Friday, September 10, 2010
Politics Let's Change the Subject, Clinton Tells Tennessee Democrats
Posted by Jeff Woods on Fri, Sep 10, 2010 at 8:45 AM
Bill Clinton was full of helpful advice for Tennessee Democrats at their rally last night. He's got this little alliterative rap that he's using in his speeches around the country: Voters are in the grip of "anger, apathy and amnesia" and that's why they're about to vote Republican in a tidal wave, he says, so Democrats need to change the subject. That's a great idea. Let's talk sports—how about those Titans? Just kidding. Actually, here's Clinton's prescription for Democrats:
“I believe that Mike McWherter will win this race if you, between now and election day, can convince most Tennesseans to change the subject from anger, apathy and amnesia, to the following: What are we going to do now, and who is most likely to do it? If those are the questions, Mike wins. If it is about anger, apathy and amnesia, we’re all toast. And we’ll all pay the price.”
McWherter “is the only candidate that’s actually got a plan" to create jobs and improve the economy, according to Clinton. So all Democrats have to do is tell people about that and—presto!—McWherter wins.
There's only one little problem with that. McWherter doesn't really have a plan. (Actually, there are a couple of problems. He doesn't have a plan and, even if he did, he wouldn't have the money to tell people about it. But don't get me started on his pathetic fund-raising again.)
What exactly is McWherter's message? Who knows? Except for a few nuances on social issues — he's for guns in restaurants that serve alcohol but not for guns in honky-tonks; he's against gay adoption but he wouldn't push legislation to outlaw it — McWherter's stated views are virtually indistinguishable from the state's most conservative Republicans. His only outright proposal has been a vague promise to give unspecified tax breaks to businesses that create an unspecified number of jobs. He won't say how he might pay for that.
McWherter probably should have thought up a few things he might want to do as governor before he started running. He has seemed distracted and laconic throughout his ill-fated campaign. Clinton can't fire up the troops because there's nothing to get excited about.
Comments (8)
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Kudos to Clinton for the "anger, apathy, and amnesia" line--credit where credit is due. But the Dems are also suffering from at least the second two--apathy and amnesia, and not just here in Tennessee, but nationwide--amnesia about the campaign promises they made to woo voters, and apathy about doing anything about the problems that disappointed voters bring to their attention. The Dems sold the public out on health care reform, bank bailouts, ending foreclosures, and prosecuting the many crimes of the Bush junta, just to name the first four things that come to mind. That's why I'll be voting for Howard Switzer and John Miglietta, the Green Party's candidates, this year. They may have no more chance of winning than McWherter, but at least I'll be able to take pride in my votes--presuming my votes get counted--i suspect the fiasco in Memphis in August shows the real reasons the Republicans are hanging on to computerized voting--it's easier to fix elections that way.
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Our last quasi-democratic governor won 95 counties AND lost seats in the legislature throughout his term. If we want the Democratic party/liberal canidates to prosper in Tennessee, we desperately need to loose this election, especially with McWherter on the ticket. We really should have lost Bredesen's re-election, too, looking back.
When Bill Clinton left office the USA was solvent and safe. Under the watch of Dick W. Cheney we get attacked, then let the same people who attacked us in the country. Clinton is right....how sooon many forgot Dick W. Cheney....the most evil rotten piece of scum ever to breathe!!
The small crowd that attend Mr. Clinton's speech says more than
even the lack of money flowing into the campaign. The only thing
Candidate McWherter has offered us tax cuts to businesses which
was opposed by Gov. Bredesen and something the overall populace
is not excited about. One must remember that a state does
reguire some level of revenue to operate and with a sales tax that's
the highest in the nation we certainly cannot add to that one
source for more. The getting tough on crime is an age old tactic.
Of course, that is better used by a candidate for Sheriff. How about
some original thinking and constructive thinking for the good citizens
of this state. A few consumer protection laws might be a start, such
as why is this state in the top 10 for Real Estate closing cost? There's
many others of a similar nature if one wanted to examine such.
Oh come on "no wimps allowed"..Clinton's term was safe and solvent because he moved into it as such and opened the doors to EVERYONE to do whatever they wanted to do with NO RESTRICTIONS or accountability..See where the USA is now?? It takes a few years for deceit, scams and cover ups to surface and they did on Bush's watch...
Hell broke loose..Starting with Katrina, 9/11 etc..and by this time no one was paying their Mortgages.
Wake up!! The attack on USA took years to plan..and they had a Carta Blanche since our Country was open to anyone to do whatever they wanted with no laws to govern them...Years..not months..Years..Cheney and Bush weren't in office then.
"McWherter's stated views are virtually indistinguishable from the state's most conservative Republicans."
There you go again, Jeff. You and Bets and the Pith Gang have repeated this line for so long that you've probably come to really believe it -- while still holding on to the delusion that a liberal Democrat can win a statewide election in Tennessee and holding out hope for that candidate to emerge. If you truly believe that McWherter's views, stated or otherwise, are indistinguishable from the most conservative Republicans, you haven't been paying attention to either McWherter or the Republicans. Regardless, you're about to find out what total control by the Republicans means. The only mitigating factor for humanity, in Tennessee at least, is that the only moderate among the Republicans running for governor won his party's nomination. He'll be able, for a while, to tamp down some of their worst excesses.
Professor, you sound like somebody who's spent way too many years sitting brain-dead inside a Legislative Plaza cubicle. What are Democrats saving us from? If Republicans were in complete control, would they strip abortion rights out of the state constitution? Would they let nutjobs wander all over the state with guns? Would they allow corporate polluters to rape and pillage? Oh wait, all that's already happening. And a lot of Democrats voted right along with the Republicans for all of it. What's the point of Democrats who behave just like Republicans?
