Tennessee Democrats blame racism for historic election losses
by Jeff Woods
When voters consign political parties to minority status, circular firing squads usually follow. But Tennessee Democratic leaders and campaign operatives aren't blaming each other for the party's stunning losses in last week's legislative elections. They're blaming racism.
Barack Obama changed the political map with the biggest Democratic victory since LBJ, but the election made a different kind of history in the alternate universe known as Tennessee. John McCain not only won the state by 15 points, he took some rural counties by 40 points or more, and those mind-boggling margins poured down the ballot to give Republicans majorities in both houses of the legislature for the first time in 140 years.
"I really think racism is what it was," one Democratic insider tells the Scene. "Obama just got killed in a lot of these rural counties. It seems pretty obvious that a lot of these people came out to vote against the black guy, and while they were at it, they voted for Republicans on down the ballot."
The winds of change were blowing across America on Election Day. In Tennessee, the breeze of stagnation was the best Democrats could hope for.
No one expected Obama to win the state or even come close. From the start, he put Democratic legislative candidates in a tight fix by ignoring Tennessee. Still, Democrats were counting on Obama doing at least as well as John Kerry four years ago. That would have been good enough to stop down-ballot Republicans from piggybacking to victories in the legislature.
Yet Democrats were taken aback by the enormity of Obama's defeat, which dwarfed Kerry's in rural areas where the party narrowly lost legislative seats.
Rural white voters rejected Obama's candidacy so resoundingly that the color of his skin is the only logical explanation, according to these Democrats. (Naturally, they all requested anonymity.)
They say the state GOP cynically fueled "the Obama fear factor" with Internet ads and press releases tarring him as a kind of Muslim Manchurian candidate.
"The Republican Party was very aggressive about letting people know all the smears about Obama, and their strategy was obviously to drive up the Obama fear factor and hope that it moved down the ticket," one says.
"I do think race played a role in it," adds another. "Particularly in some of the rural areas, an African American running is difficult."
Even Republicans admit they were surprised by the severity of McCain's win. Republicans captured eight legislative seats in 27 mostly rural counties where McCain beat Obama by 32 points. President Bush won those same counties over Kerry by 24 points in 2004. McCain won one six-county Senate district in northeastern Tennessee by 43 points.
A comparison with votes for Kerry is eyebrow-raising to be sure. As a wind-surfing Massachusetts liberal, he wasn't exactly a popular guy here. He came to Tennessee only once in 2004, and that was for a midnight airport rally near the end of the campaign. Yet he still managed to win 18 counties.
Obama, meanwhile, won six. He was walloped even in the yellow-dog Democrat counties of the Cumberland Plateau that Kerry won. Consider these four counties:
Clay: Kerry 50%, Obama 42%
Overton: Kerry 53%, Obama 42%
Smith: Kerry 52%, Obama 39%
Trousdale: Kerry 58% Obama 46%
Obama took nearby Jackson County, but only narrowly, with 50 percent of the vote. Kerry won 59 percent there. Jackson County Mayor Charlie Hix thinks Obama's race mattered.
"In Jackson, it used to be two-thirds would vote Democrat," Hix says. "We've had some new people move in and that's part of where the Republicans come in. And then some didn't want to vote for a black."
Exit polls seem to bear out this thesis. Twenty-seven percent of Tennesseans admitted race was a factor in how they voted, with 16 percent calling it important. Nationally, 19 percent said they considered race and only 9 percent called it important.
But if literally tens of thousands of rural white Tennesseans are so racist they won't vote for a black candidate—even if he is making the rest of the country go ga-ga—then how do you explain Harold Ford Jr.'s much-better showing in the 2006 Senate race? He far outperformed Obama in Jackson (64 percent to Obama's 50), Clay (57 to 42), Overton (59 to 42), Smith (57 to 39) and Trousdale (64 to 46).
It's simple, Democrats say. Ford campaigned here really hard. Tennesseans might be racist, but not so racist that they won't vote for an African American who asks nicely. (Now there's a silver lining!) Plus, Ford ran like a Republican, while Obama has a funny name.
"Junior was everywhere," one Democrat explains. "He talked about his guns and his God. He became one of the Bubbas because he was with them so much. It's hard to hate someone you know. Obama was unknown."
Racism aside, Tennessee Democrats make a compelling argument when they complain about the inherent difficulty of presidential years. In the past two White House races, the Democratic candidate has made a grand total of two visits to Tennessee. Obama only came because the debate commission chose Belmont University as a site.
GOP chair Robin Smith credits McCain's election eve trip to the Tri-Cities with goosing turnout enough to put at least three Republican legislative candidates over the top. McCain went there only because the airport is closest to southwest Virginia, where he needed to campaign. Just the same, it underscores the importance in state elections of even a single, accidental visit by a presidential candidate.
Democrats can't complain too loudly about Obama's absence. Gov. Phil Bredesen actually advised him to stay out of Tennessee and bad-mouthed him, too. The guy who wound up winning more votes than anyone else in U.S. history didn't know how to connect with Wal-Mart shoppers, Bredesen lectured him.
OK, that was a boneheaded move. But the point remains the same: "Our presidential candidates don't give Tennesseans an indication that we care about them, and that goes down the ticket," one Democrat says.
What's a Tennessee Democrat to do? The problem with the above analysis, correct as it may be, is this: While it conveniently absolves the state party from any responsibility for what's happened, it also offers no path back to respectability.
For the first time since the Civil War era, Republicans run both the state House and Senate. That could put them in control of 2010 redistricting. Once the gerrymandering is finished, two Democratic congressmen—Lincoln Davis and Bart Gordon—could have quite a few more Republican constituents to serve, and who knows how many Democratic state lawmakers might wake up in newly drawn GOP districts?
Things are likely to get much worse for the Democrats, if that's possible. Republicans already hold both Senate seats, and it looks at this point like the party will take back the governorship in 2010. Bill Frist, who seems an even likelier candidate now that the GOP owns the legislature, would start as the heavy favorite against any Democrat who might run. Frist's candidacy would allow Republicans to consolidate their legislative gains and perhaps take new seats.
And who will run for the Democrats? The GOP boasts a deep bench—Zach Wamp, Marsha Blackburn and Bill Haslam are among the candidates in waiting. Ford, who carries some seriously heavy family baggage, is probably the best the Democrats could offer. Anyone else? Let's see, er, how about Kim McMillan and Lincoln Davis? Please. For the once-proud party of Andrew Jackson, it's like a really bad joke.
Finding serious statewide candidates is at the top of a long to-do list for the party. While Democrats were knocking off Elizabeth Dole and nearly beating Mitch McConnell in neighboring states, Sen. Lamar Alexander was winning 65 percent of the vote against the unknown Bob Tuke. A strong challenger would have helped offset McCain's popularity for down-ballot Democrats and might have enticed Obama to unload some of his cash in this state.
Do Democrats also need a better message? For decades, they've offered a Republican Lite version of the God-and-guns mantra. Voters seem to prefer the real thing.
As state GOP flack Bill Hobbs points out: "McCain's numbers were strong in counties where the GOP won legislative seats because the Republican message from McCain to the bottom of the ticket in Tennessee was consistent and clear. By contrast, the Democrat message from Obama to the bottom of the ticket was a jumbled mess. Democrats were asking voters in Tennessee to vote for Obama and then vote for Democrats who wouldn't even endorse Obama. The Tennessee Democrat Party was in the unfortunate position of trying to sell to conservative rural Democrats an extremely liberal presidential candidate tailor-made to appeal to urban liberals."
Democrats could focus more on bread-and-butter social issues. But they're afraid of coming across as liberal. It's time for them to hold hands, sing campfire songs and figure out what they believe in.
At the moment, party leaders are a little too shell-shocked to talk about the future.
"I think we do a real serious post-mortem of all legislative races," says Chip Forrester, the Nashville activist who's already running to replace Gray Sasser as party chair. "We don't know yet what our mistakes were. Once we do, it's a lot easier to start fixing them."
There's good news for Democrats, believe it or not. As Republicans take charge, the state budget is melting down. The governor revealed this week that the shortfall could mount to $800 million. Serious cuts in services are unavoidable. Republicans have howled forever about wasteful state spending. Now's their chance to find it. Unfortunately for them, almost all of spending goes for prisons, education and health care. They can't let criminals go free. That means they'll have to cut college funding and toss sick people to the wolves. That's not usually the way to endear yourself to voters.
Comments (19)
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I think it is so sad that some people can't accept the fact that Republicans/Conservatives think for themselves. I personally don't need the media or anyone else telling me how to vote. The reason I didn't vote for Barrack Obama has nothing to do with the color of his skin. Let go of the race card, it's old and pathetic now.
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I KNOW you're an intelligent guy. But you are flat wrong about Obama losing TN because of race. TN would have elected any number of potential darker skinned candidates (Watts, Rice, Powell come to mind), but many voters (my ticket was a solid purple) would not vote for Obama's liberalness, even if he were white. Surely the Democrat party can come up with a better excuse than racism - - that's the easy way out - - to decide we're all racists because we didn't vote for their guy - - PLEEAASE!! They'll want our votes next time around, won't they? Ford campaigned here - that point is important. Obama came in for a debate, but didn't bother to campaign here (taking Bredesen's advice??? not a brilliant move). I voted for young Ford despite his family baggage. Ford did not gush liberalness. Ford almost won. The Party should bear in mind that insulting those that didn't vote for Obama with the whiny racism cry will get the Party nowhere in the future, especially if it wants those votes.
Or maybe the voters didn't want to support socialism! How dare these people look down their noses at the voters and decide that they're racist! The Dumbassocrats are lost. What in insult to Tennessee as a whole.
Thhis makes me sick, tennessee did what they thought was right for america Iam jewish Al Gore lost because of the Hate for jewish people, there is a whole more anti semistisuim than ati black in this world , Blacks get over it, we will surport obama if he is a true american, not because he is black I love black people, but dont make something on raceisum, we need together not apart, no more stand together.
LOL... "There's good news for Democrats, believe it or not. As Republicans take charge, the state budget is melting down. The governor revealed this week that the shortfall could mount to $800 million." according to this blowhard... What's bad for TN is good for the Democrats.
That's about the backwardest(is that a word)thing I've ever heard in my life.Do you honestly believe Obama would have had a chance had he been white?Let's see....he's not really qualified,his father was muslim,his middle name is Hussein,his career started in the living room of a terrorist and he hates guns.African Americans voted for him because of the color of his skin not his qualifications.If that ain't racism I don't know what is.
What is "racism", Jeff? Just another word to demonize the White race in a darkening AmeriKwa. You are a propagandist, inciting the growing nonwhite hoards to violence against us (Channon Christian and Christopher Newsome are 1 in about a million examples), and you get paid for it. How does it feel to be a "racist", Jeff? You tell me. I don't care WHAT you hate mongers and self loathers call us anymore. I look at things in a very simple way. Is it good for MY people? My people being THE WHITE RACE! That's what blacks do. Do they not? So do jews, Mexicans, Asians...etc. This nation's government FORCED integration at gunpoint, passed the 1965 immigration act, and then started demonizing MY people. And now there's entire cities we can't even set foot in. Thanks a lot for that, Jeff. We'll remember you when this whole failed experiment comes crashing down in a storm of violence that people like YOU created. Sweet dreams.
This is Tennessee . We vote for any person who will look out for rural white peaple . We do not care if this person is in fact black or white. We are not racist not even remotely close to it. We like any other American look out for our own kind. We would surely vote for some one like Clearance Thomas , who is black , over a Bill Cinton , who is white , in any election year . Yes , we did not vote for best person for the White house Obama. The act was not because he is in fact black. The act was because he might not be as close to our fears as we would like him to be. Anyway , our brothers and sisters who are African American in Tennessee voted for him and we now stand firm behind him as one of the best peaple to lead our nation and the world. I for one support Obama. Great Job.
I am a Republican. When others were saying black people were voting for Barack Obama simply because he's black, my first reaction was to agree. But then I realized that usually more then 85-90% of them vote Democratic every election, so it's unfair to say they are voting based on race. Just like it is unfair to make that assumption, so it is unfair to say Republicans didn't vote for Barack Obama simply because he's black. Republicans rarely vote for Democrats in appreciable numbers. So if Tennessee Democrats say that racism cost their party elections in Tennessee, they can only logically be saying that the racism of DEMOCRATS cost them elections. This is something they are obviously not realizing when they start playing the race card. Finally, you can't just claim race played the only role in Obama losing Tennessee to such a degree without knowing what was in the hearts and minds of the Democrat voters. Aren't Tennessee Democrats taking part in stereotyping and generalizing?
Even when the niggers or niggerlovers win, they have to scream racism. How racist is it for every nigger voter in America voting for the nigger?
Race had a little to do with this election in TN but not enough to hender the election. When was the last time TN voted Democrat in the Presidential Election? Ok, 1992 and 96, Bill Clinton years, but before that it was 1976. Thats a long time. TN people are not about change or looking for new ways to make things better. This is a very conservative state that does not want to change, they hate change. Racism had very little to do with this, but I heard over and over again on election night from people I never expected to say, "I can't believe that nigger won!", I was shocked and disappointed that people are still this ignorant about race.
Murfreesboro is full of people who are spiteful of anyone not white. Period. I would bet that many of these folks crying that"I can't believe that @#$@ won" did not vote. I say that based on a quiet obervational survey I took at work. I do not know why the Dems in Tennessee failed. They did not align themselves with the national democratic agenda..they didnt espouse change and as someone previously mentioned rural Tennessee is not big on change. Happy to be in Davidson County, where we did not vote for Bush the second time.
Justin, you're one nutty character, but you know what? You're not alone. Tennessee is full of closed-minded bigots JUST LIKE YOU, who think there's a difference between being racist and "looking out for your own." As though white Christians have ever had it that bad. You're paranoid, you're nasty, and you're setting the whole state back a hundred years. You're the reason the inbred, shoeless, straw-chewing Tennessee stereotype exists. We're over IGNORANCE, INTOLERANCE, and HATE. There's a whole world full of people out there who have a right to the same happiness you've been allowed to pursue, who are just as deserving of freedom as you are, and who aren't the same color as you! Come to terms with that! It's REALITY.
Not to worry about Skin color boys and girls at this point. The true Wigger question may be about bling, Sarah Palin, and John McCains wife certainly flashed it. Still Obama's wife triumphed with classic tasteful style. As the Nation sinks toward a we can't afford to shop for Christmas at Walmart, hmmm lets all consider Getting a Job through Goodwill. I want you to feel comforted in the fact that the country is still firmly in the grips of the Global Illuminati who have controled both parties since at least Woodrow Wilson, that 9/11 was self inflected, that the Amero is comming. See if you can go to a local church that provides English to Spanish lessons or put Babel Fish in your Google, you will be able to carry a sweet pan of enchilada's politely over to the 10 latino's fresh from Mexico who just moved in last night to the two bedroom apartment next door. As the police state strengthens its hand promising more security to quiet housewives fears any quality jobs are being liquidated, combat troops are being repositioned for the next round of OMG terrorist martial law. It all reminds me somehow of Tom Cruise in Valkyrie, I still have my fingers crossed Gorge and Dick will stay in office and Preston Bush will dance like Hitler on his Grave. At least there is Craig Ferguson on CBS to keep me laughing. The validation to comment code on here this time was the word Fell that was propheticly appropriate.
Para no preocuparse de muchachos y de muchachas del color de piel a este punto. La pregunta verdadera de Wigger puede estar sobre bling, Sarah Palin, y la esposa de Juan McCains destellaba ciertamente él. Todavía Obama' la esposa de s triunfó con estilo de buen gusto clásico. Como la nación nos hunde hacia can' t produce hacer compras para la Navidad en Walmart, hmmm deja todo considerar conseguir un trabajo con voluntad. Le quiero a la sensación confortada en el hecho de que el país todavía está firmemente en los apretones del Illuminati global que han controlado ambas partes puesto que por lo menos Woodrow Wilson, que 9/11 era uno mismo descendido, que está viniendo el Amero. Vea si usted puede ir a una iglesia local que proporcione lecciones inglés-español o ponga Babelfish en su Google, usted puede llevar una cacerola dulce de enchilada' s cortésmente encima a los 10 latino' s fresco de México que acaba de moverse en ayer por la noche al al lado con dos dormitorios del apartamento. Pues el estado policial consolida su mano que promete más seguridad a las amas de casa reservadas teme que se esté liquidando cualquier trabajo de la calidad, están colocando de nuevo a las tropas de combate para la siguiente ronda de la ley marcial del terrorista de OMG. Todo me recuerda de alguna manera Tom Cruise en Valkyrie, todavía tengo mi garganta cruzada los dedos y Dick permanecerá en oficina y Preston Bush bailará como Hitler en su sepulcro. Por lo menos hay Craig Ferguson en el CBS para guardarme el reír. La validación a comentar código respecto aquí a este vez era la palabra bajó que era propheticly apropiada.
Pour ne pas s'inquiéter des garçons et des filles de couleur de la peau en ce moment. La véritable question de Wigger peut être au sujet de bling, Sarah Palin, et l'épouse de John McCains a certainement clignoté il. Obama' toujours ; l'épouse de s a triomphé avec le modèle de bon goût classique. Comme nation nous descend vers can' ; t se permettent de faire des emplettes pour Noël à Walmart, hmmm laisse tout envisager d'obtenir un travail par la bonne volonté. Je vous veux au sentir soulagé dans le fait que le pays est toujours fermement dans les poignées de l'Illuminati global qui ont commandé les deux parties puisqu'au moins Woodrow Wilson, que 9/11 était individu fléchi, que l'Amero vient. Voyez si vous pouvez aller à une église locale qui fournit des leçons anglais-espagnol ou met Babelfish à votre Google, vous pourrez porter une casserole douce d'enchilada' ; s poliment plus d'aux 10 latino' ; s frais du Mexique qui s'est juste déplacé la nuit dernière à la porte à côté à deux chambres d'appartement. Car l'état policier renforce sa main promettant que plus de sécurité pour apaiser des craintes de femmes au foyer tous les travaux de qualité sont liquidés, des troupes de combat sont replacées pour le prochain Round de la loi martiale de terroriste d'OMG. Elle toute me rappelle de façon ou d'autre Tom Cruise dans Valkyrie, j'ai toujours ma gorge croisée par doigts et Dick restera dans le bureau et Preston Bush dansera comme Hitler sur sa tombe. Au moins il y a de Craig Ferguson sur le CBS pour me continuer rire. La validation à présenter code ses observations sur ici cette fois était le mot est tombée qui était propheticly approprié.
Sich nicht um Hautfarbenjungen und -mädchen an diesem Punkt sorgen. Die zutreffende Wigger Frage kann über das Bling, Sarah Palin sein, und Frau John-McCains blitzte zweifellos es. Noch Obama' s-Frau triumphierte mit klassischer schmackhafter Art. Als die Nation sinkt in Richtung zu uns can' alle t leisten, für Weihnachten an Walmart, hmmm zu kaufen lässt einen, Job durch Goodwill zu erhalten erwägen. Ich wünsche Sie zu fühlen, das in der Tatsache getröstet wird, dass das Land noch fest in den Griffen des globalen Illuminati ist, die beide Parteien da mindestens Woodrow Wilson gesteuert haben, dass 9/11 das gebeugte Selbst war, dass das Amero kommt. Sehen Sie, wenn Sie zu einer lokalen Kirche, die Englisch-Spanische Lektionen liefert oder Babelfish in Ihren Google, einsetzt, Sie gehen können sind, eine süße Wanne enchilada' zu tragen; s höflich vorbei zu den 10 latino' s frisch von Mexiko, das gerade in gestern Abend auf die mit zwei Schlafzimmern Wohnung sich nebenan bewog. Da der Polizeistaat seine versprechende Hand verstärkt, mehr Sicherheit zu den ruhigen Hausfrauen sich fürchtet, dass alle mögliche Qualitätsjobs liquidiert werden, werden Kampftruppen für die nächste Runde des Kriegsrechts des OMG Terroristen umgesetzt. Aller es erinnert mich irgendwie an Tom Cruise in Valkyrie, habe ich noch meine Finger gekreuzte Schlucht und Dick bleibt im Büro und Preston Bush tanzt wie Hitler auf seinem Grab. Mindestens es gibt Craig Ferguson auf CBS, zum ich zu halten zu lachen. Die Gültigkeitserklärung, zum Code zu hier diesem mal Stellung zu nehmen war das Wort fiel, das propheticly angebracht war.
Bullshit, considering that Democrats were the most racists towards Republican voters if you would see the historical content. If the idiot democrat supporters keep this claim about voters voting against Obama alive, well it is safe to say that over 90% of Black voters voted for Obama because he was Black.
