Posted on 01/05/2009 12:53:48 PM PST by NormsRevenge
Rep. Zach Wamp (R) announced Monday that he will seek the governorship of Tennessee in 2010, abandoning the seat in the House he has held since 1995.
“I believe the time is at hand for me to expand my service to help even more people in our great state by pursuing the office of governor,” Wamp said in a statement.
“I will file the paperwork necessary to begin raising money as a candidate for governor of the great state of Tennessee,” he added.
The decision comes shortly after former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R) demurred from pursuing the governorship, a factor Wamp had previously said weighed heavily in his decision to get into the race. Wamp had stated that he was “conflicted” over whether he should run, citing an interest in foreign policy issues he’s taken while in Congress.
Wamp and a bevy of other Republicans will seek to reclaim the seat from Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen, who is term-limited and can’t run again in 2010.
Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons (R) also announced Monday that he would seek the Republican nomination for governor.
Wamp represents the Volunteer State’s 3rd district, which is rated as a “solid Republican” district by the Cook Political Report.
I’d like Wamp to run just to get him out of his House seat. That will have been 16 years, quite long enough. If Davis doesn’t run for Governor, that might also mean he believes he can’t win the nomination (too Conservative). If he doesn’t, Junior Ford may see an opening. How can he win ? If the GOP cuts itself to pieces in the primary and the victor emerges badly damaged. If Haslam wins, it’ll be like Victor Ashe Redux. We need to have primary runoffs for candidates that don’t get 50%. I’m getting sick of seeing non-Conservatives winning primaries with pluralities. Although it wouldn’t have helped Ed Bryant in ‘02, had Bryant faced Corker in ‘06 in a runoff, with Corker’s less-than-stellar credentials starting to be questioned, I think Bryant could’ve pulled an upset.
Can’t comment on the Tim McGraw scenario, though, but I think the Dems would prefer to put up somebody they’re familiar with. McGraw may be too much of a wild card and untested, especially debating policy with someone who has actually had to deal with it. And I’ll question anyone who praises Bubba Clintoon for anything publicly as he has. Way too much Hollyweirdness in him.
You mean she’d win Middle and West, don’t you ?
As far as I can tell, Wamp has a good chance at winning the nomination. And if the GOP wins the Governorship, they control redistricting, and we all know what that means.
In a related development, it appears that Republican state Senator Bo Watson is the favorite to succeed Wamp in the House.
Update on other Governor races.
Warwick Mayor is running for RI Governor.
Meg Whitman is running in CA.
The Dem Lt Gov is taking a pass in KS. Brownback look like a shoe-in for KS. The Dems are apparently going for broke on Brownback’s Senate seat.
Heather Wilson is pondering to replace Richardson.
The Dem Lt Gov and Dem AG of OK are running. On the GOP side, we have Mary Fallin and Tom Cole (try not to laugh too hard).
He can win the nomination, but I’m not voting for him in either the primary or the general. We can redistrict WITHOUT the input of the Governor.
Although with the current state of the GOP in RI, now down to its lowest percentage in party history, winning the Governorship may be irrelevent with nobody to back him up.
"Meg Whitman is running in CA."
Two liberal RINOs, her and Poizner.
"The Dem Lt Gov is taking a pass in KS. Brownback look like a shoe-in for KS. The Dems are apparently going for broke on Brownback’s Senate seat."
KS makes it plain which party it prefers in the Senate, and I don't see that changing.
"Heather Wilson is pondering to replace Richardson."
The NM GOP is in total shambles. Their worst and total shutout in 44 years.
"The Dem Lt Gov and Dem AG of OK are running. On the GOP side, we have Mary Fallin and Tom Cole (try not to laugh too hard)."
Fallin should've run in '02. I hope she can pull it off. Cole can pound sand. He should resign for the embarrassing job he did in his NRCC capacity.
I don't know; that bit about appointing a Republican because he couldn't get a black was pretty/petty productive. Then he took his ball and went home while biting his lip and wiping his tears.
BTW, Ted Nugent tells a story of how he and McGraw were coming down in a hot LZ for USO in Iraq with explosions going off and the Nuge pulled out a hogleg. McGraw freaked and stammered "Wha, wha, what are you doing with a gun?" Nugent replied "If you didn't know they're having a WAR here!"
One thing that needs to be done is getting rid of this process and going to partisan elections. One reason I voted for John Jay Hooker over Scumquist was because I believed he would work his ass off to make that the reality. Our RINO didn't do crap. We also need to remove the SCOT from choosing the AG. At the very least, he or she should be elected by the legislature like the other offices, though ultimately, the people need to decide.
"BTW, Ted Nugent tells a story of how he and McGraw were coming down in a hot LZ for USO in Iraq with explosions going off and the Nuge pulled out a hogleg. McGraw freaked and stammered "Wha, wha, what are you doing with a gun?" Nugent replied "If you didn't know they're having a WAR here!"
I don't know what McGraw's thing about running in TN is all about, he's a Louisianan. Let him run down there (where he'll promptly lose). But, yeah, he certainly sounds like a macho dude. Maybe we should run Nugent for Governor of Michigan. They're badly in need of some balls up in Lansing.
Nugent knows he lets fly too much to get into politics. But, by God, wouldn’t that be glorious?
I used to speak to John Jay Hooker whenever I saw him gadding about downtown (political gadabout - go figure), usually outside his apartment where the library used to be. I tried to stump him with Constitutional and procedural questions but he always had the answer and then some. He’s like Harlen Sanders - a man who can stretch a point into a twenty minute course.
Many believe he’s a Democrat but I’d have to disagree. He’s more like Lou Dobbs who’s so disgusted by both parties that he is what he looks like: a throwback to a former time when patriots discarded party politics for the higher interest of the nation. Hence he’s regarded as an inconsequential artifact. God bless his continual campaign against corruption. That’s what he does but the wussified press always portrays it as maliciously throwing clogs into the wheels of justice.
One thing's for certain. I've just about had it with these PC pansy-asses that infest both parties. I want to see our elected officials with the balls to call a spade a spade.
"I used to speak to John Jay Hooker whenever I saw him gadding about downtown (political gadabout - go figure), usually outside his apartment where the library used to be. I tried to stump him with Constitutional and procedural questions but he always had the answer and then some. He’s like Harlen Sanders - a man who can stretch a point into a twenty minute course."
I never met him, though I tried a few times to write him downtown to get his autograph, paid the return postage, but never got a response.
"Many believe he’s a Democrat but I’d have to disagree. He’s more like Lou Dobbs who’s so disgusted by both parties that he is what he looks like: a throwback to a former time when patriots discarded party politics for the higher interest of the nation. Hence he’s regarded as an inconsequential artifact. God bless his continual campaign against corruption. That’s what he does but the wussified press always portrays it as maliciously throwing clogs into the wheels of justice."
I don't know what he's up to these days. He had a website set up for him for awhile, but last I checked, it's defunct. I always thought if the Governor had a free hand to appoint whomever he wished to the SCOT, I'd have given ole John Jay an open slot. Probably about the most qualified individual in the state of TN to have never once won elective office.
I’d hate to see Davis serve 30 years. Gotta go after him in redistricting.
Whoa now, chill. The man doesn’t know what a computer is. If you can get yourself out and really want to talk to him just post yourself on that downtown hill outside his apartment house. He comes out around 10:00 AM. He’s the guy who looks like he’s working for Andrew Jackson. He always hits the Arcade around noon.
I heard he’s been ill lately and he is quite old, so I wouldn’t put it off.
I'm not so positive there was such time. Maybe WW2.
The guvs veto is worthless as a majority vote can override it. (so it’s pointless) Kentucky has that too I think.
RI: “Scott Avedisian: The architect of a new Warwick” That’s his slogan. I don’t know how much of a RINO. Well at least we’ll have a candidate in RI. DJ mentions maybe it’s worthless to hold the office. I don’t know if Carcieri has done much good or not since his veto might as well not exist. Still I’d rather we held the office. Although maybe a terrible rat Governor is just what they need to wake them up a little.
CA: CA is so screwed. Terrible RINOS. She’s better than Poizier I guess. Neither stands a chance I don’t think. The rat primary will be a bloodbath though. Crowded like the GOP Senate primary in 1982. A conservative will surely run in GOP primary I hope he or she pulls the upset over the RINOs.
KS: That’s good. That party switching scum. I think he was once State GOP CHAIRMAN! Brownback will be the most conservative Governor in ages.
NM: A NM freeper thinks maybe Wilson has a chance since Denish won’t be the incumbent.
OK: OK freepers fear the AG’s electoral prowess. Cole is a joke. But not a funny one. No Republican is laughing about the job he did. Lost over 50 seats. Didn’t recruit worth a damn in 2008.
It’s gonna take me some time to be able to get out again after my setback. I’d feel a little weird stalking him out at his apartment building, though. I always seem to have a knack of getting autographs from these guys shortly before their deaths.
He voted for the bailout the second time it was offered. That will weigh against him. We don’t need another RINO like our previous republican governor Sundquest (”Taxquest”) who tried to instate an income tax in Tennessee, which is forbidden by the Tennessee State Constitution.
He's a RINO. Claims to be a Fiscal Conservative, but is a leftist Socially (but frankly, as we well know, you cannot be the latter and the former, but you can be a fiscal liberal and Social Conservative, as we saw with our GOP Congresses...).
"CA: CA is so screwed. Terrible RINOS. She’s better than Poizier I guess. Neither stands a chance I don’t think. The rat primary will be a bloodbath though. Crowded like the GOP Senate primary in 1982. A conservative will surely run in GOP primary I hope he or she pulls the upset over the RINOs."
No Conservative I've heard of is running. McClintock is now in Congress and I doubt he'll waste his time again.
"KS: That’s good. That party switching scum. I think he was once State GOP CHAIRMAN! Brownback will be the most conservative Governor in ages."
I'm kinda burned out on Brownback. Sometimes when the DC folks come back to state capitals, they aren't terribly impressive. Frank Murkowski, Scumquist, Dirk Kempthorne, etc.
"NM: A NM freeper thinks maybe Wilson has a chance since Denish won’t be the incumbent."
Perhaps. If Denish wins, that'll be the first time since 1982 an incumbent party Governor passed it off to a successor of the same. Of course, not since 1920 has a Republican passed it off to another.
"OK: OK freepers fear the AG’s electoral prowess. Cole is a joke. But not a funny one. No Republican is laughing about the job he did. Lost over 50 seats. Didn’t recruit worth a damn in 2008."
Ditto on the Senate side.
Not necessarily a top tier type. But there ought to be a conservative option the primary, Cali is so big. I find it inconceivable no one but a few RINOs will run and the conservative wing will do nothing. But a lesser tier conservative would be an underdog in the primary, that why I said upset. :(
Another RINO Tom Campbell he who dared to challenge DiFi appears to be running as well. One of those who 'claims' to be a fiscal con (yet he's calling for a tax hike, POS) despite being IRCC a big time social liberal, I think he came for out drug legalization unless I'm thinking of someone else. He'd get crushed in GE. The AI party might get a record vote. Doubtlessly he's for gay marriage.
Cali is so screwed. What they needed was Bill Simon in 2002.
There's just the 4, all RINOs. Fiorina, Whitman, Campbell & Poizner. I can't support any of them in good conscience. Still, the likelihood is a Democrat will win, barring some massive split with the nominee.
"Another RINO Tom Campbell he who dared to challenge DiFi appears to be running as well. One of those who 'claims' to be a fiscal con (yet he's calling for a tax hike, POS) despite being IRCC a big time social liberal, I think he came for out drug legalization unless I'm thinking of someone else. He'd get crushed in GE. The AI party might get a record vote. Doubtlessly he's for gay marriage."
I had a modest amount of respect for Campbell having the balls to vote for impeachment, but too many of his other issues are just plain wrong.
"Cali is so screwed. What they needed was Bill Simon in 2002."
Yeah, I was supporting Simon (and was strongly defending him on FR against Jones & Senile Tricky Dick Riordan), but Simon totally went to sleep for the summer and fall after his spectacular spring primary victory. The problem of holding these primaries so damn early (both state and federal) is ridiculous. The primaries need to be in the mid (or late) summer so that they roll right from that on to the general. You end up having a long lull for months otherwise, people get bored, the campaigns lose focus, always a recipe for disaster.
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