Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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Shelby County gave Obama a 100,000 response from you is essentially being demanded
by us by Saturday 5:00pm."
vote margin. Democrats should be
elected to every County wide office here Instead of saying "NO" Kuhn had a policy to
. Unfortunately we have not been able allow the Republicans to crash the dinner but
to get Democrats consistently united not be recognized from the podium . This was
together around tickets that can win. negotiated with the Republicans - see below
One day we will, and it will help the
Kuhn said he had twice last week discussed with
entire State. In 2008, we had a clean fellow Democrats the issue of a Republican
sweep and elected all 3 Democrats presence at the dinner. This was after rumblings
running countywide. In 2010, the had started among Democrats in the
Governors race August turnout killed us. blogosphere. The matter came up on Wednesday
We lost every race. When most of the night at a planning session for the dinner and
again on Thursday night at a meeting of the
Shelby County Leadership was party's steering committee. By then, Kuhn had
regrouping and planning to reverse evolved a policy, which the committee gave its
this course in 2012. Mr. Kuhn was unanimous backing to.
joining the new Shelby County
Republican Mayor Luttrell in his oft In essence, the party would not obstruct the
attendance at the event of Gibbons and Luttrell,
stated position that local primaries who had purchased tickets online and not by
should cease. (See articles)>>> anybody's invitation.
3) As Shelby County Chair in 2006 Kuhn and the committee members agreed
Matt Kuhn was going to allow that the two GOP officials would not be
recognized from the dais or be allowed to do
Republican nominees -running any electioneering. Kuhn called Luttrell and
against our candidates to come to the Gibbons on Friday, briefing them on the
Kennedy Day Dinner ,our local ground rules. Neither objected.
version of Jackson Day. The local
Democratic nominees had to hold a But the party nominees did, and the brouhahas of
the weekend ensued. Luttrell bowed out, and an
press conference and send him a
intermediary prevailed on Gibbons to do the
hand delivered letter to uninvite same. (Gibbons issued a formal statement to that
Sheriff Luttrell. See articles to the effect on Monday, pointedly appending to it a
right> lengthy list of his Democratic supporters.)
The Memphis Flyer Aug 19 2010
5) Party Building : The Party in
*********************************
Shelby weakened while Kuhn was ***************************
Chair.
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was re-elected winning almost every air conditioner to someone less fortunate.
precinct in the County. It would be So then why put so much emphasis on
unfair to blame him for all of this, having primary elections with the main
focus being whether a candidate is a
however If the Party under Kuhn's Democrat or a Republican, not necessarily
leadership was not able to be a good candidate?
successful in winning races or "party The two parties think it's a good idea to
building" in " Big Blue" Shelby , How spend a million dollars every two years on
can he succeed at this in " Big Red" partisan primaries for local county offices.
Tennessee. Is this a good idea? This is a question the
body politic should answer, and the
answer should be a resounding no.
We also had a controversy where a I must agree with local Republican
local attorney Richard Fields was hired leadership, which has recently indicated a
by the State Republican party to willingness to dispense with local
represent Terry Roland to overthrow the primaries for county office. As a former
election of Senator Ophelia Ford. This chairman of the Democratic Party, I'd
had State wide implications as they implore both parties not to request a call
were fighting for control of the Senate. for primaries for local county office. It isn't
mandated, and 43 of 95 counties in
Mr. Fields was a Shelby County
Tennessee do not conduct county
Democratic officer and Mr. Kuhn primaries. Shelby County needs to join the
could not get his own committee to list.
remove him. That may be an inconceivable statement
for a former Democratic Party chairman to
Bob Tuke had to intervene and settle make, but local partisan primaries in a
state that has an open primary system
the problem by getting Fields to
just doesn't work. Even if we had a closed
resign. primary system, partisan primaries for
local office are an inefficient way for
political parties to select candidates.
Please don't misunderstand me. We don't
need to return to the smoke-filled
backroom to choose our candidates. What
is important is that spending roughly a
Why the criticisms against million dollars every two years to allow
five to 10 percent of the voting public to
Chip Forester are unfair. decide the two parties' candidates is a
waste of taxpayers' money as well as of
1) No Chair in History has been held local political leaders' time.
to this much blame before because Without partisan primaries, local political
they are not in control of all the parties could have more control, not less,
campaigns. when selecting qualified leaders to
endorse in an election. We need to hold
When Doug Horne was chair in 2000 and the executive committees of both parties
we lost the State for Al Gore and therefore more accountable for their party's
the Presidency, no one called for him to nominees by giving them an opportunity
leave because we knew that the Chair is to demonstrate to voters that their
not in complete control of the campaign. candidates are truly qualified and
People appreciated his service and efforts prepared to run. I believe that a voter
towards party building.These candidates would rather have a good candidate who is
stand and fall on their own. The Chair can a Democrat or a Republican rather than a
not control the House and Senate good Democrat or Republican who is a
Caucases or the candidates for Governor, candidate.
Congress or the top of the ticket. That's It is time to adjust our thinking to the new
why it is unfair for the good former Chair age of the political process. We need a
and his supporters to lay all this blame on process that will allow local political
Forrester. Despite losing State House and parties to interview candidates and then
Senate Seats for the last 20 years, we decide through their executive committees
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Senate Seats for the last 20 years, we decide through their executive committees
have never made the Chair take the who the endorsed nominee from the party
blame. will be for each elected position.
Doug Horne,Dick Lodge, Buck Lewis, The inefficient spending for a primary
Houston Gordon,Bill Farmer,Jane Eskind, election is money that could be reallocated
Gary Ledbetter,Gray Sasser, Will Cheek, toward crime reduction efforts, teachers'
Randy Button... none of them were held to salaries, school funding, and hospitals.
this standard of blame. If any of them had A candidate currently needs to raise
served when the Republican Governor's money for a primary and a general
Association spent 1 million dollars in the election. Think about it, Democrats: In
last 3 weeks to defeat 20 House this cycle, you had two viable candidates
candidates, they would have had similar for mayor who had to raise money for a
losses. primary election, which ultimately resulted
in neither having funding for a general
2) Sabatoge by Democratic "staffers" election.
of our party, like "kids in a sandbox" . Therefore, I pose this question: Do you
think it is possible to do with one less
The immediate call for the removal of Chip election every two years? We already
primarilly came from individuals and have at least two and sometimes more,
staffers who opposed him 2 years ago. with municipal elections in Shelby County.
Back then they had launched a two year We could change the county charter to
"jihad" against our party. This effort came permit the calendar for local elections to
immediately without any analysis or be in accord with that for state and federal
review of what happened. One of these elections. This option could prove to be
former Bredesen " staffers" Will Pinkston, mutually beneficial for the parties.
reportedly urged donors to not give to the Since the inception of local primaries in
Party for almost a year. He gave negative 1992, when the Republican Party
statements to reporters and bloggers. He exercised its right under state law to hold
eventually went to work for the Frist a primary election, very rarely have more
Foundation. than one out of 10 voters participated.
That results in the parties receiving
This went unchecked until Chip and Ned direction from less than 5 percent of the
McWherter brought Bill Clinton for Jackson voting public in deciding on political
Day. It took Mike Turner and Ned leaders.
McWherter to intervene and stop this Can any leader afford to charge ahead and
sabatoge of our party by these "staffers" then look behind to find no one following?
These individuals lost us valuable time and General George Pickett's men were willing
energy and contributed greatly to our to follow him on an ill-advised advance at
losses in November.In the future self Gettysburg. Do you think Pickett would
serving "staffers" should be fired have uttered "Charge!" if he knew only 10
immediately. percent of his men were behind him?
If you agree that we need to put an end to
The disrespect that these "staffers" have partisan primaries, contact your local
displayed by starting an "Anybody but executive committee of whichever party
Chip" facebook page is intolerable. you belong to and encourage them to put
Chip's re-election should end this type of an end to primary elections - thereby
behavior permenantly. assisting in stopping this outrageous waste
of taxpayers' money.
3) Under Chip TNDP Fundraising Matt Kuhn, former Democratic Party
increased! chairman, has been serving as adviser to
Under Chip the Democratic Party interim Shelby County mayor Joe Ford.
increased it's fundraising while the funding
to the caucases and top of the ticket was
down. Despite pledges from impudent
Congressional and Gubnatoral "staffers" to
dry up the funds, Chip and the Committee
brought in more money than the previous
2 years. Not being in the majority hurt
contributions to the House and Senate
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