarly off-base with your reference to Einstein.
It was Rita Mae Brown in her 1983 novel “Sudden Death” who wrote, “Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.”
Chip has some great qualities. He is a hard worker. He has energy. He is easy to like.
You crazy haters need to go to bed. You are going to need your sleep to keep up with Jennifer. That’s Mrs. Wallace to you.
I am very happy that she will continue to work for us Democrats at the TNDP, she does great work and we are very lucky to have her. Good job Chip.
Congrats to Chip, TNDP, Jennifer and Dems throughout Tennessee. This could not have been a better choice. I’ve been involved with MANY campaigns at various levels, I have seen TNDP Chairs, EDs, etc come and I’ve seen them go. Jennifer is the right choice at this time.
The TNDP/Jennifer bashers here reveal their ignorance when they blame TNDP or Wallace for the failure of Obama in TN. The Obama campaign did NOTHING in TN and has openly admitted it numerous times, including at the Summit. (Which I attended and found inspiring and useful, unlike how I usually feel after such events.) There is plenty of demographic and other data out there to explain the Obama loss in TN much more convincingly that the rants of some of the people who populate this blog.
How about a little unity? Give TNDP/Chip/Jennifer et al a chance and see how the new structure works. This is NOT doing things the way they have always been done. This is a new day for Dems in TN. Let us at least give the sun a chance to rise, peek out the windows, and see what the weather is like. Wait till after 11/2010 before the post-mortem begins.
Geeze…
Well you gotta give the chiperoo credit. He can be taught. Get the release out and swarm the blog with the Obamacultists to praise her before the haters can get their PC’s fired up.
Could it be that Chip is whuppin up on the haters?
Let me be clear. I am not a TNDP or Jennifer Wallace basher. I support our state party 100%. I just don’t believe she is qualified to hold that position.
I’m impressed that Reality, Ft. Campbell Dem, and Naoko have such intimate knowledge of the workings of the Tennessee Democratic Party. If only we all used our real names…
Names? What’s the fun in that?
I could care less if Buck Nekkid is the high grand poo-bah of the obamabots. It’s still a major-city call everyone racists based loser mentality.
I’m just laughing at the fact that the haters have either been flanked by chipper on this or have been told to shut up about him.
A month ago this announcement would have been met with screaming and gnashing of teeth. Now she’s the smartest little ol gal in Tennessee and will lead the libnuts back to the promised land.
Let’s get the record straight, Reality. Many people inside and outside the party have been pushing for Jennifer to be the permanent ED or OD at TNDP for some time. It is a job she has fulfilled without pay for the past 4 months. There were other things that had to be worked out first and we are lucky she hung in there. How many 4 month job interviews have you ever done without pay or promise of job with your potential boss quarreling with payroll in the daily press? That’s what I thought.
I hear good things about her. Because of Chip, the party’s role going forward will be limited, but within those limitations there is room to do important work. She may not have much actual political experience, but she may have a knack for organization and a passion for getting things done. I’m hopeful– and optimistic– that Jennifer will bring needed skills to what the party can and should be doing. Lord knows we need it.
Some of us just don’t care anymore . . .
Ha! I was going to say this still has a beat and you can dance to it, but I don’t know.
I’ve been busy lately but this news may cause me to come out of retirement. Let’s recap the facts in all this: A. Jennifer Buck Wallace (aka La Femme Chip) was responsible for Obama’s worst single-state defeat in November; and B. She has openly criticized the Governor, the Congressmen and, more generally, the Blue Dog approach to governing embodied by the state’s most popular politicians. Sounds like another Chip screw up. Once again: RIP TNDP.
No more wine, cigars, and tai chi for me, Harrison. Time to put out the greatest hits CD and break up the band.
I find no joy in Chairgimp Chipper. The underfed undergrads with overgrown toenails are dead to me.
Syanora, Chipinista, and thanks for the fish.
Pinkston, you’re going to get fired if you do this again; haven’t you been told by your boss to stay away from here?
and Heatseeker, who cares, you’re a Republican anyway?
Hell, even Lincoln Davis sounded like a good old fashioned LIBERAL populist Saturday night, you should have been there.
Who is Pinkston? And how are you, Quacker, going to get anyone fired? Will you threaten them with stale Cheetoes and Ding Dongs from the comfort of your beanbag chair?
Oh noes! Harrison is back with his mean words! What will we ever do? Someone get the smelling salts, I think I feel faint! Be still my troubled heart!
If by “mean words” you’re referring to the biting commentary that kept you and the rest of the weasely Chipinista (including newly named Executive Director La Femme Chip) knotted up, crying and comatose for the better part of three months, then … yes.
So, Pinkston, er, Harrison, are you upset because you finally figured out JBW knows more than you do and you’re not necessary any more?
So first I’m Fletcher, then I’m Beecher, and now I’m Pinkston. Is this paranoia part of you bipolar condition? Or do you just assume that everyone who actually has experienced success in political consulting hates you and La Femme Chip? If LFC is your gold standard, then Democrats certainly are doomed. Not sure if you climbed out of your beanbag chair long enough to bathe and knock away the Cheeto crumbs, but here in the real world La Femme Chip led Obama to his single-worst defeat in any state last year. Word is the Obama people won’t even return her calls because she screwed up Tennessee so badly. But by all means: You and the rest of the Chipinista should follow her down the tube. And btw: My name is Harrison.
Wait a minute, Harrison, I thought I was Bill Fletcher.
LWC, don’t be a moron. Your last statement is nonsense on so many levels. Go do something productive and quit trying to reignite a war with people that have already carpetbombed you.
You’re the one who brought up Bill fletcher…
In any event, I’m going to help the TNDP take the state House back, whatever it is you two do, you can do it. After all, just look at the wonderful situation you left us.
Don’t worry, we’ll fix it, though.
Good luck, you moron. Getting off the beanbag chair, that is.
I didn’t know I left the state party in any condition for anyone. I didn’t know I worked for the state party. Oh, that’s right. I didn’t.
The Chipinista view of what a political party is, what it does, and who works for it is totally bizarre.
Harrison, Wanker, Dr. J, why can’t you simply let me wallow in my ennui?