The New Republican Party wants YOU!

From AmericaBlog...

The GOP race is getting crazy....

I just found out a while ago that A) as expected, former Senator Bill Frist is NOT running for Governor in 2010, and B) that means our AG Bill Gibbons IS running, and Senator Mark Norris of Collierville is considering a run.

OK, let's all take a deep breath here.  Even though Terri Schiavo's long-distance diagnostician is out, let's look at the GOP candidates who are probably in:

1) Gibbons, who happens to hail from the county with THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING REPUBLICAN PARTY, is not nearly as well-known outside Big Shelby as 2) 7th District Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn or 3) 3rd District Congressman Zach Wamp of Chattanooga.  And NONE of them have the financial wherewithal of 4) Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, he of the Pilot Oil Haslams.

Which makes me wonder why 5) Rep. (and former TRP Chair) Beth Harwell (R-Nashville),  6) Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey of Blountville and 7) Mark Norris all think they have a chance.

Seriously, this is going to be about Blackburn's notoriety, Wamp's determination, and Haslam's money.

The good news is that, just as I had hoped, these folks are responding to new-found power about the way one would expect folks who have been out in the wilderness for 140 years.  Now, I suspect that when all is said and done, we'll be down to 3 or 4, and then we can sit back and watch the fun.

The bad news is, who the hell do WE have right now to go against them?  Kim McMillan? Uh-uh.  Lincoln Davis?  Hell, the REPUBLICAN might carry Big Shelby.  Junior?  He may still have a house here (as I was recently informed), but his heart is where his wife is, in the heart of Manhattan.  Our Congressman?  I would take a bullet for him, but I like him where he is just fine.

So, we have to get our house in order PDQ in order to keep this lot out of Curtisswood Lane.  don't worry, we're working on it; just watch this space.  The Cracker is back and ready to rock as I hit the 5-0 on Monday!

Your average group of McPalin supporters

With H/T to Kleinheider, here are the people who support McSame/Failin (as Ilissa Gold called them):

In which lifetime?

It seems that our local Attorney General, Bill Gibbons, has decided that he is going to run for the Republican nomination for Governor of Tennessee in 2010, unless Bill Frist runs, of course.

Ok, first, this is an easy out; barring an unexpected indictment, Frist WILL run, because he wants to revive his political career that he thoroughly destroyed as Senate Republican Leader by doing such bright things as diagnosing Terri Schiavo by watching tapes of this poor brain-damaged woman and determining that she could recover.  Good move, Doc.

His hope, of course, is that he will do such a good job as Governor that he will once again be thought of in Presidential terms.  Right.  And I'm going to be the next James Bond, too, if that happens.

However, is the Doc any less delusional than our AG?  Ok, let's say, and why not, that Frist's wife says no friggin' way you're running, and that opens it up for Gibbons.  First, he might not even carry Shelby County, what with Marsha Blackburn, Ron Ramsey, Zach Wamp and other Gooper wanna-bes in the race.  What's he running on, his record?

I can see THAT now: LOOK HOW SAFE I'VE MADE SHELBY COUNTY!  That's a winner, bubba, I'd take that and really run with it if I were you.  Oy.  Next, other than the Baker-Alexander-Thompson tribe, who knows Gibbons outside of Big Shelby?  Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? I digress.

Frist is the 800-pound gorilla in the race; if he runs, does Blackburn?  If she DOESN'T go for Governor and runs for re-election instead, she prevents the potential 10-candidate pile-up in TN-07 that would lead to some rube from Williamson County taking the seat.  This, of course, would frustrate David Kustoff, Senators Norris and Stanley, and other assorted Shelby Countians utterly convinced that they would not split the vote 146 ways and give the race to the aforementioned rube.

All in all, lots of ways for the GOP to shoot itself in the foot in Tennessee; grab some popcorn and sit back and watch!