Wilder visits his good buddies
Sandra Clark of the Halls Shopper News relates an interesting note:
Lt. Gov. John S. Wilder was spotted at Hogan’s Bakery on Aug. 4, huddled with state Sens. Jamie Woodson and Tim Burchett. Why this morning after (the election) confab?
She has more here.
Ms. Clark guesses Wilder might be visiting to secure the votes for another Wilder term for Lt. Governor. I agree.
But what Burchett and Woodson will do is another matter. Both are close to Wilder. Burchett voted for Wilder after all, and has taken a lot of heat for it. Of course, all that belly-aching by party faithful added up to much of nothing.
The State Republican Party should have recruited and financed a primary opponent for Mr. Burchett’s failure to vote for a Republican for Lt. Governor.
Can anyone answer why they did not?
As far as Sen. Woodson, she too is close with Wilder. She didn’t get the Chairmanship of the Senate Education Committee for being an enemy.
The real battle for Wilder will be if his long-standing alliance with Senator Randy McNally will hold. If McNally runs for Lt. Gov. against Ron Ramsey, Woodson and Burchett will avoid voting for the Democrat (Wilder) by backing the next closest thing, Senator McNally.
McNally has managed to survive a near three-decade tenure in Nashville by making deals with Democrats. So the big question is whether he’ll strike another deal with Wilder, or risk stabbing his long-term friend in the back.
There are problems for the old timers in the Senate who have always stuck to the old mantra “the Senate is the Senate.” Times are a changing…and partisan eyes are starting to pay attention.
Woodson is a climber, meaning she has bigger plans for herself, and she’s not going to risk any stain on her career by voting for a Democrat for Speaker.
She doesn’t like to take the lead in situations like this. Instead, she prefers to navigate behind the scenes. My guess is that she would like to throw her own name in the hat, but that she will back McNally.
But how many votes Ron Ramsey is securing and how hard he is working…well, that is another matter. I’m sure there is a quite a bit of wrangling going on behind the scenes. I don’t forsee any committments anytime soon. I look for a lot of hemming and hawing to continue until the elections in November. If Republicans pick up more seats, the dynamics will change.
You may click on the mail piece below to enlarge and see the Republicans who supported Wilder.
12 Comments so far
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There are zero, count them zero incumbent State Senate Democrats with serious opposition. Sorry, the dynamics may well change, but it will not be because there are more Republicans in the State Senate. Bob Davis was a failure in recruiting legislative candidates. We deserve better.
By info on 08.15.06 10:17 pm
Bob Krum is not zero; he has an excellent chance of beating Doug Henry. I’ll ascribe your comment to the ignorance of distance.
By George Rand on 08.16.06 7:42 am
George–I hope your comment was not aimed at me since your beef was with the commenter “Info.”
Krumm is a great candidate but I don’t know about his chances since I’m in East Tennessee. Glad to know he has a good chance.
Terry
By Terry on 08.16.06 2:25 pm
This kind of post reminds me of why I don’t miss East Tennessee politics. How well do you know Ramsey, McNally, or Woodson? The great thing about having a blog is that you only have to be correct about 1%of the time and then you (any blogger not just you) can crow about it later on. Just once, I would like to see a post titled, “Wow, I was dead wrong.” or “Gosh, what was I smoking?”
I imagine the chances of that are about the same as McNally and Ramsey both running for Lt. Governor.
By boroben on 08.16.06 3:43 pm
Boroben–you don’t have to like me. I’ve got no problem if you don’t.
But you’ll have to wait another day for me to be wrong. The fact that McNally AND Ramsey are both looking at running for Lt. Governor is not my personal conjecture. It was reported back in the spring in the media. You can look it up.
Ask Larry Daughtrey,Tom Humprhey, Frank Cagle, etc. Google it, ask Jeeves, etc.
It’s all there for you.
After you read articles from the Tennessean’s Mr. Daughtrey, maybe you’ll be the one to return to this page and say “Wow, I was dead wrong” and “I was rude about it too.”
I know what I’m talking about Boroben. I’ve bled politics for a long time–
By Terry on 08.16.06 6:02 pm
See there you go. Someone disputes what you say and then the lead off is “Boroben-you don’t have to like me.”
I don’t know you. I disagree with you. There is a difference. Some of the columns you mention are opinion columns. I have an idea, call ask you Senator what his thoughts are. I bet he would tell you that he wouldn’t rule it out. Translation, if Ramsey doesn’t have the votes but Randy does then you bet Randy would run.
Your senator would be a great Lt.Governor, but it would be a shame because no one has done more for Tennessee Republicans in the last four years than Ramsey.
By boroben on 08.16.06 10:22 pm
No Boroben, you didn’t just have a difference of opinion. You were rude–to me, and to bloggers in general.
You’re right, you don’t know me. If you did, you would know I’m no fan of my Senator. I’m for Ramsey in the race for Lt. Governor.
You’re quite good at making assumptions without anything to point to.
By Terry on 08.17.06 4:08 am
Boroben -
“…no one has done more for Tennessee Republicans in the last four years than Ramsey.”
I would reply, but I’m laughing so hard that I can’t seem to keep my hands on the keyboard.
Cheers,
Rob
By Rob Huddleston on 08.17.06 4:19 am
Once again, I didn’t say you liked Randy. I didn’t say that you were not for Ramsey.
Rob, do you think the Senate would have 18 GOPers if Atchley were still the Leader?
By Boroben on 08.17.06 6:32 am
Not at you, Terry. You didn’t say “zero” and just to make sure I was clear, I also said “your comment”. Don’t let all the nutroots get you paranoid.
By George Rand on 08.17.06 10:29 am
Mr. Randy, I am well aware of Mr. Krumm and too think he has the makings of a good Senator, but as one drives around Nashville it is easy to realize that he has zero chance. Not only is he $200,000 down to someone who has a personal fortune to spend as needed, Senator Henry has one of those obnoxiously large signs in yards all over Nashville.
By info on 08.18.06 9:05 am
Mr. Rand please pardon my misspelling of your name in the previous post.
By info on 08.18.06 9:11 am
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