It appears Blackburn has solid conservative credentials. That's good. President Bush needs all the support he can get.
I would support Marsha Blackburn also along with several of our fine congressmen. Alexander? No! He honestly wasn't that great a governor. What happened was the previous governor he replaced was so corrupt anyone looked good. Ironically it was a man that Fred Thompson help bring down. Watch or rent the movie "MARIE". A true story on a very corrupt governor and the Corrections Department in Tennessee. Fred was a lawyer in the movie playing himself.
Lot's of persons supported Sundquist last election I can gladly say I was not one of them. The DEMs for token opposition ran John Jay Hooker. Look up that name a man who has ran for office since 1966 and not won yet. I voted Independent on that race in protest.
But let's look at who actually supports who. I got this little item from georgewbush,com tucked away or archived in my documents. By reading this can I safely say that Bush supports and endorses what Sundquist did to our state? Read closely the last paragraph of this because these programs is what put us in the current budget crisis.
August 17, 1999 Tennessee Governor Becomes 22nd To Endorse George W. Bush
AUSTIN – Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist today endorsed Governor George W. Bush for President.
"I am pleased to join Governor Bush’s campaign and will work hard in Tennessee to help him win the nomination and the Presidency," said Governor Sundquist at a Nashville news conference. "I have known Governor Bush and his family for many years, and I know how important public service is to them."
"As a colleague of Governor Bush’s, I have watched him become one of the strongest governors in the country. His record in Texas is outstanding, and many of his innovative programs have served as models for the nation. Governor Bush is a proven leader who has the unique ability to unite people and accomplish success. I look forward to working with him and his team, as we gain support from Memphis to Mountain City for this dynamic leader," added Governor Sundquist.
"Governor Sundquist is a valued colleague and a good, close friend, and I am honored to have his support" said Governor Bush. "Don is devoted to welfare reform and better education for the people of Tennessee. His help will be important to my campaign in the Volunteer State. I intend to wage a vigorous, winning effort in Tennessee, not only in the primary, but the general election as well."
Re-elected to a second term last year with a record 69 percent of the vote, Governor Sundquist has initiated unprecedented reforms in Tennessee in the areas of welfare, government and crime, while placing a special emphasis on Tennessee children. Under his watch, the growth of government spending has been cut by more than half; the number of employable adults on welfare has been reduced by 60 percent; and Tennessee became the first state in the nation to connect every public school and library to the Internet and to offer universal health care coverage to all children.
I have observed Tennessee politics from a far distance, so I can't call myself an expert. Educated observer at best. I do know, this is a very critical campaign for the Senate seat being vacated by Thompson. It could allow the Democrats to hold onto the Senate and continue to screw with Bush's judicial nominees. That's not good at all. On a lot of candidates, a President or potential POTUS, sometimes doesn't always get good advice from his staff and assistants. Sometimes they get it wrong. I don't know if that's what happened in this case. It seemed like a majority of people in Tennessee were originally big supporters of Sundquist and then things changed, abruptly.
I think far too often, voters are inflexible and rigid in their opinions, while absolutist in their personal ideology. One shouldn't have to support a candidates agenda 100%, to be able to vote for the candidate at election time. That's politics carried to an extreme level of fragmentation.