Sheesh. McWherter leading the pack? I hope it's just because it's early in the process.

for newcomers to the political game.

You would have to really worry if you are Ronnie Ramsey and have been in Tennessee government 20 years and you had that small a following statewide this early on.

With the results from a statewide sample, you would expect Wamp to carry a higher number, although the bulk of the Republican primary will be decided in East Tennessee and the bulk of the Democratic Primary will be decided in West Tennessee, particularly in Democratic rich voting precincts in the City of Memphis.

The guys that have been in elected office haven't demonstrated much to the vast majority of the people polled, given the high undecided number and if they don't have a message now, the current trend is to give the newer guys a chance to screw things up, which would result in a McWherter - Haslam race come next November. This cycle there will be no Senate races, just the House races such that there will be no piggybacking this trip.

If the GOP runs on guns..guns..guns
& the voters want jobs..jobs..jobs

It's not beyond the pale for the Democrats to take
the Tn House & Senate + win the governors race.

I've talked to alota folks that voted straight Republican
in '08 because they thought the Democrats were too far
to the left for their taste.

But they think this guns in bars bill was dumb.

Plus,except in the 3rd district US house race,national
politics won't be an issue.

And if the Republicans nominate Robin Smith in that
race her hard right general election campaign may
well hurt the state Republican ticket in vital
East Tennessee counties.

East Tennessee Republicans like the Speaker's mountain
consevatism a hell of a lot more than Smith's hard
right conservatism.

We won't win East Tennessee

But

They talk guns in bars.
We talk jobs.

It sure gives us a fighting chance cross the plateau
in shape to win in '10.