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« Missionary Blogging | Main | Nashville Bloggers Bash » February 17, 2005TN 2006 Senate Race: Hilleary InNashvillePost.com reports (subscription only) that former U.S. Rep. Van Hilleary, last seen losing a close race for governor of Tennessee in 2002, will join the growing list of candidates for the GOP nomination to replace Sen. Bill Frist upon his retirement in 2006. Already in the race: Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker, who is a moderate Republican allied with the state's previous big-spending/pro-income tax governor and also cozy with Democrats; state Representative and former state GOP party chair Beth Halteman Harwell, and former U.S. Rep. Ed Bryant. Bryant lost the 2002 Senate primary to Lamar Alexander. Harwell is an excellent state rep and, as state party chairman, has lead the GOP to a majority in the state Senate and closed the gap in the state House. Both are conservatives. Hilleary also is a conservative, which means his joining the race helps the moderate Corker, by making it possible that the conservative Republican vote will split three ways in the primary. It also will make it that much more difficult for Bryant or Harwell to raise significant funds to match Corker, who has already raised more than $2 million. I fear Matthew White was right when he said this a few days ago : If he, Ed Bryant and Beth Harwell are in the race, Tennessee will have to get used to three very frightening words, "Senator Bob Corker."Conservative Republicans will need to rally behind one candidate early to prevent that from happening. But if they fail to prevent Corker from winning the nomination, it is absolutely crucial they then back Corker in the general election - to prevent three even more frightening words: "Sen. Harold Ford Jr." Posted in 2006 TN Senate Race
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Still have not decided if I am gonna run;-) Posted by: mr lawson at February 20, 2005 01:03 AMAnd the first order of business is to remember to use spell check before I hit "post" Posted by: mr lawson at February 20, 2005 01:04 AMConservatives need to ask themselves: What is the rationale of Van Hilleary's candidacy? I am hard-pressed to find a satisfactory answer. His entry into the race is clearly deleterious to the conservative cause from both a tactical and strategic point of view, as Mr. Hobbs cleary explains. However, it is the unsavory hint of political opportunism that bothers me most about Van's candidacy. Indeed, it is an unpleasant reminder of his failed run for governor and his penchant for making opportunistic statements that smacked more of politics than of principle. 2002 was the first race in which I could vote. I was excited, idealistic, and expecting the Republican candidate for governor to be at least modestly inspiring. However, Hilleary's pronouncement that "whatever the people are buying I'm selling" was a little disappointing. Attending the gubernatorial debate in Knoxville, I was turned off by Van Hilleary's incessant invocation of class warfare concerning "the swanky part of Nashville where the mayor [Bredesen] is from," as well as Hilleary's mean-spirited remarks concerning Bredesen's lack of military service. Good politics maybe, but I didn't think so. I voted for Van Hilleary and am convinced of his conservative credentials. Perhaps my misgivings are those of a young political neophyte, perhaps I don't give him enough credit. I just regret that my formal introduction to the political process led me to pull the voting lever with a profound sense of disillusionment. Posted by: Evan at February 21, 2005 01:22 AMThoughtful comments, Evan. Stay involved! Glad to have you onboard. Oh, and I see from your address that you are a Republican behind enemy lines. Keep up the good fight on campus! I look forward to meeting you someday. Posted by: Darrin Kirkus at February 25, 2005 05:55 PM(contact info was incorrect on last post) Posted by: Darrin Kirkus at February 25, 2005 06:05 PMPost a comment
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