Butcher was never going to be elected Governor, so a possibility for President in '92 was highly unlikely. He ran in '78, not in '82 (and even so, he would've been out of office as Governor for either 6 or 10 years by then, unless he would've challenged Gore for the Senate seat in '84, a bloody primary that might've resulted in our holding Baker's seat with, say, former Congressman Robin Beard, Sasser's challenger in '82), and although he had to inherit the substantial baggage that Ray Blanton's Democrat affiliation, I doubt he would've won even if Blanton had been clean (and the sole reason Blanton won in '74 was because of Watergate and Lamar! working for the Nixon WH). You might recall that Alexander obliterated Mayor Tyree in the '82 election by 60-40%, and that was a bad GOP year. Probably even helped carry one Don Sundquist to an open House seat over the favored Bob Clement in a 'Rat gerrymandered seat that is now one of the most GOP in the state, the 7th.
Someone was backing Jake politically. Quite possibly the same ones who brought Clinton up through the ranks. Jake had the charm CH had the shrewdness. The 1982 Worlds Fair left a bitter taste in many peoples mouth. From persons who had converted carports into apartments to rent out to people who were forced out of apartments they had long rented. Knoxville as a whole didn't want that fair. Blanton, the Mayor, and the Butchers and friends however did.
BTW on a funny note. The Mayor Randy Tyree-D was not invited to the opening day celebrations which included a visit from President Reagan.