Democrat and I am Tennessee Green voting for Isa Infante

[doeriver]

I won't be voting for the A-B-C Tennessee Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Brown...

Brown's 2014 primary election demonstrates a failure of the Tennessee Democratic Party (State Executive Committee) to tighten up eligibility requirements for candidates seeking primary election as Democratic candidates for state and federal offices.

I am thinking that the Tennessee Democratic Party State Executive Committee needs to implement higher filing fees, requiring a greater number of nomination petition signers to place a candidate on the Democratic Primary ballot, and a "1 + 1 rule" that would require candidates seeking primary election as Democratic candidates for district state and federal offices to obtain the simple majority endorsement of the local Democratic Party county organization of the candidate's legal residence plus the simple majority endorsement of any other local Democratic Party county organization within the senate or house district wherein the candidate is wishing to represent during the previous year prior to a primary election.

For individuals seeking election as a Democratic Party candidate for a statewide office, such as Governor of Tennessee or U.S. Senator, then the 1 + 1 rule could be expanded to a 1 + 3 rule, wherein a candidate on the Democratic Primary ballot would need to obtain the simple majority endorsement of the local Democratic Party county organization of the candidate's legal residence plus the simple majority endorsement of any other three Democratic Party county organizations in Tennessee (i.e.: obtain the simple majority endorsement of a local Democratic Party county organization from each of the Three Grand Divisions --- East, Middle, and West --- across Tennessee during the previous year prior to a primary election.

It is important that we all vote during the Tennessee November 2014 general elections for a gubernatorial candidate listed on the ballot as to raise the total number of votes needed to enact any or all of the four proposed amendments to the Tennessee Constitution...a higher voter turnout means that the proponents will need to either/and

1) get more people to turn out to vote "yes" for their constitution amendments, and;
2) ask their constitution amendment supporters not to vote for their own party gubernatorial candidate.

I am thinking that Charlie Brown is a plant by the Tennessee Republican Party to discourage Democratic voters from voting for a party candidate, and thereby lowering the total number of gubernatorial votes needed to pass the four proposed Tennessee Constitutional Amendments.

I will be voting during the Tennessee November 2014 general elections Isa Infante as to both protect and preserve our Tennessee State Constitution against the proposed Amendments 1 through 4 and to elect an individual as the next Tennessee Governor who will work to advance the lives of every day Tennessee citizens.

[doeriver]

1. Green Tennessee Flag cover image

[NETennDem]

2. Getting on the ballot in Tennessee

There are no filing fees to get on the ballot as a candidate in Tennessee, and the number of signatures needed on the nomination petition is regulated by the state election commission, not the TNDP. What the TNDP needs to do is provide a forum on the party's web site for candidates to list their qualifications along with links to their own web pages and Facebook pages. The TNDP must also make sure there are active Democratic Party affiliates in each and every county in Tennessee. That will make it easier for viable candidates to get the word out to Democrats everywhere in Tennessee. It is also imperative that the electorate take the time to become acquainted with who the candidates are before they go into the voting booth. John McKamey, the best candidate in the Democratic Primary for Governor, went across the state campaigning, was endorsed by major newspapers in most metropolitan areas in the state, had an informative web site and Facebook page, yet he did not get the votes he needed to be on the November ballot. If the TNDP does not help out Democratic candidates with getting the word out and Democratic voters don't take the time to learn about their choices for candidates, then this will keep happening.

[doeriver]

5. reply

"There are no filing fees to get on the ballot as a candidate in Tennessee, and the number of signatures needed on the nomination petition is regulated by the state election commission, not the TNDP..."

Then Democrat members of the Tennessee General Assembly need to begin filling bills, as to raise up the numbers of nominating petition signatures needed to be listed on a state primary ballot for a state office (I would also suggest filing legislation that would restrict candidates for public offices that do not enact any ordinance and regulation (county trustee, county sheriff, county highway department superintendents, county clerks, etc.) through membership within a public body (e.g.: city council, board of mayor and aldermen, county commission) from entering primary elections and instead have all candidates for public offices that do not enact any ordinance and regulation to run off against each other during general elections.

"...What the TNDP needs to do is provide a forum on the party's web site for candidates to list their qualifications along with links to their own web pages and Facebook pages. The TNDP must also make sure there are active Democratic Party affiliates in each and every county in Tennessee. That will make it easier for viable candidates to get the word out to Democrats everywhere in Tennessee."

I am thinking that this should where the 1 + 1/1 + 3 rule should come into play before the state and county Tennessee Democratic Party begin to allocate limited resources of money and volunteer time before listing any candidate for primary ballot on TNDP state or county web sites --- such a rule may increase local turn out for Democratic Party county meetings.

[eccelupus]

3. TN electoral politics

I am convinced that the only reason this was possible is because we have an open primary system in our state. I won't reject out of hand that being listed first on the ballot has an effect--in fact, I think in a truly scientific election, different ballots would be generated for each possible order of the candidates running--but it stretches my imagination to think that that accounts for forty percent of the people voting in a primary. I personally assume that people voting in their party's primary probably care quite a lot who the candidate ends up being. Perhaps I am wrong about that, but I'd really like to see some data before rejecting my own hypothesis. Charlie Brown himself said that the reason he is now the Democratic candidate is because the state party is incompetent, so I don't find it too difficult to imagine that this was some sort of deliberate sabotage.

[southerncrone]

4. I will be joining you in voting for Isa.

The fact that the TN Democratic Party has not actively & speedily offered up a VIABLE candidate as a write-in speaks volumes to me. Obviously they have given up on our state.

[doeriver]

6. reply to southerncrone

"The fact that the TN Democratic Party has not actively & speedily offered up a VIABLE candidate as a write-in speaks volumes to me. Obviously they have given up on our state."

I am not aware of the TNDP offering up a write-in candidate (I am not disputing that you have posted here, I am just unaware as to who this write-in candidate may be...) --- in any case, a write-in candidate is the opposite side of the same coin as an A-B-C candidate, who in my opinion, is regarding the general election as a lottery.

I am thinking that there is a division of conservative "GOP Light" Democrats within the TNDP that are attempting to marginalize liberal Democratic candidates for state offices and for membership within the TNDP state executive committee, except when these people are needing volunteers to come out and work for their own campaigns.

[southerncrone]

8. I am confused by your post.

My point was the TNDP has NOT offered up a viable write-in candidate. That is the only hope we have at this point, as I do not find Charlie Brown acceptable or qualified. There is a stable of Dem candidates who are eligible, but the party has not coalesced around one & promoted them as a write-in. Time's awastin'. We only have a few weeks b/4 the election in Nov. I agree that our party has been "compromised" by "GOP light" members.

[doeriver]

7. reply to southerncrone

"The fact that the TN Democratic Party has not actively & speedily offered up a VIABLE candidate as a write-in speaks volumes to me. Obviously they have given up on our state."

I am not aware of the TNDP offering up a write-in candidate (I am not disputing that you have posted here, I am just unaware as to who this write-in candidate may be) --- in any case, a write-in candidate is the opposite side of the same coin as an A-B-C candidate, who in my opinion, is regarding the general election as a lottery with a low investment needed to enter a high risk opportunity at securing a public office.

I am thinking that there is a division of conservative "GOP Light" Democrats within the TNDP that are attempting to marginalize liberal Democratic candidates for state offices and for membership within the TNDP state executive committee, except when these people are needing volunteers to come out and work for their own campaigns.