Tennessee’s Other Southern Appalachian Democrat
Posted on August 20, 2008 at 10:11 amMike Padgett’s former campaign manager and the operative behind the 2006 slaying of incumbent state Senator Don McLeary, Jed Brewer, has started a blog.
In his introductory post Brewer discusses Tennessee Fourth Grand Division:
However, one of the areas that I felt we, as a campaign, excelled at was in new media world. I once heard someone say that the internet was soon going to be Tennessee’s fourth grand division. I think it has transformed into that…now the jury is still out as to the effect it has with the average voter in Tennessee. I think it is an excellent tool to communicate with activists, donors and the younger generation today. However, I still don’t think it has the effect on the average voter that direct mail, radio or TV has. Anyways, back to my point…personally, I believe that our on-line presence was top notch. It was an area that Mike and our team put a lot of time and effort into. We had a daily online journal, twittered quite often about, posted (most) news releases and policy statements the day they went out as well as just having a good overall website (no i didn’t design it myself). In addition, we got a lot of good traffic with the blog community. Mike and I both got to meet and know several bloggers out there during the course of the campaign…and its this that has brought me to where I am now…sitting at my kitchen table at 1am starting my own blog…because i feel that, “there’s still so much to be done,” or said.
permalink | Comment on this post
Mike Padgett Concedes To Bob Tuke, The Name You Know Claims Second
Posted on August 7, 2008 at 10:22 pmTennessee’s one and onliest Southern Appalachian Democratic candidate congratulates the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Bob Tuke:
“My hearty congratulations go out to Bob Tuke tonight,” Mike Padgett said Thursday evening.
“Bob is a true Tennessee hero, and he ran a gentleman’s campaign. I have offered him my full support because we both understand how important it is to working Tennesseans that Bob bring Lamar Alexander home.”
The big story out of this race, however, is the out of nowhere, unknown upstart candidate Gary Davis.
With little fundraising and literally no media attention until tonight, Davis outpolled two candidates who were considered “legitmate” by the mainstream and citizen media by virtue of money and position and came within 10% of the current nominee. The question is: how?
Is the Davis story a triumph of an underground, stealthy grassroots campaign? Is it an example of a rare victory for the little guy against big money and big media?
Or is the explanation more troubling? Did Davis’s voters believe that they were voting for one of the two sitting Congressmen in the state, Lincoln Davis and David Davis, with the same surname?
A look at the map leads one to believe that Tennessee may have just had its own statewide theatrical version of the Distinguished Gentleman.
Davis, “the name they knew“, seems to have trumped everything: money, organization and just plain common sense.
A sad commentary on the political savvy of the Tennessee voter.
SEE ALSO:
Associated Press
Tuke Absent From Hooterville?
Posted on at 7:49 amNewscoma reports that Democratic candidate Bob Tuke hasn’t been seen out in rural Northwest Tennessee much:
A couple of things, Kenneth Eaton and Mike Padgett headed to northwest Tennessee to meet constituents. Eaton actually has been here a couple of times.
I was on staycation for one week but I don’t recall Bob Tuke being around.
At all.
Last minute observations.
permalink | Comment on this post
It’s All About Memphis
Posted on at 7:43 amJackson Baker reports that is where the Democratic U.S. Senate primary is likely to trun:
What is unusual about the Senate primary that ends this week is that Tuke, regarded by most observers (and by his own polls) as the leader in that race, chose to make Shelby County the focus of his primary efforts — to the point of scheduling his election-night celebration for the Cadre Building in downtown Memphis. “We think this is where the decision will lie,” said an aide to the former Democratic Party chairman on an all-day swing through Shelby County on Saturday.
permalink | Comment on this post
One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other
Posted on at 6:50 amSouthern Appalachian Democrat Mike Padgett in a final press release before the polls open:
“Tennesseans are not stupid, and they are beginning to see that Senator Alexander is not just a harmless guy in a plaid shirt,” Padgett said. “He has been a rubber-stamp for just about every mistake the Bush-Cheney Administration has made.
“Well, I intend to put an end to the ABC Administration – that’s Alexander-Bush-Cheney.
“With Barack Obama at the helm and folks like me and Jim Webb and Heath Shuler in Congress, we will turn this thing around and make America first again.”
Private Arguments Over Bipartisanship
Posted on August 5, 2008 at 10:03 amSean Braisted implies that it may not be Mike Padgett who is best equipped for bipartisanship in the Democratic race for U.S. Senate:
Of course, Tuke might privately argue that he has a better relationship with his hiking buddy Bob Corker, which might lead to more fruitful discussions about joint legislation.
Mike Padgett Claims To Be The Original Gangster
Posted on August 4, 2008 at 1:12 pmThe Southern Appalachian Democrat not only praises the energy proposals of the so-called Senatorial “Gang of Ten” but also asserts that he was ahead of the curve on many of the ideas the gang has put forth:
“The plan put forth by this ‘Gang of 10’ includes, among other things, drilling off the coasts of states that agree to it, ending tax breaks for the oil industry and funding for alternative energy sources. I proposed this very compromise July 24 in a news release.
“The point is I know how to think outside the partisan box and get things done instead of getting stuck in the mud of political bickering.”
With more than 20 years in public service, Padgett says he has the experience that his Democratic opponents lack in practical problem-solving.
“In a Republican stronghold like Knox County, I had to be able to work with members of the other party if I was going to accomplish anything. And I had to be able to win Republican votes, or I wouldn’t have been elected seven times.
“It’s going to take that kind of strength to beat Senator Alexander in November – and it’s something that none of my Democratic opponents can claim.”
The candidate also adds that in the Senate he “would join Sen. Corker on the Gang of 10 and give Tennessee a united voice. Why has Senator Alexander not done that?”
SEE ALSO: Chris Sanders discusses the candidates’ positions on energy.
Baracking The Vote In Big Shelby
Posted on at 7:08 amTom Humphrey breaks down the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate:
In the August 2006 U.S. Senate primary, Harold Ford Jr. also got about 12,500 votes from Knox County Democrats versus about 90,000 in Shelby and 33,000 in Davidson. This year, Shelby has a hotly contested Democratic primary for the seat now held by Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis. That could drive up turnout.
One hears that Tuke may have the edge in Shelby, in part by being an active and early supporter of Barack Obama, who is highly popular in the 9th District.
He may also have an edge in the Nashville area, where he lives and is somewhat better known. Kenneth Eaton, a loser in two campaigns for Nashville mayor, has not spent much of the $250,000 he gave his campaign and does not appear to have made much headway - despite some combative rhetoric.
Padgett’s courthouse campaign strategy may help in other areas of the state. The courthouse crowd, typically, does turn out for any election. But the odds are that will not be enough to turn the Tuke tide.
permalink | Comment on this post
He’s The Tuke From New York, He’s A Number One
Posted on at 6:56 amThe City Paper endorses Bob Tuke for the Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate:
The road for any Democrat to unseat U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander is going to be tough, even in a year nationally where GOP candidates are facing tough re-election campaigns. Of the candidates seeking the Democratic nomination to run against Alexander, we believe Bob Tuke has the best chance of offering voters a choice in that race.
From a strategic standpoint, Tuke’s experience as a former state party chairman and his connections nationally suggest he may have the ability to make the race with Alexander competitive.
In addition, his understanding of veterans’ issues and his middle ground position on the war on terror also show he is the kind of moderate Democrat Tennesseans can back.
Bob Tuke Makes Military Service The Issue
Posted on July 30, 2008 at 9:26 amFrom Jake Lowary:
“It’s important for me to be here personally,” he said in an interview Tuesday with The Leaf-Chronicle.
“We really do need another vet in the Senate.”
Tuke met with supporters at Blondie’s Sandwiches and Coffee before heading out to lunch with supporter Kim McMillan and then meeting with voters at Bo’s Barber Shop on Fort Campbell Boulevard.
Tuke is in a hotly contested race for the Democratic nomination with five other candidates, but expects the race to come down to himself and Mike Padgett, the current Knox County clerk.
Tuke, though, sees himself as far and away the better candidate. With service in the Marine Corps and as an attorney,
Tuke says he’s the only candidate — Republican or Democrat — with a broad base of experience that will benefit Tennessee’s citizens.
“The difference is in my life I have experience that he doesn’t,” Tuke said.
permalink | Comment on this post
Rejecting The Home Team
Posted on July 29, 2008 at 5:08 pmSean Braisted points out that the Knoxville News Sentinel has endorsed Davidson County’s Bob Tuke over Mike Padgett in the U.S. Senate Democratic primary but fails to state its reasons for going against Padgett. From the endorsement:
In the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, we support Bob Tuke, a Nashville lawyer and former chairman of the state Democratic Party. Tuke graduated from the University of Virginia and served as a U.S. Marine officer in Vietnam. He came to Tennessee to attend Vanderbilt University law school.
Tuke has drafted legislation rewriting the state’s adoption laws and served as a lobbyist for Meharry Medical College and environmental groups.
In Democratic politics, he worked for then-Sen. Al Gore’s 1988 presidential campaign, organized a Veterans for John Kerry effort in 2004 and served earlier this year as political director for Barack Obama’s campaign in Tennessee.
Of the six Democratic candidates in the primary, Tuke is best poised to wage a strong campaign against Sen. Lamar Alexander.
permalink | Comment on this post
Slow Your Payroll
Posted on July 28, 2008 at 9:10 amThe Bob Tuke for U.S. Senate campaign notes that its rival campaign seems to be a bit light on employees:
“That sounds like a form of political tax evasion,” said Ben Chao, campaign manager for Bob Tuke, Padgett’s chief rival in the Democratic primary.
Under federal tax law, campaigns are treated as if they were companies when they hire staff. That means the campaigns must pay payroll taxes for Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance.
On the other hand, no taxes need be paid for the services of an independent contractor.
A review of the most recently filed FEC disclosures for Senate candidates, covering a three-month period ending June 30, shows that Tuke’s campaign paid almost $18,000 in payroll taxes for a dozen employees.
SEE ALSO: Braisted on poor Jake:
Given the description of Padgett on his blog of Jake traveling all across Tennessee with him (and I don’t think I’ve ever seen Padgett without him), that would likely constitute an employee under IRS rules.
Having said that, spokeswoman Terry Quillen isn’t exactly wrong when she states that this happens all the time in political campaigns, however, the “everyone else is doing it” defense isn’t always appreciated by Government agencies.
permalink | Comment on this post
Padgett Campaign Manager Finds Eaton Press Release “Interesting”
Posted on July 25, 2008 at 3:32 pmJed Brewer, campaign manager for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Padgett, grants a request for comment by Post Politics on a press release issued by candidate Ken Eaton referencing Bob Tuke’s attorney client list which allegedly includes companies who outsource jobs overseas:
“After taking a quick look at Mr. Eaton’s release, I find it interesting.
“Throughout this campaign, I thought that Mike and Bob were standing side by side on the issue of protecting American jobs and fighting the practice of outsourcing.
“But if Bob has clients who send jobs overseas – while he’s promising voters that he’ll do something about Tennessee losing jobs to cheap overseas labor* – then he’s talking out of both sides of his mouth.
“If this is true, I am really disappointed in Bob. I’d really be interested in what he has to say.
“As a partner in a law firm that profits handsomely from clients who outsource jobs, how can he credibly say he’ll take a stand against outsourcing?
“Mike remains committed to protecting and creating decent-paying jobs for Tennesseans and all Americans and punishing companies that outsource jobs overseas. If the information you have is correct, I don’t see how Bob can credibly make that same promise.”
Tuke for Tennessee had not responded to a request for comment on the release at the time of this posting.
Memphis Paper Endorses Tuke
Posted on July 20, 2008 at 11:02 amBut thinks Padgett is cool, too:
Either Bob Tuke, a lawyer and former chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party, or Mike Padgett, former Knox County Clerk, would offer a fine counterpoint to Alexander during the campaign leading up to the November election.
Tuke and Padgett offer many strong ideas about how to move the country in a different direction on energy policies, economic development, transportation and treatment of our military veterans, among other issues.
The Tennessee Democratic U.S. Senate Primary
Posted on July 18, 2008 at 7:30 amChris Sanders asserts the race, covered mostly in the blogosphere, will be a test, on a small scale, of the role of money in politics:
If it weren’t for blogs, I’m not sure anyone would be paying attention to the primary. In the end, I think nothing overwhelmingly positive or negative stuck to either candidate in the public’s imagination. So we are left with Bob Tuke’s fundraising advantage and Mike Padgett’s concerted effort to be everywhere.
What Will $275,000 Buy A Senate Candidate?
Posted on July 10, 2008 at 7:59 amAmong other things, it appears, a (semi) serious profile treatment from the dean of Tennessee politics, Tom Humphrey:
Eaton says that, in the latter race, he recognized early in the campaign that former U.S. Rep. Bob Clement, a friend, and Karl Dean, the ultimate winner, were likely headed for the runoff so “I laid back and didn’t do much,” not spending the money that would have been needed for an all-out effort. He backed Clement in the runoff.
The Senate race, Eaton said, is different, and with encouragement from Clement, he decided to run seriously.
He may not have been taken seriously by his chief primary opponents, former state Democratic Chairman Bob Tuke and former Knox County Clerk Mike Padgett, until putting $275,000 of personal funds into the effort, hiring a staff and launching a tour of all 95 counties.
Eaton said he has made 72 counties so far and has plans to buy radio and cable television advertising before the Aug. 7 election date, relying almost exclusively on self-financing.
Eaton’s infusion of a significant amount of cash in this race certainly does throw a wild card into what was already an intriguing, if low stakes, race between two very different Democratic Senate candidates. The question is: If Eaton’s money gets him any kind of traction, who does it hurt most? Padgett or Tuke?
Eaton’s ideology seems muddled and his issue portfolio eccentric so it really could go either way, could it not? Or, even with the money, will Eaton end up having no real impact whatsosever on the Padgett/Tuke showdown?
Teamsters For Tuke
Posted on July 3, 2008 at 7:49 amThe economically nationalist Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Padgett takes a surprising endorsement hit on his own soil:
Tuke also is touting an endorsement from Teamsters Local 519, a union based on Padgett’s Knoxville home turf. In a letter to Tuke, union President Wesley Trotterchaud promised to help with voter turnout.
The Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Tennessee Democratic Candidates
Posted on July 2, 2008 at 8:55 amIlissa Gold shares some thoughts on the Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate in the wake of a new poll showing “undecided” in the lead:
It’s a scenario that speaks to both candidates’ strengths, and to their weaknesses. My impartial assessment of this primary is that while Padgett seems to have the more organized ground game, Tuke has the better track record on fundraising. Ideally, you’d have both in a candidate–one who could go to all 95 counties and still have enough money left to take on an incumbent with more than $3 million cash on hand. So honestly, your guess is as good as mine as to who wins this one.
SEE ALSO:
Braisted
Vibinc
Left Wing Cracker
Recent Comments
Cooper’s DC office was flooded with out of...
Fundamentalist Christians are turned into lion manure or crucified while forgiving...
When will We as free thinking Black Men...
Just heard Congressman Blackburn on Steve Gill’s...
Weaselling about the Senate bill aside - good...
“Rumor has it…” yeah,...
AC - this is terrific news! Where did you this info...
Hm. Rumor has it the calls were going more...
What are you...
Has(an and Is)lam. Subtle.