A Stroll Down Memory Lane

By Kleinheider Posted on December 11, 2008 at 3:01 pm

Amidst the speculation over Tim McGraw’s political aspirations, Dru Fuller remembers another country artist turned candidate:

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Tags: Tex Ritter, Tim McGraw  

Off The Acuff

By Kleinheider Posted on at 7:19 am

Gail Kerr compares the speculation over a potential run for Tennessee Governor by country singer Tim McGraw to the ill-fated bid by country music legend Roy Acuff for the very same office:

McGraw is obviously a good businessman, and a top-notch entertainer. He’s a family man, with three daughters and a wife who would be quite a sensation at the first lady teas. If he’s serious, he is in much the same position as the late, great King of Country Music, Mr. Roy Acuff, found himself in 1948.

Back then, Acuff was one of the nation’s biggest stars, thanks to people who set their schedules aroundlistening to the Grand Ole Opry. In fact, Japanese troops reportedly shouted as they charged Okinawa, “To hell with Franklin Roosevelt, to hell with Babe Ruth, to hell with Roy Acuff!”

Because of that fame, Acuff was begged by state Republicans to run against a corrupt and seemingly unbeatable Democratic Party machine run by former Memphis Mayor E.H. “Boss” Crump, who quickly jumped on the idea of a country singer in the statehouse as unthinkable. And Gov. Prentice Cooper said the star was “bringing disgrace” to the state by making it the “hillbilly capital of the United States.”

Acuff replied that he might not be an expert on government, but he knew the Golden Rule and the Ten Commandments.

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Tags: 2010, 2010 Governor's race, Roy Acuff, Tim McGraw  

Don’t Bet The Publishing Rights On It

By Kleinheider Posted on December 10, 2008 at 5:28 pm

Brad Schmitt reports that, contrary to the New Republic, Tim McGraw has no plans to run for Tennessee Givernor — at least not in 2010:

Tim’s camp has no comment on the report.

But I’m told that a 2010 run ain’t gonna happen. Tim’s political aspirations are there, but he likely won’t act on them for years and years to come.

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Tags: 2010 Governor's race, Tim McGraw  

No Bench To Warm

By Kleinheider Posted on at 9:07 am

Sean Braisted on the reason why Democrats are even remotely considering recruiting Tim McGraw as a candidate for statewide office:

If there is ever an argument for statewide elected constitutional offices…this is it. We have no real backbench in Tennessee for the top job in the state, other than Mayors and former Senators.

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Tags: 2010 Governor's race, constitutional officers, statewide politics, Tim McGraw  

Ya Gotta Have Faith: Tim McGraw Serious About Gubernatorial Run?

By Kleinheider Posted on at 7:39 am

The New Republic thinks the Tennessee Democratic Party may have no other choice but to heavily recruit and back the country singer:

He’s been floating the idea for a few years now, but with the recent thrashing of lawyer Bob Tuke by Lamar Alexander in last month’s senate race, Tennessee Dems have been casting about desperately for a high-profile Democrat not named Harold Ford to take on Bill Frist, who is almost certainly going to run. And they could do a lot worse, I suppose, than the Indian Outlaw. Which is saying something.

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Tags: 2010 Governor's race, Bill Frist, Bob Tuke, Gubentorial, Harold Ford, Indian Outlaw, Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Democratic Party, Tim McGraw