The following questionnaire has been submitted to each candidate running in the Republican primary seeking the nomination for Republican candidate for Tennessee's 5th Congressional District. This seat is now held by Democratic Congressman Jim Cooper. Whoever wins the primary on August 5 will most likely face Cooper in November.
Tell me about yourself. Where are you from, what to you do for a living, what is your educational background, your political experience?
I have been supporting my family as a small business owner since 1989. I am a licensed general contractor and electrician for the State of Tennessee. I own, manage and operate www.DavidHallHomes.com, in Nashville.
In 1985 I married my best friend, Michelle. She and our five children are my most dedicated, enthusiastic and supportive volunteers. We live in Goodlettsville, Tennessee on a small 5 acre farm with pet dogs, horses, chickens, ducks and a miniature donkey we call “Jim". We attend Hillview Baptist Church. I am an NRA member and I have a Right to Carry Permit.
In the early 1990's I began work with FEMA.Through my work, I've spent years traveling to Africa, Egypt, Honduras, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Scotland and many places in between. As great as many of these places are, they always remind me how great the United States is.
Why are you running for this office:
Michelle and I, our sons and daughters are very proud of America and Tennessee. We are thankful to live here. We believe in the same ideals that our government was founded on. When we committed to run in '08, we committed to more than that race. We will continue working as a team until the government is headed in a different direction. I ran against Haynes in '08 because his liberal record was so alarming and no one cared enough to try and shut him down. Dave is running in State House District 50 for the same reason.
If conservatism, liberty and constitutionalism offer the best road, we don’t understand why people abandon the road when limbs are down and it seems impassable. We should just clear the blockage and keep on moving. Michelle is running because for 36 years we haven’t had Davidson County Primaries. We always have a laundry list of races that allow Democrats to run unopposed. This year there is even a struggle to fill the need to have Republicans working the polls. We don’t have our Davidson County voting precincts organized with active, involved leaders willing to work their small area for candidates. Michelle's vision is to organize precincts, call primaries and recruit candidates. Davidson County will remain in the Democrats hands, at least until we run and support candidates against them.
As for the race against Cooper, the Halls discerned in ‘o8 that Cooper would be “salt in our wounds,” if America ended up with an Obama Administration. Turns out we were more painfully right than we ever dreamed. Even while running against Haynes, our campaign coordinated what resources we could spare with Gerard Donovan. Also, our oldest son, Dave, donated $1,000.00 to Donovan’s post primary campaign. All along our plan was to help Gerard's race in '10, but then he needed to pull out. We did what we could in '08, and we are still doing what we can, not because it is easy, not because it is likely, because it is necessary.
Our family isn't all that eager to spend limited donor dollars battling against other like minded Conservatives. We would much rather see those resources conserved for use in the general, where the democrat incumbents are so well funded. I know that the obvious question then is, "If that is true, why are you among the baker’s dozen of Republican Primary Candidates for Cooper's seat?" Well, just as in the 08 race against Haynes where the incumbent was so deeply entrenched and so well funded, Cooper’s general 2010 election challenger is going to face the same challenges that we faced in ’08, only on an even greater monumental scale.
The primary winner has to be someone who can have a wild card chance at beating Cooper. My race isn’t about defeating any one of those good men (or one good lady), it is about a last ditch effort to give Cooper’s seat to someone with the strength to vote on legislation using the sound voice of conservative wisdom. I feel that I am the only candidate, who is both wise enough to be that voice and, from a campaign strategy perspective, experienced enough to have even a snowball’s chance in the general race against Cooper.
We haven’t deceived ourselves. The reality for these primary candidates is that they are competing amongst themselves for the chance to stand alone after August 5th. While there may be more support from the party and from donors than Donovans’ bid for the same seat in ’08, it won’t be near enough for a candidate who lacks knowledge and experience in getting Moderates/Dems to vote Republican in Davidson Co. We are already aware of how hopeless the State Party thinks this race is. But they thought that about Joe’s seat too, and look how they almost had his seat handed to them. What worked for my Senate race in ’08 can work again in 2010. We would have had Joe’s seat in ’08 had it not been for the Obama Surge voters.
Voting patterns over the previous four elections told us that 60,000 votes were the most ever cast in that race – that includes the years the incumbent was challenged and unchallenged. We identified 31,000 voters and we worked our tails off, being outspent 7 to1, going after them. We ended up with 31,800 votes. In a normal year, that would have placed the Republican Candidate over the top. If you will remember, my race in '08 pulled more votes for the Republicans than any other election for that seat in history. The one piece of good news in this year’s election is that those surge voters will most likely not return to the polls.
What do you see as the primary issue is this race?
The state of our economy is on the minds of most Tennesseans, and rightly so. Headlines and household budgets remind us daily of the housing crunch, high energy prices, manic swings in the markets and the threat of inflation looms in the minds of most responsible consumers. America's working families are responding to these difficult times with frugal responsibility and our government should acknowledge their efforts. Our citizens are tightening their belts and streamlining their household budgets. Many middle-class families have shared with me how they no longer have land lines in their homes. To save money they have cut the expense of these non-essentials and informed family and friends that their cell numbers have replaced their home numbers. Why shouldn't taxpayers expect similar restraint from their Congress with our Nation’s budget?
If you are successful in wining the Republican nomination and you are successful in defeating Jim Cooper, when serving in the US Congress what issue will be your primary focus? What will be your priorities?
A Pandora's box, created by the fall out affects of the new health care bill, the weak economy and this accelerated government spending, awaits the next Congressman from Tennessee's 5th district. I will remain focused on legislation that gets our economy growing while protecting our children and grandchildren's futures from massive hyper government debt. Congress must consider proven measures that encourage job creation in the private sector, increase private investment and encourage consumer spending. These proven measures are not new ideas, they include immediate tax relieve, decreasing the capital gains tax, working families' income tax and small business tax.
2010 has brought health care to the forefront of our national attention. Too many are asking what is wrong with America’s health care. There is plenty wrong. However, first we should acknowledge what is right about America’s health care. We have the best health care delivery system in the world and our politicians should not be ashamed to admit that. The national health industries of pharmaceutical companies, professional providers, research and development programs, equipment producers and operators, work inside a system that is responsible for improving and extending lives far beyond what was possible just a generation ago. That is amazing and that is America!
Obviously, the escalating cost for health services and treatments is unacceptable. Creating the Government–run health care system, forcing 1/6th of our nation’s economy into the hands of bureaucrats and denying doctors and their patients the control of health care decisions is a foolish non-solution and threatens what is exceptional about our health care. The best solution is an American solution. Historically, it is competition that is known to bring down cost and improve service. Wise Benjamin Franklin knew that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So, let’s combine competition with an investment in wellness and prevention.
There are five, largely preventable, chronic diseases that cause two-thirds of American deaths and account for 75% of our nation’s annual health bill. Most grade school students can recognize the math in this equation requires eliminating the unnecessary expense of treating something that was less expensive to prevent. TORT reform is another common sense remedy necessary for an ailing health care industry.
When I make my decision who I will vote for for this office, not only do I want to vote for someone who has solid conservative values and who I think would make a good Congressman, but I want to vote for someone who I think can beat Jim Cooper. Best person and electability may not necessarily be the same thing. I have heard that it will take anywhere from $500,000 to $2 million dollars to mount a successful campaign. Do you have the support, the time and resources to conduct a wining campaign?
See # 2 above.
If one wants to know more about your campaign or contact you how to they do that?
www.DavidHallforCongress.com,
David@DavidHallforCongress.com
615.268.7555
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