The Other McCain

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Tennessee Democrat Party Denounces Democrat Senate Candidate

Posted on | August 3, 2012 | 31 Comments

Rachel Maddow spent five minutes on MSNBC tonight having a conniption over what is, for Democrats, a disheartening development:

Mark Clayton believes the federal government is building a massive, four-football-field wide superhighway from Mexico City to Toronto as part of a secret plot to establish a new North American Union that will bring an end to America as we know it. On Thursday, he became the Tennessee Democrats’ nominee for US Senate.
Clayton, an anti-gay-marriage activist and flooring installer with a penchant for fringe conspiracy theories, finished on top of a crowded primary field in the race to take on GOP Sen. Bob Corker this fall. He earned 26 percent of the vote despite raising no money and listing the wrong opponent on his campaign website. . . .
Clayton’s primary victory is only the latest blow for the Tennessee Democrats in a state that’s becoming redder every year. Democrats lost three congressional seats during the 2010 midterms, plus control of the governor’s mansion. Corker, a rising GOP star who edged Democratic Rep. Harold Ford Jr. by just 2.7 points in 2006, is now virtually assured of another six years in Washington.

The Tennessee State Democrat Party denounced Clayton, prompting many Tennesseans to remark, “What? There’s still an actual Democrat Party in this state? I’ll be danged!”

Maddow was bemoaning how the Democrat Party has basically “withered and died” in states like Tennessee, a development I call “a good start.”

Category: Democrats, Election 2012, Senate, Tennessee

Comments

31 Responses to “Tennessee Democrat Party Denounces Democrat Senate Candidate”

  1. gahrie
    August 3rd, 2012 @ 10:19 pm

    Mark Clayton/Alvin Greene for the Democratic ticket in 2016!!

  2. ThomasD
    August 3rd, 2012 @ 10:50 pm

    I wish he was up against Lamar Alexander, then I’d vote for him.

    Unfortunately Corker is rapidly falling into Alexander’s footsteps.

  3. D. Edwards
    August 3rd, 2012 @ 11:26 pm

    ” There’s still an actual Democrat Party in this state?”

    die you bitch

  4. Tennessee Democrat Senate Candidate Denounced By Tennessee Democrat Party
    August 3rd, 2012 @ 11:29 pm

    […] Tip: The Other McCain Tagged with: Tennessee Senate Race  If you enjoyed this article, please consider […]

  5. Alborn
    August 3rd, 2012 @ 11:31 pm

    Corker will never be as liberal as Alexander. Lamar is life long politician and Corker is a self made business man that enter politics about 14 years ago as the Mayor of Chattanooga, TN where his leadership was excellent. Did not and do not agree with all he does but he is his own man unlike Alexander who is bought and paid for by someone all his adult life. The best that politics can buy is what good ole Lamar will be. Vote R in TN.

  6. elaine
    August 4th, 2012 @ 1:02 am

    I much prefer Corker to Alexander, as the former will reply to emails I send regarding the issues.  Alexander claims he can’t respond at all, as it’s some sort of ethics violation.  Alexander can suck my non-existent dick…

    As for what Maddow said: a state with a withering democrat party AND no state income tax!  What are you people who love freedom waiting for?

  7. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    August 4th, 2012 @ 1:18 am

    Anything that makes Maddow into a Mad Cow can’t be bad.  

  8. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    August 4th, 2012 @ 1:28 am

    Perhaps Democrats might realize their new party platform, while popular in certain cities and regions, does not play well everywhere…

  9. Adjoran
    August 4th, 2012 @ 3:29 am

    OF COURSE there is still a Democratic Party in Tennessee, you don’t think all the stealin’ can be left to common thieves, do you?

    I was in close contact with staffers for both Alexander and Corker during their initial campaigns for Senate.  I stayed in touch with the Corker staffers afterward, the Alexander people never responded to me after he was elected (I do not live in Tennessee, but was active in politics at the time). Too bad because I genuinely like Lamar, but it’s become too difficult to defend him against charges of being a go-along establishment tool.

     

  10. Adjoran
    August 4th, 2012 @ 3:55 am

     Why should Alvin Greene take the back seat?  After all, HE is the one with the action figure which might have averted this whole economic crisis in the first place.

  11. Bob Belvedere
    August 4th, 2012 @ 4:14 am

    ADJORAN for SENATE!

  12. The Times, They Are A-Changin’ | hogewash
    August 4th, 2012 @ 6:48 am

    […] Of course, conservatives are having a good chuckle. […]

  13. higgins1990
    August 4th, 2012 @ 7:58 am

    As much as I despise progressive-socialists-Democrats, I’m not sure if a one-party state is a healthy model.  Less oppo for status quo Republicans means more graft, IMO.

  14. Adobe_Walls
    August 4th, 2012 @ 8:53 am

    You are correct that a one-party state isn’t healthy for democracy. However that is an argument for a healthy libertarian party to counter a conservative party rather than saving or maintaining the Social Democratic party. When the time for the reckoning arrives the Social Democrats must go the way their predecessors the Tories did in the late 1700s did.

  15. rustypaladin
    August 4th, 2012 @ 10:32 am

     I agree. Not having any competition back home leads to politicians that pay more attention to the beltway than the people who elected them. How big is the libertarian party in Tennessee though?

  16. Beto_Ochoa
    August 4th, 2012 @ 10:34 am

    If we’re lucky, he’ll win the general election.

  17. SOYLENT GREEN
    August 4th, 2012 @ 11:31 am

    Awesome. I’ll be linking this one. Cue the “Dueling Banjos.”

  18. Adobe_Walls
    August 4th, 2012 @ 11:35 am

    I’ve no idea how how big libertarianism is in Tennessee. Libertarianism will however be growing as the socialy liberal abandon the Social Democrats. The case against social democratic economics is arithmatic as well a moral and at some point the socialy liberal young but sane will decide that the libertarians are an attractive alternative to the Bolsheviks. 

  19. DaveO
    August 4th, 2012 @ 11:35 am

    I had my first vote stolen in Tennessee in 1996.

    That said, Tennessee’s Democrats selected Clayton – his primary endorsement came from the SPLC which called him a member of a hate group – and they need to follow through with Clayton.

    Worse comes to worst, Clayton wins, and associates with the TEA Party. Republicans and Progressives claim RSM-levels of butthurt.

  20. T For Tennessee « SOYLENT GREEN
    August 4th, 2012 @ 11:35 am

    […] From Stacy McCain… Mark Clayton believes the federal government is building a massive, four-football-field wide superhighway from Mexico City to Toronto as part of a secret plot to establish a new North American Union that will bring an end to America as we know it. On Thursday, he became the Tennessee Democrats’ nominee for US Senate. Clayton, an anti-gay-marriage activist and flooring installer with a penchant for fringe conspiracy theories, finished on top of a crowded primary field in the race to take on GOP Sen. Bob Corker this fall. […]

  21. Quartermaster
    August 4th, 2012 @ 11:46 am

    I’d say Tenn is more purple than red. Alexander was OK as Governor, particularly given the twit he succeeded. As a Senator, he’s been pretty worthless as all liberals are.

  22. gahrie
    August 4th, 2012 @ 11:56 am

    It was the rhyme scheme….

  23. richard mcenroe
    August 4th, 2012 @ 12:51 pm

    I blame this totally on GW Bush

  24. richard mcenroe
    August 4th, 2012 @ 12:54 pm

    FOR GOD’S SAKE don’t warn them!

  25. ThomasD
    August 4th, 2012 @ 1:42 pm

     Tennessee (with the noted exceptions of places like Nashville, Chattanooga, and Murfreesboro) is deeply religious, including those traditionally aligned with the Democrat party.   And the vast majority of that is old line Protestantism.

    Tennesseans may be leaving the Democrat party but do not expect that to translate into any significant uptick in libertarianism, either small or big L variety.

  26. Dai Alanye
    August 4th, 2012 @ 3:52 pm

    What’s the problem? Sounds to me as if Clayton is simply a throwback to pre-Eisenhower Dems. Have these people no sense of history?

  27. Adjoran
    August 4th, 2012 @ 4:27 pm

     If elected, I promise to only address Barbara Boxer with the phrase, “Would you warm up my coffee, Hon?”

  28. Adjoran
    August 4th, 2012 @ 4:29 pm

     Libertarians have been predicting that big surge in membership for 40 years.

  29. higgins1990
    August 4th, 2012 @ 8:11 pm

     LOL

  30. Wyman Cooke
    August 4th, 2012 @ 9:46 pm

     You’ve got my vote, even if I have to vote Chicago-style.

  31. Linda
    August 4th, 2012 @ 11:14 pm

    That’s great news, thx for sharing.  As a Tennessean born and raised, I have to point out that your quote should be more like this:

    “What? There’s still an actual Democrat Party in this state? Well I’ll be dang ain’t that the livin end?”  OR

    “I’ll be dang don’t that beat all?”  Or

    “I’ll be daggum.”

    Technically speaking, of course.