TN GOP NEWS

There is great news on early voting totals. According to the most recent numbers from the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office, more than 417,000 voters have made their way to polls since early voting began on July 16th. Even more exciting is that those casting ballots in the Republican primary outnumbered those casting ballots in the Democrat primary two to one! This is just another indication of the increasing momentum Republicans have going into this year’s general election.

Democrats aren’t just struggling to get their voters to the polls, but they are also struggling to gain the funds needed to finance their races. As I mentioned last month, the Tennessee Republican Party raised approximately $650,000 at our annual Statesmen’s Dinner. This month, the Tennessee Democratic Party held its annual Jackson Day rally. Despite having the Vice President of the United States Joe Biden deliver the keynote address, the TNDP only raised approximately $400,000 and according to firsthand accounts, the room was little over one third full. It’s clear that Tennessee Democrats are struggling to excite their base, get their voters to the polls, and raise the necessary funds to elect their candidates.

One of the reasons Democrats are struggling so much this year is due to the liberal policies of President Barack Obama. Just this week, a new poll by Mason Dixon showed that only 34 percent of Tennesseans believe that President Obama is doing an “excellent” or “good” job. Nearly half of Tennesseans – 48 percent – gave him a “poor” rating while 17 percent rated his job performance as just “fair.” Tennesseans were also recently polled on their view of the new federal health care law rammed through Congress by President Obama and Speaker Pelosi. According to the results, 57 percent opposed the new law compared to just 30 percent who say they support it. In addition, voters who identified themselves as politically independent opposed the law by a 59-25 percent margin.

We’re just days away from the state primary and we couldn’t be more pleased with where we are. In addition to fantastic early voting numbers and successful fundraising, the Tennessee Republican Party is in the process of setting up offices across the state that will serve as a resource for local candidates and a headquarters to coordinate volunteer activities. The first will open this week in Jackson with locations in Murfreesboro and Knoxville to soon follow. Please stay tuned for more information regarding volunteer opportunities with the Tennessee Republican Party.

There is an energy and excitement surrounding this year’s elections in Tennessee that has not been felt by Republican candidates and voters for a number of years. While we refuse to take anything for granted, Democrats are in for the fight of their lives and we’re extremely optimistic that Republicans across the state are poised for significant victories this November.

As a reminder, early voting runs through tomorrow, July 31st and state primary day is next Thursday, August 5th. If you need information about polling locations and hours, please visit the Tennessee Secretary of State’s website by clicking here. The Tennessee Republican Party will be live tweeting primary election results on August 5th. You can follow us on twitter here and also find updates on our facebook page here. We’ve recently surpassed the 5,000 fan mark and want to continue growing our numbers. You can help by following us on Facebook and suggesting our page to your friends and family!

We greatly appreciate all of your help and support as we move onward to victory this November.

Sincerely,

Chris Devaney
Chairman
Tennessee Republican Party

EARLY VOTING TOTALS BODE WELL FOR TENNESSEE REPUBLICANS: Early voting ends tomorrow and Republican primary voters are edging out Democrat primary voters 2-to-1.

Information from the Tennessee Secretary of State:

• View the latest early voting totals by county here.
• Secretary of State Tre Hargett announced we may exceed early voting totals in 2006 and 2008. Read more here.
• Find contact information for your county election commission here. They can provide you with poll locations and hours.
• View an official list of candidates from the Tennessee Department of Elections.
• View information on registering to vote.

In the News:

• “Early voting numbers could break record,” – Associated Press (07/30/10)

DEMOCRATS STRUGGLED TO RAISE FUNDS AT THEIR ANNUAL JACKSON DAY RALLY: Despite having Vice President of the United States Joe Biden as their keynote speaker, the Tennessee Democratic Party only raised $400,000. This is significantly less than the Tennessee Republican Party’s annual Statesmen’s Dinner that raised approximately $650,000 to fund races across the state.

News from the TNGOP on VP Biden’s visit to Nashville:

• VP Biden on His Way to Nashville: Will He Promote “Summer of Recover” to Tennesseans Facing 10.4 Percent Unemployment? – TRP Chairman’s Alert (07/13/10)
• Biden Scheduled to Headline TNDP Fundraiser 44 Days Before TN Floods, VP Now Billing Trip as Flood Damage Tour – Press Release (07/13/10)
• VP Biden on His Way to Nashville: Will He Promote Dems’ Health Care Disaster Opposed by Majority of Tennesseans? – TRP Chairman’s Alert (07/14/10)
• VP Biden on His Way to Nashville: Will Join Other Unpopular Dems at TNDP Rally – TRP Chairman’s Alert (07/15/10)
• VP Biden in Nashville to Show Tennesseans Exactly Why They Should Vote for Republicans in November – Press Release (07/16/10)

POLLS SHOW TENNESSEANS DO NOT APPROVE OF OBAMA OR HIS HEALTH "REFORM": Recent polls show that Tennesseans are not buying what President Obama and Speaker Pelosi are selling. The President’s approval rating is low in the Volunteer State and the majority of Tennesseans staunchly oppose Washington Democrats’ government takeover of health care.

In the News:

• “Tennesseans oppose health act by 2-1,” Knoxville News Sentinel (07/26/10)
• “Tennesseans not strong on Obama,” Knoxville News Sentinel (07/27/10)

MORE NEWS FROM THE TNGOP:

• Tennessee Republican Party Unveils Newly Revamped Website – Press Release (07/01/10)
• McWherter Flip-Flop: Dem Gubernatorial Candidate Can’t Figure Out His Stance on Immigration Reform – Press Release (07/08/10)
• New Poll Shows Majority of Tennesseans Oppose Obamacare, McWherter Says Too Bad Because It is “The Law of the Land” – TRP Chairman’s Alert (06/28/10)

Please take a look at your Republican U.S. House and Senate Members’ websites to find out what they’ve been doing on your behalf over the last month.

• Rep. Marsha Blackburn
• Rep. John Duncan
• Rep. Phil Roe
• Rep. Zach Wamp
• Senator Lamar Alexander
• Senator Bob Corker

TRACKING CHAIRMAN DEVANEY: During the month of July, Chairman Devaney has attended a number of events around the state. Following is a list of some events in which Chairman Devaney was involved:

07/12 – Attended Statewide Gubernatorial Debate in Nashville
07/16 – Call-In Interview on the Ralph Bristol Show
07/22 – Interview at NewsChannel5+ in Nashville
07/22 – Guest Speaker at the Republican Jewish Coalition Meeting – Knoxville Chapter
07/23 – Interview on Thunder Radio 1320 in Tullahoma
07/29 – Attended Event for State House Candidate Tim Wirgau in Paris, TN
07/30 – Interview on 95.3 The Truth Factor with Stuart James in Chattanooga

The release of a new poll shows that the majority of Tennesseans are opposed to Washington Democrats’ government takeover of health care rammed through Congress by President Barack Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. According to the Knoxville News Sentinel:

Tennesseans oppose the national health care reform law enacted by Congress at the urging of President Barack Obama by a margin of almost 2-to-1, according to a recent poll.

Fifty-seven percent of the 625 registered voters surveyed said they oppose the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, while only 30 percent said they support it. The remaining 13 percent were undecided… Voters who said they were politically independent opposed the plan by a 59 percent to 25 percent margin.

It’s clear that people across Tennessee are concerned about the effects of this new law and are looking to state leaders to stand up to Washington Democrats on their behalf. However, Democrat gubernatorial candidate Mike McWherter has made it clear that if elected governor, he has no plans to give Tennesseans a voice in opposition to Obamacare. Following is a sampling of what Mike McWherter has had to say about Democrats’ so-called health “reform”:

• “McWherter called the health care overhaul signed by Democratic President Barack Obama last week ‘the law of the land,’ and criticized Republicans for urging the state to join a lawsuit seeking to block the law.” (”Democrat Mike McWherter gives $1M to his Tennessee gubernatorial bid,” Associated Press, 05/30/10)

• “‘I’m going to work with our congressional delegation to make sure we improve this legislation and make it something that will help … and not burden our Tennessee taxpayers.’ McWherter’s response was greeted with boos and calls to “repeal it…” (”Gubernatorial Candidates Discuss Health Care at Northeast State Forum,” Kingsport Times News, 06/14/10)

• “‘But the bottom line is that law has passed now. So, what we need is a governor with the business skills to make sure that we know how to implement what does come out of Washington,’ he said. “The reality of it is, it does not fully implement for four years. I’ll be running for re-election possibly by the time this really becomes an issue.’” (”McWherter Steps up Governor’s Race Efforts,” Memphis Daily News, 05/07/10)

• “McWherter said several attorneys general from other states will probably follow through on a threat to take the federal government to court. But he termed the legal action ‘grandstanding.’ ‘I don’t encourage us getting involved in the middle of that.’” (”McWherter Steps up Governor’s Race Efforts,” Memphis Daily News, 05/07/10)

By refusing to stand up on Tennesseans’ behalf on the issue of health care, Mike McWherter is putting the agenda of President Obama and Speaker Pelosi before the needs of this state. That’s certainly not what Tennessee voters want and exactly why the chances of Mike McWherter becoming the Volunteer State’s next governor are growing slimmer by the day.

NASHVILLE, TN – Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to be in Nashville today to keynote the Tennessee Democratic Party’s annual Jackson Day event.

“We welcome Vice President Biden to a state that he and President Obama lost by 15 percentage points in the 2008 elections,” said Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney. “On the day that early primary voting begins in Tennessee, a visit from VP Biden couldn’t be a better reminder to voters of Democrats’ big-spending, big-government, job-killing agenda advocated by this Administration.

“Regarding his observing flood damage, it is difficult to see his tour as much more than a public relations stunt considering he was scheduled to headline this fundraiser 44 days before the floods even occurred,” continued Devaney. “Whatever his intentions, the perception is that it was donor checks that got him to Nashville, not the sincere desire to reach out to Tennesseans who were affected by these historic floods.

“With Democrats facing an uphill battle this November, it’s amazing they’re going to parade a cast of characters who are on a downhill slide,” continued Devaney. “Polls show that people like Vice President Biden, former Vice President Al Gore, and the lone Democrat running for Governor in Tennessee are facing stark unpopularity. And that’s why we’re looking forward to the TNDP’s annual Jackson Day rally.”

Vice President Joe Biden will be making his way to Nashville this Friday for the Tennessee Democratic Party’s annual Jackson Day event. Fortunately for him, the Vice President will be in the company of Tennessee Democrats who are just as unpopular as he is with voters. Let’s take a look at some recent numbers released that provide a glimpse into the public’s view of a few key figures who will be speaking at the TNDP fundraiser:

Vice President Joe Biden – TNDP Jackson Day Keynote Speaker

• According to a new Gallup Poll out this week, the Veep has just a 43 percent favorability rating amongst Americans. According to the poll:

Biden’s ratings are essentially the same as they were last fall, but not as positive as they were during 2008 and most of 2009, spanning the presidential election campaign and the beginning of the Obama administration.

• The VP’s newest favorability ranks even lower than President Barack Obama’s dismal 44 percent approval reported by a new CBS poll out this week. According to that poll:

Pessimism permeates a CBS News poll released Tuesday, finding President Obama’s overall job approval rating down three points, tying his all-time low of 44 percent. The survey also finds a gathering sense that the man in charge is not doing enough to alleviate Americans’ worries, CBS News Correspondent Dean Reynolds reports.

Former Vice President Al Gore – TNDP Jackson Day Speaker

• According to a new Gallup Poll out this week, the former Veep’s popularity ratings “are among the worst for him in more than a decade.” According to the poll:

Americans’ current views of former Vice President Al Gore have become significantly more negative compared with three years ago, and are among the worst for him in more than a decade… The July 8-11 Gallup poll, finding 44% of Americans viewing Gore favorably and 49% unfavorably, was conducted after the announcement that he and his wife were separating, and amid a police investigation into allegations that he committed sexual assault in 2006. Gallup last measured Gore’s image in October 2007, after he was named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, when 58% of Americans had a favorable view of him. All three party groups are less favorable toward Gore now compared with 2007…

• And according to a story in The Hill newspaper:

Though his public appearances usually focus on global warming, Gore has been in the news recently for some less than flattering reasons: He and his wife announced a separation, and police have begun re-investigating allegations that Gore sexually assaulted a masseuse.

• Despite Tennessee being Al Gore’s home state, he still lost the state and its 11 electoral votes that would have given him the presidency had Tennesseans not rejected him. View information about the 2000 election here.

Lone Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate Mike McWherter – TNDP Jackson Day Speaker

• According to a recent poll conducted by WSMV, Mike McWherter fell flat in hypothetical match-ups with each of the three Republican candidates running, losing to each one by double-digit margins. In addition, the poll found that a substantial number of Democrats and Independents signaled their intention to vote in the Republican primary. According to the report on the poll:

The Republican primary is drawing some attention among some Democrats and many independents. Of Democrats polled, nearly one in ten indicated they intend to vote in the Republican primary. Among independents, 63 percent said they’ll vote in the Republican primary.

READ MORE:

• VP Biden on His Way to Nashville: Will He Promote Dems’ Health Care Disaster Opposed By Majority of Tennesseans? (07/15/10)
• VP Biden On His Way to Nashville: Will He Promote “Summer Of Recovery” to Tennesseans Facing 10.4 Percent Unemployment? (07/13/10)
• Biden Scheduled to Headline TNDP Fundraiser 44 Days Before TN Floods, VP Now Billing Trip As Flood Damage Tour (07/13/10)
• VP Biden Visit a Great Reminder to TN Voters of Washington Democrats’ Out-Of-Control Agenda (03/17/10)

Vice President Joe Biden isn’t going to find many outside the TNDP’s annual Jackson Day dinner who agree with his support for Obamacare – support he showed by dropping an expletive to President Obama at the bill’s signing ceremony. In fact, poll after poll continue to show that the majority of Tennesseans and the majority of Americans oppose the bill enacted into law in March. Here’s just a sampling:

• According to the Spring 2010 Middle Tennessee State University poll, when it comes to federal health reform, “most Tennesseans want a do-over”:

When asked what Congress should do next on health reform, a majority of Tennesseans, 53 percent, say Congress should start on a new bill. Twenty-two percent say Congress should pass a bill similar those the House and Senate have passed. Only sixteen percent say Congress should stop working on health reform altogether…

Most of Tennessee’s independents, 63 percent, say Congress should start work on a new health reform bill, followed by 19 percent who say something like the current bills should be passed, and 18 percent who say Congress should just stop working on health reform.

• And according to a new Pew Research poll released yesterday:

Almost four months after the passage of major health care legislation, the law remains unpopular with the public. Nearly half of Americans (47%) disapprove of the health care law while just 35% approve of the measure. An overwhelming proportion of opponents of health care legislation – 37% of the public overall – favor repealing the legislation as soon as possible. Just 7% say they want to let the law stand and see how it works.

Joining the majority of Tennesseans who oppose the federal health reform legislation hailed by Vice President Biden is none other Tennessee Democrat Governor Phil Bredesen. After the bill was signed into law, Gov. Bredesen had this to say about the legislation:

“‘It is a huge unfunded mandate, and I worked against it,’ the Democratic governor told reporters before a black-tie event at a Nashville hotel. ‘But, it’s over.’… ‘I’m not wringing my hands over it,’ Bredesen said. ‘I’m just saying ‘OK, you win some, you lose some,’ and on this particular one, we’ve got a job to do now to figure out how to make it work here in Tennessee.’” (”Bredesen On Health Care Bill: ‘I Was Against It.. But It’s Over’,” Associated Press, 03/22/10)

Lucky for the Vice President, there are a number of Tennessee Democrats possibly attending this Friday’s event who have thrown their support behind Obamacare and their votes prove it. That’s why the Vice President’s visit couldn’t come at a better time because while Democrats are rallying around the Vice President’s message of bigger government and more spending, Tennessee voters will be beginning to make their way to the polls for the statewide primaries. And there is nothing Republicans want more than the Vice President and the TNDP to get voters excited about electing GOP leaders across Tennessee.

READ MORE:

• VP Biden On His Way to Nashville: Will He Promote “Summer Of Recovery” to Tennesseans Facing 10.4 Percent Unemployment? (07/13/10)
• Biden Scheduled to Headline TNDP Fundraiser 44 Days Before TN Floods, VP Now Billing Trip As Flood Damage Tour (07/13/10)
• VP Biden Visit a Great Reminder to TN Voters of Washington Democrats’ Out-Of-Control Agenda (03/17/10)

NASHVILLE, TN – Despite the current Administration never showing much interest in the hardships suffered by Tennesseans affected by May’s historic floods, members of the Tennessee Congressional delegation were informed today that Vice President Joe Biden would be making his way to Nashville this Friday to view some of the damage. Interestingly, this Friday is also the TNDP’s annual Jackson Day fundraiser in which the Vice President was announced to keynote 44 days before the flood even occurred.

“It’ been 73 days since this state endured massive devastation from historic floods and this is the first I’ve heard of the Vice President even acknowledging the occurrence,” said Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney. “While it’s important that a senior White House official will be observing some of the flood damage first-hand, it’s troubling that it took a Democrat fundraiser – one he was already scheduled to keynote back in March – to get him down here. Whatever his intentions, the perception is the Vice President is only interested in seeing the flood devastation when there are some donor checks to pick up on the way.”

Members of the Tennessee congressional delegation were informed by email today by the Office of the Vice President that “Vice President Biden will travel to Nashville, Tennessee where he will observe damage caused by the recent flooding at the Grand Ole Opry, and tour the ongoing restoration of the facility.”

Tennessee Democrats are giddy that Vice President Joe Biden will be making his way to Nashville this coming Friday for the TNDP’s annual Jackson Day event. Well, guess what? Republicans are giddy too! There couldn’t be a better pre-election reminder to Tennesseans of the big-government, big-spending agenda that has been thrust upon the American people by this out-of-control administration.

Tennesseans are currently grappling with 10.4 percent unemployment. But while struggling families have been searching for work, Vice President Biden has been promoting one of the administration’s newest public relations gimmicks called the “Summer of Economic Recovery.” In announcing the newest effort to sell the failing stimulus to the American public, Vice-President Biden again trumpeted the bill’s so-called “success”:

“‘From the intense skepticism and the doubt many, many of you expressed 14 months ago, particularly some of the folks who didn‘t want to vote for this legislation, I think it’s fair to say there’s general consensus…a significant portion of the…job growth is attributable to the Recovery Act,’” Biden said. (”Obama risks ‘Recovery Summer,’” The Hill, 06/17/10)

Is this the message that Tennessee Democrats are going to rally around? Are they really going to coalesce around someone who said, "In my wildest dreams, I never thought [the stimulus] would work this well?" Apparently so. But while Democrats pat each other on the back for all of their work to create jobs, Tennessee’s unemployment rate remains in the double digits and has stayed there since March ‘09 – one month after the stimulus was signed into law. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Tennessee’s unemployment has remained above 10 percent for 15 consecutive months.

DATE UNEMPLOYMENT
PERCENTAGE Feb. 09 9.6 Mar. 09 10.1 Apr. 09 10.5 May 09 10.7 Jun. 09 10.9 Jul. 09 10.9 Aug. 09 10.9 Sep. 09 10.8 Oct. 09 10.8 Nov. 09 10.7 Dec. 09 10.7 Jan. 10 10.7 Feb. 10 10.7 Mar. 10 10.6 Apr. 10 10.5 May 10 10.4

We welcome the Vice President to Music City and hope that he continues to demonstrate to Tennesseans how out-of-touch Democrats really are with voters and their needs. A visit from Vice President Biden is exactly what Republicans need to continue building momentum toward this November’s elections.

READ MORE:

• VP Biden Visit a Great Reminder to TN Voters of Washington Democrats’ Out-Of-Control Agenda (03/17/10)

NASHVILLE, TN – Voters can’t seem to get a straight answer from Democrat gubernatorial candidate Mike McWherter on the issue of immigration reform. Over the last month, he’s made two separate statements on the topic that seem to contradict one another.

June 2010 July 2010 WSMV reported his response to a Republican bill passed by the General Assembly praising the state of Arizona for immigration reform legislation:

“Lawmakers want to pass legislation next year emulating Arizona’s immigration law, but not everyone thinks that’s the best course of action.

‘I really think the immigration issue is a federal issue, and what we need is a much better federal policy to protect our borders,’ said Mike McWherter. ‘It’s got to be solved on a federal level.’” (”Gov. Calls Bill Honoring Ariz. Meaningless,” WSMV, 06/09/10) A Tennessean blog reported his response to President Barack Obama issuing a challenge to Arizona’s new immigration reform legislation:

“‘I think the administration is wrong on this one. Arizona’s trying to get a handle on the immigration policy because of Washington’s total failure to deal with the real problem,’ said Mike McWherter. ‘Immigration has become another political football in Washington and this lawsuit only continues the game, rather than solve the problem. We need to control the border, crack down on businesses that employ illegal workers, and give businesses the tools to quickly and reliably verify a job applicant’s status.” (”Mike McWherter stands up for Ariz. immigration law,” Tennessean Blog, 07/07/10)

"So which is it Mike? Voters have no idea where Mike McWherter stands on the issue of immigration reform because he doesn’t seem to know himself,” said Tennessee Republican Party Executive Director Gregory Gleaves. “That’s probably why he fails to even mention it in the ‘issues’ section of his campaign website.

“His most recent flip-flop is yet another indication that Mike McWherter is not the best candidate to lead the state of Tennessee,” continued Gleaves. “Instead of making politically convenient statements meant to pander to voters, McWherter should tell the truth about where he stands.”