Bredesen may cost Dems the State House

[levitatingdonkey]

I was talking with some party activists over the past few days and a deep concern occurred to me during these converstations... That Bredesen's strategy for getting re-elected may cost the Democrats the House, leaving the Republicans in control of both houses and Bredesen at the helm.

Bredesen's strategy as everyone knows, is to assume the Democrats have no place else to go and then move so far to the right that he undercuts any Republican challenger... and if half the Democrats stay home and don't bother voting, no problem because he'll pick up enough Republican votes that he'll win anyway.

While that strategy may very well put Bredesen back in the Governor's mansion for a second term, it will likely cost the Dems the State House, because while Bredesen may make up those stay-at-home-because-what's-the-point Dems by picking up Republican votes, most State House and State Senators don't have that luxury.

If my count is right, the Republicans only need to flip four seats to take over the House at this point, so this is serious.

If Bredesen cares at all about the Democratic Party, and I'm not convinced he does, he needs to give Democrats a reason to go to the polls in 2006, because like it or not, he's the top of the ticket. He needs to start thinking about the Party and not just himself.

[FreedomAngel82]

1. I personally am still going myself

I'm going to vote for whoever I think should represent me.

[levitatingdonkey]

2. glad to hear that... more thoughts on top of ticket

Basically, the top of the ticket in 2006 will be the Governor's race, the gay marriage amendment (unless it gets held up in court), and the Senate race. All the races below that will depend in large part on how effective the top of the ticket does in bringing out the party base.

Unfortunately, the gay marriage amendment will bring out the loonies who otherwise will vote straight down the Republican ticket.

As for the senate race, while I and most everyone on this discussion forum will vote in those Senate races and know who they are, most Tennesseans do not. I would dare say if you walked down the street and polled random people about who their US Representative and Senators are, many, if not most, would not know. By contrast, just about everyone would know that Bredesen is Governor. That said, the Governor's race would likely have a far more significant "top of the ticket" effect.

So to counter act the effects of the gay marriage amendment, Bredesen has to give Democrats a reason to go to the polls. At this point, Bredesen has pretty much burned bridges with all the Democratic base and demoralized party activists from Tri-Cities to Memphis... and I don't know if Bredesen has enough time left to undo the damage he has done. I just cross my fingers.

We may lose the state House to the Republicans, and I believe much of the blame for that loss will lie squarely on Bredesen and his destructive strategy for winning.