The World According to Oatney

Democrats in Fantasyland

Tennessee Democratic Chairman Chip Forrester is already busying himself with making excuses for that party's lack of fundraising fortune:

Forrester also said "Republicans traditionally have deeper pockets" that Democrats can offset by "boots-on-the-ground activist support."

Forrester, however, noted that the most of the Republican candidates started much earlier than most of the Democratic candidates. More fundraising time, he said, has translated into more money and the GOP lead will likely be reduced "as we get downstream."

While I will be the first to say that I am no fan of our election process starting as early as it does, it is no one's fault but the Democrats that they haven't raised any money until recently. Arguments can be made for those people who are members of the Legislature and were under financial restrictions while the General Assembly was in session, but not for people like Kim McMillan or Mike McWherter-one no longer in the Legislature, and one that never was.

It is understandable that Forrester is the Chairman, so he must make a bad situation sound better than it actually is. However, Ned McWherter certainly had no trouble raising money going up against a well-funded former Governor Winfield Dunn. Phil Bredesen raised plenty of money to compete with former Congressman Van Hilleary, who ran a very fine campaign considering that the outgoing Republican was so unpopular. To use the excuse that the Republicans just have deeper pockets, so that accounts for the discrepency in money raised between the two parties is simply a kind way to disguise the reality that no one with the money to give believes the Democrats have a snowball's chance in Hell next year. If enough deep-pocketed Democrats believed this (and yes, there are quite a few in this State), at least one Democrat would already have over a million dollars raised by now.

Forrester's problem is that if when the Democrats lose the election next year, his will be the head on the chopping block after a number of prominent Democrats warned what would happen if Forrester and the Leftist elements he leads took control of the State Democrats. A defeat will be-for better or for worse-the legacy of Chip Forrester's leadership of his party. Forrester's writing is already on the wall.

Labels: Democrats, Tennessee politics

posted by Deacon David Oatney @ 9:00 AM