The Tennessee Democratic Party announced yesterday that they have hired Keith Talley, former U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon’s press secretary, as their new communications director.

Sean Briasted looks at his resume and speculates about why he was selected. Tom Humphrey opines that the TNDP is going on the attack and has hired their own Bill Hobbs.

I would tend to believe Sean Braisted's analysis is closer to the mark, but if Tom Humphrey is correct I think it's a big mistake for the TNDP.

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First of all, that stuff don't work for Democrats.

I don't know why that is. Maybe it's because expectations are already set so low for Republican candidates. Or maybe because it was invented by the likes of Lee Atwater and perfected by the likes of Karl Rove and they're just better at turning it back around against their opponents.

Besides, if you let your opponent dictate the rules of engagement you've already lost.

But we'd all like to see Democrats get tougher. Like calling out lies and corruption, even if it's in the Democratic Party. Like getting elected Democrats to act like Democrats. Like fighting fiction and hysteria with facts. One problem with that, though, is trying to use logic and reason to educate a large population of voters who believe global warming is a hoax and that Adam and Eve frolicked with dinosaurs.

I don't know what the answer is, but I'm pretty sure it isn't getting down in the gutter with Republicans to try to beat them at their own game.