Hopefuls look to Election '04 -with TN straw poll results

[Rose Siding]

Vermont Gov. Howard Dean may be the Democratic front-runner for the 2004 presidential election if a straw poll held in Montgomery and Robertson counties Saturday is any indication.

Democrats from across the state converged on the Charles Hand Farm located at the counties' border for their party's fifth annual Middle Tennessee Labor Day Celebration, and the upcoming election year remained the topic of interest among the approximately 2,000 people in attendance.

Representatives for Democratic candidates, such as Sen. John Edwards, Sen. Joe Lieberman, Rep. Richard Gephardt and Sen. John Kerry, came out with hopes of winning one of the Southeast's largest straw polls. Democrats hope the poll will reveal how Tennesseans will vote in the Feb. 10 Presidential Primary, which is good news for Dean supporters.

"I hope this shows that Howard Dean is a viable candidate here in the South," said Gary Cobb, a volunteer for the Dean campaign. "This was purely a grass roots effort, and it's a result of Howard Dean's appeal."

http://www.theleafchronicle.com/news/stories/20030907/localnews/212054.html

[searchingforlight]

1. This is great news. I think we need to be more optimistic about the south

[RevolutionStartsNow]

2. Waiting...

...for someone to tell us why this was meaningless, or the polls were stuffed by Deanies brought in from out of state...

waiting...

But seriously, does this mean anything? How was this conducted?

[KaraokeKarlton]

3. So Dean is leading in Tennessee too

He's a great candidate, but I bet his position on guns has a lot to do with him leading there. I notice Kerry wasn't even mentioned and didn't make the top three. If Kerry doesn't win in either Iowa or NH, he's toast. Looks like Dean is very, very strong everywhere.

[southern democrat]

4. I like Howard Dean

but I wouldn't put much credence in this.Tn elections are decided in east TN if a Democrat doesn't at least run competively he doesn't stand a chance in Tn.I wish it were different,but this is the reality.Howard Dean would get beat like a drum in Tn.and it would be for at least two reasons.1 his positions on gays 2 he's from the north.I believe he could pull off a primary win in Tn. because he's running only agianst Democrats,also republicans can cross over and vote in the Dem. primary.The general election is another story however,if it comes down to Bush vs.Dean Bush will beat Dean like a drum.

[asjr]

5. Dean

You are certainly right about E. Tenn. I am from there though I do not live there anymore. My elderly aunt was aghast when I told her I was voting for Gore in 2002. "But we have ALWAYS voted Republican," she said. And that is most of the problem. It is so ingrained in E. Tennesseans to vote Republican it is hard to get a voter to switch. Middle Tennesseans are more open. Any Democratic candidate will have to spend a great deal of time in E.Tenn. if he or she is to make headway in Tenn.

[southern democrat]

To only Democrats that could run copetively in TN

are Gephart,Edwards or Wesley Clark and I believe Clark would stand the best shot at beating Bush in TN.I am a Clark supporter so I'm probablly biased,altough my reasoning for this is.1 Clark is coming from the outside in, to politics,Tn has in independant streak,Clark can tap into.2 the military background will be a definite plus in TN.3 Clarks chrisma and being a newcomer could motivate the base in Middle and West Tn,especally minionirty voters to offset east Tn.heavy republican lean.For a Democrat to win a state or national office in Tn.the voters in Tn have to have someone vote for and not lose no sleep at night knowing they voted for them.With all due respect to Gov.Dean I admire him very very much and if he can pull off the nomination I will proudly endorse and vote for him,but in Tenneesee I will be in the miniorty of Tenneesee voters.And I wouldn't lose any sleep at night,I'd probabaly sleep better,but than agian I'm in the miniorty.

[KaraokeKarlton]

7. You're forgetting one thing

Gun rights. Rural voters (and southern rural voters too) care more about guns than they care about what gay people do. They also respect honesty and bluntness. Bush has messed things up so badly that even those voters you're talking about will think twice before voting for Bush. But if they don't trust the other candidate on guns, they would vote for Bush. I think Dean will be the most competitive in the south because of his state's rights position on gun control. The south is big on state's rights. I don't think it's "being from the north" that turns southern voters off. I think it's the "I know what's best for you" attitude that many politicians from the north exhibit. Dean listens, and won't just assume he can't compete in the south. I think the south will like most of his positions, and like him overall as a candidate if they get to see him. He won't neglect the south, and that neglect is the biggest problem Democrats have there. Being a doctor helps, too, although I'm so thankful he doesn't harp on that like other candidates harp on what they've done in the past. I am SO sick of hearing about Vietnam, the mill and what candidates' parents did. No one gives a flying f**k what they did decades and decades ago. They care about what they are going to do to fix the mess we're in.

[CMT]

6. Excellent

for those who didn't get into the link here are the top three vote getters in this Tennessee straw poll:

Dean 348 votes
Gephardt 233 votes
Edwards 125 votes.

I wish they had listed all the candidate totals. Still good for Dean and also Gephardt had a pretty good showing.