Stacey Campfield - 107

Randy Walker, Campfield's likely Democratic opponent for State Senate: 10

Oh, and I forgot the irony part:

KNS Editorial: Knox Democrats not bothering to run

Knox mayoral candidate: Don't forget about us non-Republicans

(link...)

local party chair: "...the party is doing everything it normally does to support candidates during primaries..."

Seems to me the numbers speak for themselves, and there's no other way to spin it.

Personally, I'm more indignant with the Knox County Democratic Party than with the KNS.

I think the "Dems not bothering to run" editorial is spot on, too.

I think the "Dems not bothering to run" editorial is spot on, too.

Which is the cause and which is the effect?

Back to the topic of the post, is it just me or does there appear to be a lack of balance with regard to reporting on actual candidates who are running?

Randy, your footnote said your search filtered out lawsuit-related stuff regarding Hutchison and Lt. Governor-related stuff regarding Ramsey?

WRT others in the gov's race, did you also filter out Knoxville mayor-related stuff regarding Haslam and ET Senate district-related stuff regarding Wamp? If not, I'm thinking we could reasonably expect to see more local coverage on Haslam and Wamp due to their proximity?

Our attention would then focus more on why the (narrower) gaps between Gibbons & Ramsey as compared to McMillan & McWherter, which I agree are still notable?

WRT our mayoral candidates, I checked out Scott's assertion as to who filed when and he's right that Burchett and Hutchison have been definites longest. I also wondered if some of Hutchison's coverage included not "lawsuit" stuff, but possibly some "bankruptcy" stuff not filtered out?

Petition turn-in dates look like this:

Burchett(R) 11/30/09
Cosby (I) 2/2/10
Hutchison (R) 1/9/10
Maize (D) 2/16/10
McBath (D) 2/8/10

EC's candidate list: (link...)

I don't know who in hell would want the volume/type of coverage Campfield (deservedly) gets and I'm not sure whether Walker has yet collected all his signatures?

The longer I look at underlying rationales for those counts, the less alarmed I am overall, really.

Am I missing anything big?

If we want Democrats to run and win, we will all have to step up. Ragsdale ran unopposed two times. That means there was no democratic candidate for eight years. Until Ezra and Michael stepped up, it would have happened again.

In part, this is due to a feeling among some Democrats that we cannot win county wide races. This is not only unfortunate, it is also wrong. In the current climate of our county government, there has never been a better time for a Democrat to win county wide.

Speaking from my experience over the last year, many people worked to recruit candidates for all races. While we successfully found some candidates (who won, by the way), there were many reasons potential candidates were unwilling or unable to run. One reason, but by no means the only one, is the party is fighting the perception from the past as being a party that does not support candidates. Whether or not that perception is valid doesn't really matter. We want to erase it. We are working hard to assist every democratic candidate who asks for our help. Frankly, the mayor's race was really difficult because the Tim's have essentially been running for over a year. They had their war chest and their supporters earlier than most supporters. Which, btw, is why we are stepping up and looking out 4 years from now.

During the primary the candidates build their teams and raise their funds and the party gives support and direction to all candidates who ask for it. Once the voters have chosen the democratic candidate, we fully support that candidate with trained volunteers and new technology. This makes a difference and we are constantly improving the technology and the organizational tools to make more and more candidates successful.

But we don't "choose" candidates and we certainly don't "anoint" them. It takes quite a bit of effort, money, and expertise to run a successful campaign. More than anything, it takes tremendous work on the part of the candidate. You have to want to win. The party can't create that kind of motivation. In many ways, recruiting candidates has less to do with the KCDP and more to do with an overall culture of support and commitment from everyone who wants to see change. Which is why I opened with "If we want Democrats to win, we will all have to step up".

This means the press has to fairly and equally report the candidates and point out the differences (which gets to Randy's original post). It also means supporting candidates with your dimes, dollars and door knocking.

I am not saying the party can't do better -- we always can. And we welcome constructive ideas. Our committees are open and we welcome everyone's help. This can be formal or informal, suggestive or corrective. And I would like to thank those candidates who have taken on the task of running for office and look forward to working with each and every one.

The Democrats do have incumbents..both on County Commission & in county wide offices.

So,yes,the Democrats do win elections,in Knox County.

And I'm pleased that Sam McKenzie will be elected to the 1st district county commission 6 year term.And to be honest I've never talked to Sam about seeking another office.We were concerned about winning re election..& nothing else!

The truth is,the Democratic Party,like the Republican Party..had some pretty bruising internal fights, during term limits turmoil.I admit I was guilty of getting a little heated during that time.But those days are gone..time to look foward.

Gloria has done an outstanding job of making it clear to all of us..that was then..this now.Gloria's about the future.

And it's not just Gloria..there are a ton of folks working tirelessly for the Knox County Democratic Party.

The new Knox County Democratic Headquarters is just one example of many that point to a strong viable Party.

And the phone calls & activity created out of the Headquarters to help pass the Health Care bill was nothing short of awesome!

I'm so pleased to hear our Chair talk about the next election.Because that's where the rubber mets the road.

Today builds for a brighter tomorrow.

Rome wasn't built in a day & neither will the Knox County Democratic Party.

But brick by brick..Rome was built.

And Gloria Johnson is building our Party..brick by brick..for a strong vibrant Knox County Democratic Party.

I thank Gloria for her leadership.

Bill Young

Damn liberal media!

All Parties Equally Mockable Says Democratic Mayoral Candidate
"Where only one political party is satirized, no political party is truly satirized," says candidate Ezra Maize

From APB reports. KNOXVILLE - A Democratic Knox County mayoral candidate wants the public to know his party isn't ceding the laughs to high-profile Republicans.

Ezra Maize, who's running against Michael McBath for the Democratic nomination, said Monday voters are being short-changed by what he perceives to be an almost exclusive focus on the laughs generated by the GOP primary race between Tim Burchett and Tim Hutchison.

"The people of this county deserve the opportunity - please hear my punch line - the people of this county deserve the opportunity to experience a well-rounded campaign that displays the viewpoints of every candidate," Maize said solemnly at a noon press conference in Market Square. "Hah! Was that a thigh-slapper or what? Nah, I'm pulling your leg. I know Knox Countians don't care about candidates' viewpoints. At most, they're interested in their sound bites and maybe if they look good in a suit. All Knox Countians really demand is an opportunity to experience a well-mocked campaign that offers equal opportunity to satirize every candidate."

He then performed a monologue.

"I am a Democrat," he began. "Hath not a Dem funny lines? Hath not a donkey hoofs, withers, ears, temper tantrums, affectations, mule-headedness; fed from the same public trough, hurt with the same truths, subject to the same temptations, bought by the same means, as a Republican is? If you kick us, do we not pratfall? If you tickle our funny bone, do we not get a charlie horse? If you heckle us, do we not bomb? If you spoof us, do we not get more attention, equal to that of the Republicans? And if you laugh at us, do we not want an encore? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. We can be burlesqued, same as the elephant in the room..."

"Yes, I know the Knox County Democratic Party is like the phantom of the glass opera house - always home and never noticed unless he throws rocks to get your attention," said Maize. "And even then - well, he's still a phantom, and so he mostly goes unnoticed. People just notice holes appearing in the house and wonder if the foundation's cracking. But that's the Knox County Democratic Party, not the Knox County Democratic mayoral candidates. Well, I am a Democratic mayoral candidate, and I am throwing rocks in the Democratic Party's glass opera house. Not that I would actually throw rocks in a glass house, I mean it as a metaphor, but you take my point, which is...where was I?"