Tue
Mar 10 2015
10:13 am
What do Tennessee Democrats stand for?
By: R. Neal

TNDP chair Mary Mancini explains what the TNGOP is doing to our state and what Democrats can do to stop it...

For Tennessee’s Republican legislators, it’s business as usual on Capitol Hill. Instead of tending to the people's business, they're serving only themselves and their radical beliefs without a care for the destruction they heap upon children, families, and communities. Here's what they've done in just one month...

Senate Republicans, including Sen. Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma) and Sen. Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet), voted to kill the Tennessee Economic Council on Women because we don’t "have one for men."

Rep. Courtney Rogers (R-Goodlettsville), is pushing a bill that would ban teachers from running for office "as political retribution after several members of Rogers’ faction lost county commission races to candidates backed by Strong Schools..."

Rep. Sheila Butt (R-Columbia), the Republican floor leader in the Tennessee House of Representatives, posted on Facebook that it was time for an “NAAWP.”

Rep. Jeremy Durham, (R-Franklin) was caught on video laughing about Rep. Butt because to him racism is one big joke.

Sen. Mark Green( R-Clarksville) and Rep. Jeremy Durham (R-Franklin), are seeking to privitize worker's compensation insurance effectively removing the last bit of accountability and oversight left in the state program.

Rep. Andy Holt (R-Dresden), Republican chairman of an agriculture committee, is under investigation by both the Environmental Protection Agency and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for code violations and operating his hog farm without a permit.

Sen. Joey Hensley (R- Hohenwald), who was served an order of protection after his wife said he hit her with his car, and Rep. David Hawk (R-Greeneville), who was convicted of reckless endangerment in 2013 after an angry run-in with his ex-wife, have filed legislation “dealing with distribution of property during divorce proceedings." Hensley admitted the bill was based on his divorce.

Seven Republican senators, including Sen. Todd Gardenhire of Chattanooga, made the decision to shut the door to critical healthcare for over a quarter of a million hard working Tennesseans by voting NO to Insure Tennessee. Their vote NO is a direct result of the failure of leadership by Republican leaders Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and Speaker Beth Harwell who caved to right-wing extremists instead of standing up for 250,000 working Tennesseans who can't go to the doctor when they're sick.

Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey (R-Blountville) have shown an absolute lack of leadership in refusing to hold any of these members accountable and/or strip them of their leadership positions.

It's clear that Tennessee Republicans are unfit to hold any elected office. It's clear that once given power, they use it to serve themselves and live as though the laws of Tennessee don’t apply to them.

But it’s not enough for Democrats to point fingers and laugh at how “crazy” these folks are. It’s not enough for us to shake our heads and ask, “How in the heck do these people get elected?”

In Nashville, the state capitol has been overrun by self-serving Republican legislators and special interests so now is the time to let everyone know exactly who these Republicans are and what they stand for. And now is the time to make sure every voter knows who WE are and what WE stand for...

Tennessee Democrats fight for equal pay, because we know that women make up 51% of the population and still make less than men.

Tennessee Democrats fight for equality and opportunity for all because we know that racism and inequality in any form is unacceptable.

Tennessee Democrats fight for equal justice because we know that no one is above the law.

Tennessee Democrats believe in smart government and effective leadership.

Tennessee Democrats believe it’s time our state legislators served the interests of all Tennesseans - not just themselves and their cronies.

Tennessee Democrats believe in a good day's pay for a hard day’s work.

Tennessee Democrats believe that if someone is injured on the job, they should be able to feed their family.

Tennessee Democrats believe that all Tennesseans should be able to take themselves or their kids to the doctor when they’re sick.

Tennessee Democrats believe in investing in our future (our kids, our schools, our roads and bridges.)

Tennessee Democrats believe in strong families and communities.

Tennessee Democrats are the party of opportunity for ALL - THEY are the party of opportunism.

Now is the time to start working to take back our state from these radical, self-serving Republicans... so spread the news... DON'T KEEP WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE STAND FOR TO YOURSELVES!

Thank you for all you do,
Mary
--
Mary Mancini
Chair, Tennessee Democratic Party

Topics:
Stick's picture

Love the specificity...

Submitted by Stick on Tue, 2015/03/10 - 10:41am.

Love the specificity...

reform4's picture

Actually....

Submitted by reform4 on Tue, 2015/03/10 - 11:15am.
(in reply to Stick)

... not enough specificity in the second half. Good tag lines, but you HAVE TO bring these phrases home to people, to where they live. And if it's not where they live, you have to bring it to where their friends and families live. That's what Republicans do better in their messaging.

Examples:

"Tennessee Democrats fight for equal pay, because we know that women make up 51% of the population and still make less than men."

vs. adding this:

"Women, aren't you tired of working hard, and being paid less than somebody else who doesn't work nearly as hard as you do? He gets to drive home in that nice car, and you're scraping to get by and keep your family fed and clothed well. Democrats have fought for equal pay for women for decades."

Tennessee Democrats fight for equal justice because we know that no one is above the law.

vs. adding this:

"Aren't you sick of friends and family of politicians getting a slap on the wrist for things you or I would go to jail for? Are you tired of the corruption that sends the message- break the law, steal from taxpayers, you won't really get punished if you're a Republican? We believe no one is above the law, and we will bring responsibility and pride back to our Legislature and our state."?

Tennessee Democrats believe in smart government and effective leadership.

vs.

Well. ANYTHING. Something more than this. How about adding: "Are you tired of Republicans wasting your tax dollars on projects and initiatives that everyone knows won't work? Just because they need to reward a contributor or give a family member or friend a job? Democrats believe in smart and effective government and being good stewards of your money."

Add to the sound bites to *bring the message to a personal, individual level*. Don't be afraid to directly demonize your opponents when they really deserve it. And it's more effective to couple your positive message to what your opponents are doing wrong vs. making a laundry list of what they're doing wrong, and then offer vague platitudes. (1) You might have lost your audience halfway on the "Republicans are idiots" bullet list and (2) It's easier for someone to understand a directly coupled compare and contrast on the same topic at the same time.

In other words:

"We stand for this. Aren't you tired of this other stuff? Here's an example of what you're getting now. We can change that."

stalwartdem's picture

As Alex Trebeck would say..

Submitted by stalwartdem on Tue, 2015/03/10 - 11:25am.
(in reply to reform4)

WELL DONE, Steve!

Stick's picture

Or...

Submitted by Stick on Tue, 2015/03/10 - 11:54am.
(in reply to reform4)

The party could offer some concrete proposals? I can deduce a belief system from a clearly defined political program. "Message framing" is (in part) what's killing the republic.

Tamara Shepherd's picture

Republicans on privatizing education for disabled students

Submitted by Tamara Shepherd on Tue, 2015/03/10 - 12:28pm.
(in reply to Stick)

Ow, ow...I have a concrete proposal:

Republicans, before telling me that public school monies have to be routed to private schools in order to afford students with disabilities a quality education, try funding our public schools to the level you promised you would 40 years ago.

When Congress promised that long ago to extend to public schools 40 cents of every dollar they would need to serve disabled students, yet tosses them just 16 cents of every dollar needed even today, don't tell me public schools have "failed" and the job must be turned over to private schools!

Deliver on your promise to route public monies to public schools!

reform4's picture

Contract With Tennessee

Submitted by reform4 on Tue, 2015/03/10 - 5:07pm.
(in reply to Tamara Shepherd)

1. Reduce waste in the University system to reduce college tuition by 10% and keep increases to the rate of inflation.

2. Reform the system of contracting the State's office building leases to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse, with the savings going to our public schools.

3. Implement and enforce an accountability system for charter and voucher schools to equal the accountability in our public school systems and require them to demonstrate equal or better outcomes or lose their charter and refund the state for all monies paid.

4. Implement expansion of Medicaid using tried and true processes with proven outcomes and savings for all citizens of the State.

5. Reform and fix the problematic Department of Children's Services and provide immediate protection for abused children.

6. Require approval by ballot referendum for any financial incentives over $1 million offered to any private company not specifically proscribed in the approved state Budget.

7. (other suggestions????)

Somebody's picture

Newt

Submitted by Somebody on Tue, 2015/03/10 - 5:46pm.
(in reply to reform4)

"Contract with Tennessee?" Are you sure you want to borrow from Newt Gingrich's brand? Speaking of re-using Republican tropes, the whole 'reduce waste, fraud and abuse as a means of raising money or cutting the budget' is an age-old game of smoke and mirrors. If there is actually waste, fraud and abuse, it should be eliminated for the sake of honest governance, not as some kind of redirect. Proposing it as a means to achieve some other end is just a hollow cop-out designed to malign one thing, while proposing something else nobody actually intends to ever do.

reform4's picture

It worked.

Submitted by reform4 on Tue, 2015/03/10 - 7:47pm.
(in reply to Somebody)

There is waste, fraud, and abuse in those areas. The Tennessean after an article about the state office space. How many airplanes does UT own?

And why are we, the taxpayers, not privy to we are here playing goes and how it is used?
(Google FlightAware and tail number N111UT)

zoomfactor's picture

I knew that sounded too easy.

Submitted by zoomfactor on Wed, 2015/03/11 - 5:43pm.
(in reply to reform4)

N111UT - UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE (ALCOA TN)

This aircraft (N111UT) is not available for public tracking per request from the owner/operator.

Stick's picture

#3

Submitted by Stick on Tue, 2015/03/10 - 7:43pm.
(in reply to reform4)

So, Republican-lite then...? ("Education markets" and "accountability")

All this time I thought that Democratic ideology involved a commitment to fully funded public institutions, democratic governance, and support for labor.

reform4's picture

Realism

Submitted by reform4 on Tue, 2015/03/10 - 11:16pm.
(in reply to Stick)

GetaDemocratic majority in the legislature, and sure.

But if it's a choice between unaccountable charter schools and accountable charter schools with their feet held to the fire...???

Plus, when the charter schools say "you can't hold us to a guarantee of results!!", you're letting the, make your argument against the, for you.

Stick's picture

But...

Submitted by Stick on Wed, 2015/03/11 - 8:46am.
(in reply to reform4)

That's my point. How can the Democrats ever achieve a majority unless they stand for something more than vague "we believe" crap? Build a political program that gives voters a real alternative and campaign on it.

bizgrrl's picture

It'd be nice if we came

Submitted by bizgrrl on Wed, 2015/03/11 - 9:50am.
(in reply to Stick)

It'd be nice if we came together and had a positive attitude toward achieving a majority. Mary Mancini is serious about guiding the TN Democratic party toward a positive outcome. Let's get behind her. Let's try to come up with some valid, constructive ideas to help her out.

"I'm not a member of any organized political party.... I'm a Democrat."

Will Rogers

Somebody's picture

messaging

Submitted by Somebody on Tue, 2015/03/10 - 1:32pm.
(in reply to reform4)

Actually, actually, as far as messaging goes, the tight language is much better than "aren't you tired of blah blah blah msftzzzzzzz." Sounds like an infomercial with over-dramatized grainy black and white video of someone trying really really hard to open a jar of pickles.

Women know they're paid less than men. If they give a crap about that, they're already applauding before the one-sentence tag line is done. If they're not already applauding, the linguistic jar of pickles isn't going to tell them something they don't already know.

Tamara Shepherd's picture

*

Submitted by Tamara Shepherd on Tue, 2015/03/10 - 9:27pm.

If there is actually waste, fraud and abuse, it should be eliminated for the sake of honest governance, not as some kind of redirect.

True enough, but how to sell a majority of Tennesseans, rock bottom in per capita taxation as this state is, that some tax models are more to their benefit (and the state's) than others are?

Recall that a majority of Tennesseans just approved a Constitutional amendment to preclude the state from enacting the tax model that most benefits them (and the state).

Looks like we're gonna be "redirecting" for a good, long while.

Mike Knapp's picture

How does this state's legislature flip parties

Submitted by Mike Knapp on Tue, 2015/03/10 - 10:52pm.

without the white working class vote? Does the "Obama coalition" - millennials, minorities and women scale down to this level? If not why not, if yes, when?

reform4's picture

Working class, yes.

Submitted by reform4 on Tue, 2015/03/10 - 11:21pm.
(in reply to Mike Knapp)

"White" becoming less relevant. There are plenty of non-white working class voters, and with changing demographics and mixed marriages, "white" is becoming a less solid definition. Even many "white" families have non-white grandchildren, adopted children, etc. Are they still "white" families? They may not see themselves that way.

But you do have to turn the working class vote.
E

Mike Knapp's picture

Word pickles and false demographic distinctions

Submitted by Mike Knapp on Sat, 2015/03/14 - 2:26pm.
(in reply to reform4)

I'm down with the false, nonbiological distinction that are "races" (I am deeply disturbed by NYT science writer Nicholas Wade's latest book on the subject) and agree that collective identity beyond those false distinctions is critical moving forward. That said I agree nonetheless with the careful analysis that Teixera, Kilgore and others are offering in that link regarding this particular demographic. For those of us like-minded anti-troglodyte folks in this state their argumentation holds much more weight and is much more applicable than in California for example.
Shortened version
Although that demographic is shrinking working class whites gave the GOP increases in federal and state level 2010 & 2014 landslides elections. 2014 is particularly relevant and Kilgore's study of that election in his recent book does a good job showing this.

Dems don't need a majority of this demo esp at POTUS elections but they need some chunk to be at least competitive in federal and state legislative races esp in the south like TN.

A broadened appeal to this demo counters low turnout of the "Obama coalition" in off years

Getting a portion of this vote will having the additional effect of shrinking the GOP base vote (the sometimes called two'fer approach) as they've got little else as we all are acutely aware.

Certainly Mancini is looking at polling data that says stuff like this
"Americans will learn more from one another and be enriched by exposure to many different cultures.” Almost two-thirds (64 percent) of the white working class agreed.
Lots more of that here

I'd agree with Somebody and Stick that the somewhat superficial mishmash of code words and the "linguistic pickle jar" (chuckle) wasn't impressive. But she gets points for effort and imv highlighting the completely vacuous buffoonery that is the current spate of GOP "policy". I particularly like what I believe you stated wrt specific policy proposals as they can accomplish a few things like providing sharp distinctions which statements like "fight for equal justice", "it’s time our state legislators served the interests of all Tennesseans", "investing in our future" and such do not.

Where do the votes to obtain a state level progressive government come from? Perhaps it is just turning out the dem voters already on the books. But we also know that if those folks at that baptist church in sokno had voted for GloJo instead of Eddie that election may have turned out different.

R. Neal's picture

What I like about Mancini's

Submitted by R. Neal on Wed, 2015/03/11 - 9:57am.

What I like about Mancini's missive is that it starts from a set of core principles from which a platform and messaging strategy can be built v. settling for some candidates with name recognition then figuring out which core principles to compromise to achieve GOP-lite, which has not been working.

This last round had some pretty good candidates along those lines, like Gloria and Cheri and even McKamey, but alas they had little support from a party that abandoned the core principles a long time ago.

Somebody's picture

With regard to the Mancini

Submitted by Somebody on Wed, 2015/03/11 - 5:49pm.
(in reply to R. Neal)

With regard to the Mancini missive above, I think she would do well to separate the litany of wrongs with the GOP clowns in the legislature from the more succinct set of ideals of what the Democrats stand for. There is a place for the list of grievances with the GOP legislators, but to be honest, the first time I looked at all that, I lost interest before I got to the more important second half.

Given the Democrats (especially the Tennessee Democrats) in recent years have done a poor job of defining themselves, I would recommend that Mancini put that part of her messaging front-and-center. The GOP freak show in the state capitol already does decent job of advertising how awful they are, so let's not focus so much on that. Both voters and potential candidates need to be able to gravitate toward the clarity of those core principles, and that's particularly important at this point for potential candidates. If some of those can then be matched with those core principles, voters suddenly have something to contrast with the buffoonery of the state GOP.

Stick's picture

In broad strokes...

Submitted by Stick on Wed, 2015/03/11 - 6:09pm.
(in reply to Somebody)

I think this is right. Saying "we're not crazy" does not a platform make. And, it certainly doesn't inspire anyone but the faithful. If the party is to define itself it will have to do more than offer vague "we believe" statements. That will not convince anyone of anything nor will it motivate the forty percent of Tennesseans who do not exercise their franchise to do so.

Crazy as it may be, the right has excelled at articulating a set of policies that, once they've attained power, they set about implementing.

Another anonymous's picture

Put positives before negatives

Submitted by Another anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 2015/03/15 - 7:46pm.
(in reply to Somebody)

I agree about putting what you stand for before the litany of complaints about Republicans. Somehow we have gotten to a place where people can be anti-abortion and counsel their mistress to have an abortion, have that come out, and then still be re-elected.

Apparently the people that are currently voting for Republicans care less about ethics than about hot-button issues.

What can the Democrats do to break the trance? I'm not sure, but I am positive that bashing Republicans is not going to work.

Tamara Shepherd's picture

*

Submitted by Tamara Shepherd on Wed, 2015/03/11 - 1:14pm.


...but alas they had little support from a party that abandoned the core principles a long time ago.

So why do we continue to affiliate with that party?

(I count myself among the guilty, you understand.)

Mike Knapp's picture

Where will the votes come from to elect progressives in TN?

Submitted by Mike Knapp on Fri, 2015/03/13 - 6:47am.

Who will cast them - what will the crosstabs say about gender, ethnicity, age, income

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