Posted on 08/08/2014 5:35:07 AM PDT by cotton1706
Sen. Lamar Alexander voted for comprehensive immigration reform. And he lived to tell the tale.
The Tennessee Republican easily won his primary Tuesday against a conservative insurgent who sought to bury him over his vote -- a candidate who was backed by the same forces that helped topple Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), including conservative radio host and immigration hardliner Laura Ingraham.
His survival is a testament to an emerging political reality: Republicans who support reform can survive the conservative backlash. It was also another demonstration of how much immigration has been overshadowed on the trail by other issues -- in Tennessee, by health care and the economy.
Alexander is one of three Republican senators who voted for this session's sweeping reform bill, which included a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, then faced re-election this year. The other two -- Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Susan Collins (Maine) -- also skated to primary wins and avoided extended bouts over their votes. Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.), another reform advocate, also won.
A big part of why Alexander didn't fall victim to immigration broadsides has to do with the contours of Tennessee politics: Immigration is simply not the decisive issue there, experts say.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
But Lamar! just the other day was running from his vote, trying to claim that he voted "against Amnesty."
But these types of stories make the media and their readers feel all warm and squishy inside.
The percentage of votes that the RINOs are getting is not a good trajectory for the establishment. It’s just a matter of time when they get knocked off.
A lot of voters in Tennessee, especially older voters like my mother, see Lamar! as a nice guy and believe him when he says things like “I’m conservative” and “I’m against amnesty” and they don’t dig deeper. That’s what kept him alive. Its probably what keeps a lot of these longer-term Republicans alive. Republican voters simply go to the polls and pull the lever for the incumbent Republican without thinking, unless, as they say, the incumbent has been caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy.
A big part of why Alexander didn’t fall victim to immigration broadsides has to do with the contours of Tennessee politics: Immigration is simply not the decisive issue there, experts say.
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Must not be hurting enough yet...
The money quote here was that immigration was not considered a big issue in Tenn. The point is, when given an absolute vote, to voters vote for or against amnesty? My sense is the public is about 65-35 against and that vote transcends both party lines.
The point Rush keeps making is this: if amnesty/immigration increases were so popular, why would the dems be goading the GOP to do it? It is like having someone cold call you with a great investment idea. The first question should be, if this is such a good thing, why tell me??
“The percentage of votes that the RINOs are getting is not a good trajectory for the establishment. It’s just a matter of time when they get knocked off.”
Right, the last three incumbents, Cochran, Roberts and Alexander, all got under 50% of the republican electorate. In the many offices in Washington, they see this and know their days are numbered.
because WE COULDN”T UNITE BEHIND A SINGLE CHALLENGER!
More voted against Alexander than voted for him. We’ll get him next time and he knows it.....will probably retire at the end of this term.
The real anser is he had far more money to spend and better name recognition than Carr.
The real answer is he had far more money to spend and better name recognition than Carr.
“A lot of voters in Tennessee, especially older voters like my mother, see Lamar! as a nice guy and believe him when he says things like “I’m conservative” and “I’m against amnesty” and they don’t dig deeper. That’s what kept him alive.”
That’s exactly what I’ve been saying. Carr never had a chance. He wasn’t just running against likeable nice guy Lamar, he was running against Fred Thompson and other beloved and trusted Tennesseans. To our nation’s detriment, most voters simply don’t have finely honed political views and they don’t follow the minutiae of politics the way the average FReeper does. Without a huge bankroll I don’t see how a man like Carr can break through against somene as entrenched, likeable, and scandal-free as Lamar.
We need to send more of our “children” from the border in TX to Tennessee so they see what the problems are.
Alexander is a two time Governor of the Sate of Tennesee
He was Secretary of Eduction under George Bush from ‘91-’93
He has been in the Senate since 2003
He outspent his opponent $6.9 million to $1.3 million to win a Republican Senate Primary with 49% of the vote to his opponents 41%.
The big news here is he got less than 50 % of the REPUBLICAN primary vote
If there had not been a third ringer in the race the result would have been much closer.
Those stats are nothing to brag about.
Alexander should have mopped up the floor with any primary opponent . With the border situation rapidly deteriorating, if the primary were held a month or so from now , Alexander would have lost.
“The Tennessee Republican easily won his primary Tuesday”
It’s not “easy” to these elites who have to leave the mahogany paneled club rooms of D. C. to come back to the hinterlands to press the flesh with the yokels. And certainly by “easy” the authors don’t mean the margin of victory, which was very weak for a guy who has been in politics for over 40 years.
“against a conservative insurgent who sought to bury him over his vote”
Actually, the burying was done by Alexander: $6+ million spent by Alexander to the $1.3 spent by Carr—to achieve a victory of 9.2%: about $18.20 per vote by Alexander to $4.83 per vote by Joe.
The posters upthread are right—a candidate like Alexander, who is an institution in the state, who can’t get 50% with about 100% name recognition in the state and five times the amount of money of a relatively unknown challenger must tell these establishment squishes that the day is drawing to a close where they can count on easy sailing back into office.
I never saw or heard a Carr commercial in the Memphis market. Alexander was on daily this last month, even one where he himself said he voted against amnessy last year. Plus add other candidates like professional candidate George Flinn on the ticket, and Carr couldn’t do it.
“A big part of why Alexander didn’t fall victim to immigration broadsides has to do with the contours of Tennessee politics: Immigration is simply not the decisive issue there, experts say.”
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Must not be hurting enough yet...”
In fact, I think the immigration issue is one of the reasons Carr was able to make it as close as he did.
Alexander signaled that he knew he had a real problem here when he closed out his campaign with the bald-faced lie that he had voted against amnesty by voting for the Rubio/Schumer Gang of 8 amnesty bill.
I know it sounds cynical but I just can't help wondering why the Men Seeking Men media is suddenly so fond of Republicans.
Well, I guess we'll just have to see if this fondness survives until November.
Color me skeptical. Does that make me a person of color?
a couple of things..
1. there were 9 candidates on the ballot..the other 7 took 9% of the votes...Lamar got 49% Joe got 40% It would have been closer..
2, we have no run off here in TN..Joe could have beaten Lamar once the others were weeded out..
3. Many of Lamar’s voters were Democrats..all they had to do was ask for a Republican ballot..
It is usually never mentioned that the incumbents have a huge advantage in funding and name recognition. They are winning Pyrrhic victories.
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