The World According to Oatney

Fred starts off at the Curb

Fred Thompson held his first hard fundraiser on Tuesday at the suburban Nashville home of record executive and former California Lieutenant Governor Mike Curb (of Curb Records). As is generally the case with these in-house fundraisers, it was a high-dollar affair at $2,300 a head. What seems to have made the event stick out was the diversity of people who are reported to have attended.

As is to be expected at nearly every Thompson fundraiser, former Senator Howard Baker was in attendance. Former Governor and State Republican Party "elder statesman" Winfield Dunn also made an appearance. Thompson's candidacy seems to bring people together even inside the Republican Party, because as we all know, East Tennessee Republicans and the GOP in the rest of the State have not always gotten on very well-I am sure Winfield Dunn is still smarting over the fact that the late Congressman Jimmy Quillen is who really got him beat for re-election. Indeed, I've heard that he's never quite lived it down (and I like Winfield Dunn, by the way).

The Tennessean reports that in addition to Mike Curb hosting the party, country singer Trace Adkins also came to the Fred-o-rama at Curb's crib. I would be curious to see the guest list to find out who else from country music showed up. I know that Davidson County Democrats love to brag about all the support they have in country music, but it is a well-known reality in Republican circles that conservatives and the GOP have many more friends in Nashville than in Hollywood-I would venture to say that will multiply now that Fred is running for President.

I don't know what the money looks like after this affair Tuesday evening, I haven't seen the numbers. I would venture to say that the Thompson campaign is off to a good running start.

Labels: Presidential Election

posted by Deacon David Oatney @ 11:47 AM