Tag Archives: Howard Baker

Win or lose, family ties

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Andy Sher examines a rich swathe of Tennessee’s political history by stacking-up Weston Wamp’s bid for the Third District seat his father recently held against the fortunes of other politicians’ sons and daughters. One forgets just how many names in our electoral lexicon have been names that previous generations knew well. Baker, Clement, Cooper, Duncan, Ford, Gore, McWherter, and Turner are just some of the families that have contributed more than one member.

It’s a tradition that goes back at least as far as President John Quincy Adams. As the article points out, not all such campaigns are successful. Mike McWherter tested the waters for a 2008 run against U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, then quickly decided that the temperature was icy. Two years later, he was all in for another statewide race, this time for governor. His opponent prevailed.

There’s one more local example of political offspring: Oscar Brock, son of former U.S. Sen. Bill Brock, ran for the state Senate seat vacated by former Sen. Ward Crutchfield (another political family, with ties to still others). The younger Brock happened to lose that election, but I felt it was worth mentioning here because it was a particularly amicable campaign, in both the GOP primary that Oscar won and the general election against the eventual winner, Sen. Andy Berke.

Mister Popularity

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Former U.S. Senator, television and film star, and (was he really a?) 2008 presidential hopeful Fred Thompson has joined an effort to institute a national popular vote system. Here’s the press release:

WASHINGTON – Senator Fred Thompson was named national co-champion of the non-partisan National Popular Vote campaign Thursday, saying the nation cannot “run the risk of having a president who is handicapped by not having won the most popular votes.”

He mentioned that Senator Howard Baker had also pushed for a Popular Vote system while in Congress. “It’s time to take the ball across the goal line,” Thompson said.

A Popular Vote system would ensure that every vote counts in presidential contests by reforming, not eliminating the Electoral College. With the current winner-takes-all system, just a few states with the most electoral votes ultimately decide who is president. Campaigns ignore the rest, including Tennessee, as “flyover states.”

“We live in a time when the American people are increasingly cynical about their government’s ability to deal with our most pressing problems. This means that there is a need for bold, effective presidential leadership as never before.

“Therefore, we simply can no longer afford to run the risk of having a president who is handicapped by not having won the most popular votes. The National Popular Vote approach offers the states a way to deal with this issue in a way that is totally consistent with our constitutional principles.”

Thompson also noted that polls across the country show that Americans favor a Popular Vote system and “are ready to do something about it.”

“How do you explain to your kids why the presidential candidate who gets the most votes isn’t the winner?” Thompson asked. “We are gambling with the chance that we’ll elect a President without a sufficient mandate.

“This is an idea whose time has come.”

Thompson was introduced Thursday at the National Press Club along with former Governors Chet Culver (D-Iowa) and Jim Edgar (R-Illinois) as co-champions. They join Florida Republican philanthropist Tom Golisano, NPV national spokesman.

Under a Popular Vote system, the votes are counted in all 50 states to determine which candidate has received the most ballots. At that time, a compact of states representing 270 electoral votes (the number needed for election) are awarded to that candidate. The decision to join the compact will be made at the state level.

For more information, visit http://www.tnpopularvote.com.

Duncan Endorses Haslam

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Longtime incumbent U.S. Rep. John J. “Jimmy” Duncan Jr. of Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District has endorsed Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam in the GOP primary for this year’s gubernatorial election. In doing so, the conservative Duncan passed over both his House-mate U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, of the neighboring Third District, and his ideological neighbor, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey. Haslam is seen by many as being more moderate than Ramsey or Wamp, yet Duncan’s conservative credentials are largely unquestioned.

However, Congressman Duncan and Mayor Haslam serve the same city, and sometimes being physical neighbors trumps other modes of proximity. Duncan joins former U.S. Sen. and Ambassador Howard Baker as Honorary Co-Chair of the Haslam for Governor campaign. Chattanoogan.com published the press release:

United States Congressman John J. Duncan, Jr. endorsed Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam for the Republican nomination for governor as Knoxville Mayor Haslam opened his campaign’s new Knoxville office on Kingston Pike.

Mayor Haslam also announced Duncan as his campaign’s Honorary Campaign Co-Chairman, joining former Sen. Howard Baker. The announcement comes days after Haslam opened his Memphis campaign office flanked by Shelby County District Attorney General Bill Gibbons’ former statewide campaign chairman David Kustoff, now a statewide co-chairman of the Haslam campaign.

“I’ve known Bill for years, and I know he has the qualities and the experience Tennessee needs now,” Rep. Duncan said. “More than ever we have to have true conservative fiscal leadership, and he has the experience, intelligence and temperament needed to be the right Governor at the right time for Tennessee. He knows how to make tough decisions, balance budgets and get the best return on investment.

“Bill and I have worked together to help strengthen this area, and his executive leadership on the ground – he knows what business leaders need – was invaluable in attracting new companies and creating a good environment for expansion,” Rep. Duncan said.

“At the state level, the budget situation is very serious, and we must have someone with real experience. As Knoxville’s mayor, Bill reduced the size of city government, put the city on strong financial ground and helped grow jobs in the area, and I’m honored to be a part of his campaign team,” he added.

“Crissy and I are extremely grateful for the support we’ve received around the state, but there’s nothing like the support you get at home,” Mayor Haslam said. “Let me thank specifically my friend Jimmy Duncan for taking a leadership role with my campaign. Tennessee’s Second District is in good hands with him, and as governor, I will look forward to carrying on our strong working relationship and friendship.”