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January 21st, 2009, 3:23 pm by Dan Lehr

Chattanooga blogger the Tennessee Federalist Student (scroll down for a perma-link on my blogroll) cracks open Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged:

“I’m…particularly drawn to Rand’s use of the word “adequately,” which she repeats over and over. Businesses and workers do not believe that they have to be the best, or even good, only “adequate.” They do not believe that they should have to compete as long as their performance is “adequate.” It’s similar to the adage about how most workers work only hard enough to not get fired, and most businesses pay only enough to keep the workers from quitting.”

I (embarassingly) confess I’ve not read it yet, though I hope to soon.

Posted in: Local Politics • The Economy | 1 Comment »

A CLASSIC BLIND SPOT

January 16th, 2009, 2:45 pm by Dan Lehr

Left: Niccolo Machiavelli

Right: Sun-Tzu

Above: TN Rep. Jason Mumpower

Republican Jason Mumpower’s had a bad week. Denied - at the last minute - the 1st GOP house speakership in 40 years.

It was not supposed to go this way, especially because Mumpower had read up on two of the best political/strategic books in history:

“Fellow members described him as meticulous and a highly organized strategist. In addition to [Machiavelli's] The Prince, he also has a copy of [Sun-Tzu's] The Art of War in his office within easy reach.”

But he apparently wasn’t able to ingest the right lessons.

John A. Tures of the Southern Political Report explains (h/t Kleinheider):

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Local Politics • Strategy | Post a Comment »

SPEAKER SWITCHEROO

January 14th, 2009, 1:46 pm by Dan Lehr

Oh, those sneaky, sneaky Tennessee Democrats.

I think regardless of party, this is pretty funny. Depressingly partisan, & a long, long way from productive, but still.

Further Reading & Analysis on this story (all great reads & different takes):

Marc Ambinder

A Fish in the Percolator

Right at Home

Best for last - A.C. Klienheider (multiple posts)

What do you think?

Posted in: Local Politics • The GOP | 1 Comment »

TICKET SPLITTERS

January 9th, 2009, 11:02 am by Dan Lehr

Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam (left) & 3rd District Congressman Zach Wamp (right) both have the Governor’s mansion in their sights.

But is the fact that the two of them are from east Tennessee (with a third, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, who’s from Blountville, considering throwing his hat in the ring) work to the men’s disadvantage & help the GOP candidate from the other side of the state? Greg Johnson doesn’t think so (h/t Kleinheider):

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Posted in: Local Politics • Our Congressional Representatives | Post a Comment »

A CLASH OF ELITISTS
December 10th, 2008, 9:15 am by Dan Lehr

New Yorker Senior Editor Hendrik Hertzberg spoke before a group of students last night at Covenant College, up on Lookout Mountain last night during a gathering storm.

The media release promised Hertzberg would “will provide an “autopsy” of the 2008 election, along with a question-and-answer time of dialogue with the audience.“

Which, of course, is why I attended.

But the dissection of campaign 2008 was the warmup act (he pointed out that Obama did better than Reagan in the popular vote, completely ignoring Reagan’s better electoral college showing in 1980 - Hertzberg’s never been a fan of the EC); the main event was a challenge to the professed faith of the audience of about 150. (Hertzberg called it “playing the Village Athiest.”)

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Posted in: Faith & Religion • Local Politics • The Media | Post a Comment »

SAXBY WINS, CHAPTER 2
December 3rd, 2008, 11:21 am by Dan Lehr

Marc Ambinder:

“Habitual voters tend to vote in special elections; in Georgia, there are more Republican habitual voters than Democratic habitual voters; the minds of Republican habitual voters were no doubt focused on Chambliss’s sudden cameo as the bullwark against an overweening Democratic majority. But these habitual voters are an ideologically charged subset of the electorate. On November 4, 3.7 million Georgians voted. Yesterday, about 2.1 million Georgians did.

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Posted in: Commentary • Local Politics • The GOP • The Senate • Voters | Post a Comment »

SAXBY WINS
December 3rd, 2008, 8:31 am by Dan Lehr

Read the runoff results here - it was a(n expected) blowout: 57% to 42%.

I’ll have NewsChannel 9 viewing area county results & my thoughts on who really stands to gain with this victory after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Local Politics • The Ballot Box • The Senate • Voters | Post a Comment »

TWO LOCAL OBAMA TRANSITION DONORS
December 1st, 2008, 3:25 pm by Dan Lehr

It’s common to give to a presidential campaign; it’s far less common to give to a presidential transition.

Today the Obama Transition team released its list of 1776 donors on its website, & they include a pair of local folks:

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Posted in: Changing of the Guard • Fundraising • Local Politics | Post a Comment »

JIM MARTIN’S LONG ODDS
December 1st, 2008, 12:33 pm by Dan Lehr

From Southern Political Report:

“…how many African American voters - who in our latest survey favored Martin by over 90% - will feel compelled to go to the polls on Tuesday?

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Local Politics • The Senate • Voters | Post a Comment »

PALIN IN THE PEACH STATE
December 1st, 2008, 8:22 am by Dan Lehr

UPDATE: scroll down for a clip.

You still have time (though it’s running out) to RSVP to see her in metro Atlanta. Click here to find out details on Saxby Chambliss’ website.

Palin’s hometown newspaper is puzzled as to why she’s campaigning for Chambliss.

& Donald Craig Mitchell of the Alaskan Dispatch blog says she doesn’t seem to be ready to settle back down into the Alaska governor’s mansion anytime soon:

“My prediction is that for at least the next two years Sarah is going to keep her show on the road because that will be a lot more fun than being Governor of a backwater state that spends most of its time as far out of the limelight in which Sarah has been basking as North and South Dakota do. During the almost fifty years it has been a state Alaska has had nine governors. Other than Sarah Palin, how many people who do not live in Alaska can name one of them? And why should they be able to? Because who cares who the Governor of Alaska is?

That is the obscurity to which Sarah will return if she goes back to her day job. In addition to being no fun, for presidential candidate wannabe Palin, that also is the rub.”

UPDATE: The 1st reports are coming in, read more after the jump (I’ll post clips of her stump speech here once they’re available).

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Local Politics • Meet & Greets • Sarah Palin • The Senate | Post a Comment »

I BEG YOUR PARDON
November 25th, 2008, 10:11 am by Dan Lehr

(above: the Pardon of Robert E. Lee, illustration from Harper’s Weekly)

To date President Bush has pardoned 14 individuals & commuted 2 prison sentences.

Read more of who those people are (including a man from Rossville, Georgia) after the jump.

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Posted in: Homemade Music Videos • Local Politics • President Bush | Post a Comment »

GEORGIA RUNOFF CAMPAIGN UPDATE
November 24th, 2008, 12:14 pm by Dan Lehr

The latest poll, from Rasmussen, has Chambliss leading 50-46, with 4% undecided.

Obama “robocalls” on behalf of Jim Martin; listen to the audio here.

“Mr. Obama has shied away from inserting himself in the still-to-be resolved Senate contests in Georgia and Minnesota. While he recorded a radio advertisement for the Democratic candidate in Georgia, advisers said he would not visit there, to avoid appearing to be too political as he works to deliver on his campaign pledge to bridge the partisan divide in Washington.” - the New York Times

Over the weekend “Freedom Watch,” a pro-Chambliss independent group, released this ad:

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Ads • Local Politics • Mitt Romney • The Senate | Post a Comment »

OBAMA ON THE AIR FOR MARTIN
November 21st, 2008, 10:15 am by Dan Lehr

The President-elect hasn’t committed to stumping in the Peach State for Jim Martin yet, but he’s just recorded a radio ad for the Senate hopeful.

Listen to it here.

What do you think? Will Obama visit Georgia? I’d say the odds are even either way.

Posted in: Ads • Barack Obama • Local Politics • The Senate | Post a Comment »

ROMNEY TO LAND IN GEORGIA
November 21st, 2008, 10:11 am by Dan Lehr

From All Headline News:

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will be campaigning for Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) late this week. His visit follows visits by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in the Peach state for the first-term Republican senator.

Romney will headline a rally for Chambliss at the Intercontinental Hotel in Atlanta Friday morning. The former Republican presidential hopeful later in the afternoon will hold another rally at the Charles H. Morris Center in Savannah.

The article also has this interesting tidbit:

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Posted in: Local Politics • Mitt Romney • The Senate | Post a Comment »

BILL STUMPS FOR JIM IN THE PEACH STATE
November 20th, 2008, 8:04 am by Dan Lehr

Read more about Clinton’s (predictably late) appearance here.

On the other side of the fence, the NRA is setting its sights on Martin’s defeat.

Don’t forget - you can early-vote in Georgia for the runoff right now.

Posted in: Local Politics • Stump Speeches • The Senate | Post a Comment »

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