Yeah!

Ned Ray was a great Governor but foisting the mantle on Mike without his earning it will be a huge mistake. I keep asking about his credentials and keep being told he's a "really nice guy."

Oh, great. What else? Having just watched Kim McMillan charm the socks off everyone she met in Roane County I have to point out that Mike has never ever run for office before. Kim beat him at both forums they appeared at and was widely seen as having upped the Republican candidates in Nashville as well.

I wonder if these folks have actually looked around and realized that it is kingmaker politics that have eviscerated the Tennessee Democratic Party?

This isn't nomination "by default." This is nomination by fiat.

In other words, what else is new?

I just sound like a skipping record every time I say this, but there really isn't a robust bench strategy, there's not a development plan, there's no primary effort in this primary process.

The reality of the situation is that there is a single statewide elected office in Nashville, and that's the Governor. So there's limited opportunity to bring the DP slate to a broad audience. This is one of those rare times. And, seriously. When is it that the DP is going to drop the scripted outcomes? WWE wrestling is fairer and less predictable.

Y'know, I'd say that at this point, someone like Stacey Campfield would have a far better shot running statewide than someone like Gary Odom, Roy Herron, or any of the fair-haired chillun in the caucus. Why? Name recognition. He may not be smart, but his name is always in the news. Go ask someone who's not a political junkie who Jim Kyle is. (Although, if you ask someone who is a political junkie, bet they can tell you who his daddy is.)

Republicans and independents who mostly lean Republican in Tennessee will go with the real deal every time. Ask Harold Ford, Jr.

Pfft. HaFo would absolutely have run as a Republican if the party would have cleared the primary field for him.

I wonder if these folks have actually looked around and realized that it is kingmaker politics that have eviscerated the Tennessee Democratic Party?

In a word? No.

"That's the way we've always done it."