Mark Brown Leaves Ward Cammack
Posted on June 22, 2009 at 2:42 pmThe ubiquitous, tweeting communications and political director takes his leave of the well monied, unknown Democrat contender:
Democratic strategist Mark Brown is leaving the gubernatorial campaign of Nashville businessman Ward Cammack.
Brown declined to give specific reasons for his departure Monday other than to say: “It was time to move my career in another direction.”
Cammack is largely unknown in political circles but is considered a potential contender for the nomination because of his personal wealth.
Buying Into Cammack’s Conversion
Posted on May 12, 2009 at 7:25 amIlissa Gold reports that gubernatorial candidate Ward Cammack was authentic when he told her the reasons why he left the Republican Party and became a Democrat:
Cammack was a Republican up until very recently. While that’s not a deal-breaker on its own, you want to make sure that your Democratic candidates are in it for the right reasons.
So with that in mind, one of the very first questions I asked was what, specifically, made him become a Democrat. And I admit, I was caught off-guard by his answer. He discussed how his youngest daughter became critically ill a few years ago, forcing them to spend a week in the ICU at Vanderbilt, and how they didn’t know what was wrong for several days. It was that experience, that grief and uncertainty, that forced him to see the world in a different way. He realized that while his daughter fortunately recovered, not everyone in that situation has access to the same resources.
Now, I realize that I haven’t been in the political game as long as most of my peers in the Tennessee blogosphere. But this will be the fifth political cycle I’ve been actively involved with, so by now I can distinguish honesty from BS, between which there is an admittedly fine line. Cammack’s answer, and the emotion in his eyes when he gave the answer, left no doubt in my mind ten minutes into the interview that he is 100% legitimate.
Celebrating The Democratic Gubernatorial Primary
Posted on May 7, 2009 at 2:39 pmWell, actually the President’s 100 Days:
Join the Union University College Democrats for their Celebration of the First 100 Days of the Obama Presidency. The evening will begin with a short business meeting of the Madison County Democratic Party Executive Committee on Union’s campus at 6:00 pm. Starting at 7:30 the newly-elected Madison County Chair, Attorney Robert Hill; TNDP Chair, Chip Forrester; Senator Lowe Finney and gubernatorial candidates Kim McMillan, Ward Cammack, Mike McWherter and Senator Roy Herron will speak.
Ramsey On The Haslam Truck Stop Price-Gouging Settlement
Posted on April 16, 2009 at 12:52 pmThe Lt. Governor subtly confirms, yes, you will likely see this in a mailer some day:
“I won’t bring that up … yet. The fact that this is the third state that’s happened in, I wasn’t going to point that out.”
UPDATE: Democrat Ward Cammack gives us a little general election preview:
“Government should never allow unscrupulous businesses to take advantage of consumers during times of crisis. As governor, my administration will build on Governor Bredesen’s vigilance in cracking down on such indefensible actions.”
Ward Cammack Wants A Piece Of This Junior Story
Posted on April 13, 2009 at 4:59 pmA statement from the gubernatorial candidate on Harold Ford’s decision not to seek the office of governor:
“I will gladly take up Congressman Ford’s call to focus on green jobs and the new economy. We are in an economic reset, and the next governor must have a broad, generational vision and must embrace the new economy.”
Cammack To Use His Financial Wizardry For Good Instead Of Evil
Posted on April 12, 2009 at 11:44 pmGubernatorial candidate Ward Cammack in a blog posting on the TNDP’s new social networking site gives his take on the financial crisis and more specifically the company formerly known as AIG. Spokesman Mark Brown tells us what to take away from the keen financial analysis of Cammack:
Ward has an understanding of the current economy that is unmatched in this field of candidates. To put it bluntly, the 21st Century economy is a complex beast, and we’re presently going through a reset. It’s important that we have political leaders that understand what’ s going on and can see beyond the old paradigms.
Yes, this is similar to some of the risks municipalities were taking with derivatives. Three of our opponents (Herron, McMillan, and Ramsey) voted to allow municipalities to purchase these, and I’m not sure any of them understood what they were voting for. Ward understand the complexities of contemporary financial transactions.
Throughout the campaign, we’ll use our online communications to address various issues. Some of them might not seem campaign related, but, to borrow from Mayor Dean, it’s all connected.
MORE: Post Business
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Maybe They’re Just Not That Into You
Posted on April 9, 2009 at 7:38 amJeff Woods has a sad face on about the Democratic gubernatorial candidates:
Democrats hide from reporters. Eventually, if they’re backed into a corner, they might admit they’re running. It’s like they’re confessing to a crime.
Kim McMillan declared her candidacy in a timid, virtually unnoticed statement to her hometown newspaper. I can’t even remember how Ward Cammack made his announcement. That’s how momentous that was. McMillan has been avoiding reporters for fear they’ll ask her whether she still supports the income tax. I’m not sure what Cammack is doing. I’ve never actually seen him in person, and I don’t know any reporters who have.
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A Man With A Bankroll Like That Can Afford To Be Less Reticent
Posted on March 27, 2009 at 10:38 amSean Braisted attends a fundraiser for little known Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ward Cammack:
Cammack also noted that the endeavor to run for Governor is not a casual affair, saying, “I really haven’t understood the people who’ve kind of waded in up to their knees and said ‘I might get around to it after I see who else is doing it,’ but its like running a business. You don’t go into business because of your competitors, you get in because of the market…Tennessee is the market, and that is what we have to take care of.”
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Former State Senate Caucus Political Director Joins Up With Former Republican’s Gubernatorial Effort
Posted on at 6:55 amMark Brown is a Ward Cammack man:
Commenting on his new position with the campaign, Mark said “Ward Cammack is a candidate whose ideas rise above partisan politics. He will continue to apply common sense business principles to state government as Governor Bredsen has, and he has the vision to meet the challenges our state faces. I’m excited by the opportunity to help Tennessee get to know Ward.”
Money Don’t Impress Him Much
Posted on March 19, 2009 at 12:33 pmSean Braisted doesn’t think Ward Cammack can rely on his bankbook alone to win the Democratic nomination for Governor:
Personally, I’m not in the camp that believes having deep pockets is the guaranteer of success. Sure, in the case of Cammack, it helps to get his name out early, but I think the reason the person with the most typically wins, is because people generally give to the winner. So far, Ward Cammack doesn’t seem to be resting on whatever bank account he has, and has been tapping his deep well of deep pocketed friends to get his fledgling campaign noticed.
The key to Cammack is coming off as a serious, well thought out candidate, who knows what he believes, but more importantly, has a deeply personal reason for running. Typically, wealthy candidates who get in just ’cause they can, are rooted out by the voters in favor of someone who seems to have a much more clear vision for the future of the state/country.
SEE ALSO: R. Neal handicaps the race a bit as well.
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Fool Me Once, Shame On Me…
Posted on March 16, 2009 at 5:24 pmIlissa Gold is not at all enthused by the prospect of a Mike McWherter gubernatorial candidacy:
I know I can’t be the only Democrat who was more than a little peeved that he waited for so long in 2008 to announce that he would not be running for Senate. It was a costly tease–by that point Bob Tuke had said he wouldn’t challenge McWherter in the primary, but the announcement forced Tuke to rush back in and build up an operation with very little time. I still don’t think Tuke would have necessarily beaten Lamar! even if given a better opportunity, but there’s no doubt that McWherter’s delay hurt his chances.
So what’s he going to do now? Is he actually going to run, or is he going to “wait and see” again?
I have no patience for this level of indecisiveness. I may sound cliche or like a broken record by now, but time is a luxury we do not have in the 2010 cycle. Berke, McMillan, and Ward Cammack may not be household names at this point, but at least they’re out there doing something!
In light of recent history, as of now I don’t consider Mike McWherter a real candidate for Governor; I think that the “insiders” quoted in the article are at best merely speculating. If he is a real candidate, let’s see some papers and some fundraising first.
The Outliers
Posted on March 11, 2009 at 7:04 amJackson Baker discusses two gubernatorial candidates on either side of the aisle. One, a Democrat, who supports gay adoption and doesn’t go running and screaming from the word socialism, and the other a Republican who talks about raising gas taxes and wants to see Tennessee reclaim its sovereignty:
Where Wamp sounds most different from other candidates, though, is on issues like state sovereignty and immigration.
The federal government is “upside down,” revenue-wise, he says. Consequently, “The states need to start learning to say no to Washington, and we’re not going to give you our money. We’re going to have to almost establish the sovereignty of the state of Tennessee under the 10th amendment. We’re going to do XYZ and we want to go forward more on our own. We’re going to raise the money for it, and we don’t want your help, and we don’t want your mandates.”
Wamp would attempt to “close our borders” to illegal immigrants. How? By employing the Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system to identify illegals and to “make sure illegal immigrant parents do not have a job.” That would ultimately spare the state the expense of providing education and health care to such migrants.
Ward Cammack In DC Rubbing Shoulders With Governor Types
Posted on February 23, 2009 at 12:41 pmAn advisory from the gubernatorial candidate:
Nashville, TN – Ward Cammack, running for Governor, will be attending the Chairman’s Board Reception and 2009 Taste of America Gala, annual event of the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) tonight. The event will be held Union Station, in Washington, DC, featuring 15 Democratic governors including:
DGA Chair Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana
DGA Vice Chair Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland
Gov. Jon Corzine of New Jersey
Gov. John deJongh of the U.S. Virgin Islands
Gov. Jennifer Granholm of Michigan
Gov. Chris Gregoire of Washington
Gov. Brad Henry of Oklahoma
Gov. Ted Kulongoski of Oregon
Gov. Jack Markell of Delaware
Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts
Gov. Bev Perdue of North Carolina
Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania
Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. of Colorado
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas
Gov. Togiola Tulafono of American Samoa
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Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Gave Extensively To Republicans
Posted on at 8:09 am
It would appear that the Tennessee Democratic Party’s new treasurer is not the only Democrat of note with a history of contributing money to both Democratic and Republican causes.
Post Politics has learned that Ward Cammack, one of two Democrats actively campaigning to succeed Governor Phil Bredesen in 2010, has given to a myriad of Tennessee Republican candidates starting in 1979 with a donation to Senator Howard Baker’s 1980 Presidential run.
While Cammack has supported Congressman Jim Cooper with financial donations steadily throughout his career, a large majority of his donations have gone to Tennessee Republican candidates for federal office. In 1994, the year of the Republican Revolution, Cammack gave extensively to both Bill Frist and Fred Thompson who were victorious in grabbing both of Tennessee’s U.S. Senate seats that year.
Cammack also gave heavily to Lamar Alexander contributing to both his Presidential run in 1996 as well as his initial 2002 Senate run. In 2008, Cammack gave heavily to Alexander’s opponent Bob Tuke.
Cammack’s most recent Republican donation was in late 2005 when he contributed $500 to Bob Corker’s 2006 Senate primary campaign though Cammack tells Post Politics he ultimately voted for Corker’s opponent Harold Ford, Jr.
In discussing his party shift, Cammack cannot point to any “Road to Damacus” moment but admits that he is “clearly a convert” to the Democratic cause and credits the Bush years for his shift in worldview.
“Everything has changed. A lot of things people thought they had to protect, be it money or a set of so-called moral beliefs, have proved illusory,” Cammack explains. “All we really have is each other.”
Cammack, whose first Democratic vote for President was cast last fall for Barack Obama, said it was the exclusionary tactics of the GOP which led him to begin to question the staunch Republicanism he had learned as a child.
“Eventually you just have to ask: What is this all about? Why are we marginalizing people like this?” Cammack explains.
When asked whether he could pinpoint whether it was Republican policies on social issues, economic issues or foreign policy that ultimate let to his conversion, Cammack was unequivocal.
“All of the above,” replied Cammack.
Cammack does expect that some may be skeptical of his political past but insists that the Democratic Party is a “very comfortable skin for him.”
“Yes, I have given [money] to Republicans in the past and I have voted for Republicans in the past. I have never tried to hide that,” Cammack says. “But if you ask me if I believe in the Democratic Party, the answer is yes. Yes, I do.”
SEE ALSO: The Rotunda asks: “[I]s there a prominent Democrat expanding the tent of the party to reach the affluent white guys like Ward Cammack and Bill Freeman?”
The Alternative Media Celebrates Gubernatorial Candidate Ward Cammack…
Posted on February 20, 2009 at 7:41 am…because he answers the phone and sends press releases.
I Believe He’s The Guy Looking To Buy The Democratic Nomination For Governor
Posted on February 19, 2009 at 7:27 pmIlissa Gold asks “Who is Ward Cammack?”
Ward Ain’t Playin’
Posted on at 2:39 pmKen Whitehouse reports on what one of the lesser known candidates for governor is bringing to the table:
Not very well known, if it all, in most Democratic circles, Cammack’s announcement didn’t seem to ruffle the feathers of any other potential candidates.
That should change with this bit of inside baseball news.
The powerhouse political firm of Murphy Putnam Media has joined up with Cammack’s campaign, according to the Cammack team. Haven’t heard of them? They did a few other political campaigns you may remember like Gov. Phil Bredesen, Mayor Karl Dean, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and a fellow named Barack Obama media.
In other words, this news shouldn’t be taken lightly by any Democratic gubernatorial aspirants.
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Who’s For Real?
Posted on January 19, 2009 at 7:46 amThe Knoxville News Sentinel reminds us who is actually running for Governor and who is just talking and/or exploring the race:
The only Democratic candidate to file as a full-fledged candidate so far is Ward Cammack of Nashville, an owner-manager in the investment firm Diversified Trust Co.
Former House Majority Leader Kim McMillan set up an “exploratory campaign” last April.
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