This, that, and the other

First, on Wednesday, look for a post about our friends at Planned Parenthood, they may need our help soon.

Second, I have decided for whom I will vote for Mayor. For the first time since 1995, I will vote for the incumbent, because he is doing the job now that others have promised to do. I don't really give a rat's ass what Mason-Dixon says; let's not forget that they predicted that John Edwards would win the 2008 Iowa Caucuses.

But that's not why I am here tonight.

The epic battle of District 62 took place today, and it turns out the FORMER Democrat, who may be to the left of the Democratic nominee, won the race, taking a critical House seat away from the Democrats at a time when they could least afford it.

That the people behind the strategy for this race on behalf of Ty Cobb (the brother of outgoing Rep. Curt Cobb) may have erred is without question. Mike Turner, you're a hell of a good guy, but to a great extent this is on you, although you are not alone by a longshot. Ladies and Gentlemen of the House Democratic Caucus, if you don't rethink your strategy for the 2010 elections, the Goopers will have 55 seats and the only Democratic US House seats will be 5 and 9.

I have a question: much has been made of the fact Pat Marsh, the new GOP representative for House 62 (the first in YEARS), switched from the Democrats. I've heard that it wasn't so much about ideology, it was about the fact that he thought he wouldn't have a chance in the Democratic primary because everyone got behind the 2nd Ty Cobb. Is this true?

I am not sure that I buy all of Kleinheider's theory that Tennessee is becoming a one-party hegemony ruled by the GOP, but he IS right about one thing: tonight is the end for conservative Democrats being viable in rural areas. Simply put, as Harry Truman is said to have noted, "if you only give the voters a choice between a pseudo-Republican and a REAL Republican, they'll take the real one every time". Of course, Marsh WASN'T a real Republican, and may turn out to be some one soon to be thought of as a RINO; but he WILL vote for a Republican for speaker, and that adds to the control of Kent Williams, that old Carter County Republican himself.

So, where do the Democrats go from here? First, LEAVE THE F@#KING SOCIAL ISSUES ALONE! Democrats CANNOT WIN when talking about social issues in the South, EVER. KEEP IT ON JOBS AND THE MONEY.

Simply put, ONE OF US is over, now and forever more. Got that? Ned Ray is the only one who could have pulled that off, and he's not running any more, Mike is, and he's already screwed up royally when he went into social issues, remember?

Focus on the fact that the Republican Party is about hoarding wealth for themselves and no one else, remind them that THEIR folks control Wall Street and the policies that have bankrupted the nation. If someone asks about abortion, ask them if they want to have one. NO? Well, good for them!

In short, BE A F&#@ING DEMOCRAT! Go to Democrats.org and see what the hell we are supposed to stand for, and if you can't support that, then LEAVE. If we have to start from scratch, we will. And we'll build a party from the ashes, and it will rise like the Phoenix.

If you're ashamed to tell your neighbors and parishioners that you are a Democrat, then you've either got the wrong friends or you're in the wrong party. It's time to decide now.

UPDATE: More good commentary on 62 from Southern Beale, Aunt B., and a fun group of headlines-that-might-have-been from Joe Lance.

MORE: Sean Braisted weighs in, and he's on target.