TPMDC Zach Wamp
TN-GOV
Haslam Wins GOP Nomination For TN-GOV
TN Gov. candidate Bill Haslam (R)
Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam has easily won the Republican nomination for governor of Tennessee, to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen -- and he perhaps didn't even need the "silly vote" to be split between two other candidates.
With only 7% of precincts reporting, Haslam has 51%, Congressman Zach Wamp has 27%, and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey has 21%. It must be noted, however, that these returns represent much, much more than a mere 7% of the total ballots, due to the fact that it includes a large number of the early votes. As such, Haslam has been projected as the winner by the Associated Press.
As we'd previously noted, this primary saw the other two candidates seeming to trip over each other to be more right wing than the other. Ramsey speculated that Islam might not be covered by the First Amendment's guarantee of the free exercise of religion, on the grounds that it's not really a religion but is instead a "cult." Meanwhile, Wamp flirted with the idea of Tennessee seceding from the United States (again), if the 2010 and 2012 elections did not go well. (Fun fact: A disliked election result in 1860 was the final straw that led to Southern secession last time.)
Meanwhile, Haslam only tacked slightly rightward, abandoning his former ties to New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg's gun control efforts. And as the only "sensible party" candidate in the race, he obviously did quite well. He now faces Democratic businessman Mike McWherter, son of Dem former Gov. Ned McWhether. The TPM Poll Average gives Haslam an early lead of 48.0%-30.0%.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (10) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2010 elections, Bill Haslam, Ron Ramsey, TN-GOV, Zach Wamp
TN-GOV
Splitting The Silly Vote: GOPers Ramsey And Wamp Out-Crazy Each Other In TN-GOV Primary
Tennessee GOP Gov. candidates Ron Ramsey and Zach Wamp
In a three-way Tennessee Republican gubernatorial primary to be held this Thursday, two right-wing candidates have been splitting what Monty Python would call the "silly vote," leaving Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam as the de facto "sensible candidate," and thus making him the frontrunner.
A recent Mason-Dixon poll gave Haslam the lead with 36%, followed by Rep. Zach Wamp at 25% and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey with 20%. To be sure, Haslam has tacked right somewhat. For example, he used to be a member of New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg's (I) Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition. But in early 2009 he left the group and joined the National Rifle Association.
But with that said, there's nothing that Haslam has done or said that compares to the other two. Let's take a look.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (21) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2010 elections, Bill Haslam, Ron Ramsey, TN-GOV, Zach Wamp
TN-GOV
TN GOPer Wamp Backtracks: 'When I'm Governor, Of Course We Will Not Secede From The Union'
Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN)
Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN), who is running in a three-way Republican primary for governor of Tennessee, is now clarifying some earlier remarks and insisting that he does not favor seceding from the Union -- though he does think that governors need to put up a strong front and assert their 10th Amendment rights against the federal government.
"When I'm governor of Tennessee, of course we will not secede from the union," said Wamp. "But we will also not have a governor who will cave in to Barack Obama."
"We're going to be a proud partner as a member of the United Sates of America," Wamp added. "But there needs to be a conflict between the states and the federal government."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (17) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2010 elections, Nullification, Secession, TN-GOV, Tenthers, Zach Wamp
TN-GOV
GOP Rep. And TN-GOV Candidate Wamp: States Might Have To 'Consider Separation From This Government'
Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN)
Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN), who is running in a heated three-way Republican primary for governor of Tennessee, has a dire warning about the new health care reform law: If a new Congress and president aren't elected in order to repeal the bill, states might just have to secede.
"I hope that the American people will go to the ballot box in 2010 and 2012 so that states are not forced to consider separation from this government," said Wamp, who has also promised to refuse to implement the law at the state level if he is elected, in an interview with the Hotline.
Wamp also praised Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) -- who has also floated the idea of secession -- for leading the fight against the health care bill. "Patriots like Rick Perry have talked about these issues because the federal government is putting us in an untenable position at the state level," said Wamp.
The Hotline asked Wamp's GOP primary opponents whether they are opposed to secession. A spokesman for Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam answered, "Yeah," while Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey blasted "Rep. Wamp's trademark over-the-top temperament and overheated, sometimes crazy rhetoric."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (208) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)Topics: 2010 elections, Health Care, Nullification, Secession, TN-GOV, Tenthers, Zach Wamp
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