The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

‘Say, Do You Know a Guy . . .’

Posted on | April 13, 2010 | 9 Comments

“. . . named Ali Akbar?” asked Don Strong, toward the end of a long phone call tonight. I had been driving east on I-40 in Tennessee when I pulled over to spend an hour talking to Rick Moran on his Blog Talk Radio program. Afterwards, I went to gas up the car and grab a cup of coffee at a convenience store, and noticed a stack of business cards by the cash register:

VOTE STRONG – DON STRONG
Your Strong Choice for Conservative Leadership
in the United States Congress
Republican Candidate
4th Congressional District, TN

This looked like the kind of grassroots campaign I’ve been covering this year, so I picked up the card and when I got back on the road, I called Strong on my cell phone.

There are five candidates in this year’s GOP primary in Tennessee’s sprawling 4th District, seeking the chance to take on “Blue Dog” Democrat Lincoln Davis. Strong has run for the Republican nomination twice before, in 2006 and 2008, placing second two years ago in a 3-way primary.

Because the Blue Dogs are so clearly vulnerable this year, the primary has now attracted two well-funded first-time candidates that Strong calls “the money boys.” By comparison, Strong is running a low-budget grassroots campaign. He is a 56-year-old Army veteran, respiratory therapist and small business owner.

When I told Strong that I was a blogger, he asked me if I knew Ali — as, of course, I do, and it seemed such a kismet sort of thing that I felt the need to pull over, find a hotel and poach their lobby computer to put up a quick post about it. I called Ali, who loves nothing better than to take out a Blue Dog — see That Dog Won’t Hunt — and who very well remembers helping Strong in 2008.

Ed Lynch lost tonight in Florida — a 2-to-1 Democratic district that voted 2-to-1 for the Democrat — but who knows what may happen in November in rural east Tennessee?

Check out Don Strong’s campaign site. A coincidence like that’s gotta mean something.

Category: Congress, Election, Tennessee

Comments

9 Responses to “‘Say, Do You Know a Guy . . .’”

  1. UNCOVERAGE.net
    April 14th, 2010 @ 5:58 am

    AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW that is SUCH dedication to bloggericiousness!

    I hope you said hi to Rick Moran for me, my AT blog-editor luvvie!!

    I will have to listen to the blog cast of da boyzzzz

  2. UNCOVERAGE.net
    April 14th, 2010 @ 12:58 am

    AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW that is SUCH dedication to bloggericiousness!

    I hope you said hi to Rick Moran for me, my AT blog-editor luvvie!!

    I will have to listen to the blog cast of da boyzzzz

  3. Virginia Right! News Hound for 4/14/2010 | Virginia Right!
    April 14th, 2010 @ 5:44 am

    […] ‘Say, Do You Know a Guy . . .’ […]

  4. Red
    April 14th, 2010 @ 11:05 pm

    Ali Akbar rocks the casbah ;-D

  5. Red
    April 14th, 2010 @ 6:05 pm

    Ali Akbar rocks the casbah ;-D

  6. Toni
    April 15th, 2010 @ 10:53 am

    The guy is a nutcase. Here’s a couple anecdotes about him:

    At the Hickman County Reagan Day Dinner, with Congressman Marsha Blackburn in the audience he got up and said, “Ladies, cover your ears, because I am the only candidate here with a hard on for Lincoln Davis!”

    At Cumberland County he he said “I have a solution for you, machine guns at the border!” regarding illegal immigration, at another Lincoln Day dinner he had a complete break down, was screaming about illegal immigration, bragging about selling time share condos and executing those who were not pro life.

  7. Toni
    April 15th, 2010 @ 5:53 am

    The guy is a nutcase. Here’s a couple anecdotes about him:

    At the Hickman County Reagan Day Dinner, with Congressman Marsha Blackburn in the audience he got up and said, “Ladies, cover your ears, because I am the only candidate here with a hard on for Lincoln Davis!”

    At Cumberland County he he said “I have a solution for you, machine guns at the border!” regarding illegal immigration, at another Lincoln Day dinner he had a complete break down, was screaming about illegal immigration, bragging about selling time share condos and executing those who were not pro life.

  8. Guest
    April 15th, 2010 @ 11:47 am

    In other words, all Joan Walsh is saying:

    Highly Educated Whites=Liberal’s Useful Idiots

  9. Guest
    April 15th, 2010 @ 6:47 am

    In other words, all Joan Walsh is saying:

    Highly Educated Whites=Liberal’s Useful Idiots