Dear Rod,
I enjoy reading your blog regularly, and wanted to inform the public of what happened in the Coalition for a Constitutional Senate meeting last night. I apologize I have to keep my identity concealed, but as a faithful member of one of the tea parties and and as one who considers Joe a friend, I hope to do no harm to the movement, but am very worried this process is destroying both the movement and our ability to defeat Sen. Alexander.
At the beginning of the day, only 27 of the 63 groups in the coalition even showed up. Three groups left before the final voting commenced. Joe only received 59% of the vote on first ballot. Four other groups abstained (including Campaign for Liberty). And, of the 20 remaining groups sympathetic to Joe (out of 60+!) who participated in the final ballot, he could not even get a unanimous vote. Some groups are going home to our members to discuss formally withdrawing from the coalition.
The reason that the majority of the tea party groups did not show up, that seven left/abstained, and that several others are going back home to discuss withdrawing is because Beat Lamar is an absolute joke and has split the conservative movement much more than united and its leaders have tried to force Joe on everyone, including most who believe Joe is not our candidate. The fact of the matter is, the vast majority of us realize Joe cannot win. His latest embarrassment with the plagiarism can be forgiven by many, but to most of us, it shows he does not have what it takes to defeat the powerful lion of the Tennessee Republican machine. The bigger issue is Joe has not and will not win the support of national conservative groups (like Senate Conservatives Fund and Madison Project, who've said in recent newspaper reports that they will not support him), without whose money, network, and aid, we simply cannot win.
The fact of the matter is we are still looking for our candidate, with or without Beat Lamar. We believe we can still defeat Lamar, united, but that requires the right candidate and a fair process. It's not over, and Beat Lamar does not speak for us. We will start anew, and we will find our guy (or gal).
Thanks for your consideration,
A patriot in Tennessee
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"its leaders have tried to force Joe on everyone, including most who believe Joe is not our candidate."
ReplyDeleteInteresting comment. I notice the press has tried really hard also to make Joe the "tea party" candidate, which party does not exist, when he is clearly running as a Republican in the Republican primary. The Republican party is still backing their incumbent and therefore the status quo - and apparently controlling the "opposition" as well. I don't think this game is going to work too many more rounds.
ROD - Comments from The Heritage Foundation Chairman, Jim DeMint [regarding Mr. Carr's jumping into his 3rd different campaign in 2013 ] may be worth reprinting at this point. The former ultra-conservative Senator DeMint is known to be no fan of Senator Alexander, but its clear he on the same wave length as your anonymous writer.
ReplyDeleteAs a candidate that did participate in the vetting process I have a bit of insight into this matter.
ReplyDeleteI was at the convention and believe that it went rather well. My team and I knew full well that Carr had the inside track to win. We went through the process, did so gladly, and enjoyed it. The larger groups were certainly in the tank for Joe and are hellbent on covering up his misfortunes, missteps, and wiping the cookie crumbs from his shirt since he has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Suddenly things like plagiarism, Per Diem, and campaigning on the tax payer's dime aren't character issues with these "conservatives". The process was to vet the 4 candidates but what I discovered was that many of the people had never heard of me and maybe one or two of the other gentlemen. I attended the Beat Lamar town hall in Chattanooga a couple of weeks back, passed out business cards, and shook hands at the exit door at the end of the event and most were stunned to discover that Carr was not the only guy running. Something tells me that Chattanooga Tea didn't vet me or the other 2 candidates. hmmmmm
I know that none of the large groups called or emailed me to request me to speak, ask me any questions, do background checks on me, etc. It was clear that Carr is there man and that is fine. If you live by the sword then you die by the sword and if the Tea Party leadership in TN wants to hitch their wagon to Joe Carr then they will see their reputation destroyed along with his campaign. He will stumble because it's just in his nature. He cannot keep his story straight. Of the groups that did reach out to me I can say that I was treated wonderful, answered all of their questions truthfully and didn't need to Google the answers, and many of the fine folks said that I have their support. These groups are wild cards just like all voters really.
Beat Lamar is a scam and a shame. I am beginning to believe that it is a front for Lamar to get a soft candidate on the ballot and they are doing a fine job at it presently. I hear that the FEC is going to be looking into the possibility that Beat Lamar, a so called Super PAC, is colluding and coordinating with the Carr for Senate campaign. How do you go around the state, setting up events to "pick or find" a candidate, but only invite one guy that you have previously and personally endorsed and not call that coordination? An experienced campaigner, which Carr says he is, would have steered clear of this. Carr was indeed informed that the Senate Conservatives Fund and the club for Growth would not be supporting him yet he is telling people that they will. Sounds like a politician to me.
Tennesseans have a real choice this cycle if they will just look up and pay attention. Of course the GOP will back Lamar and even the DNC will to some extent by not trying to unseat him. Heck, he votes with the DNC 62% of the time so why waste the money if you are the DNC. Anyhow the GOP machine and those that want to crown a king in TN offer nothing but discouragement to those like me that are not sworn to the allegiance of the party. They all disgust me.
I offer a solution to the problem instead of adding to the problem. Electing another party line vote GOP fundraiser to the Senate will result in a push 6-12 years from now to unseat him or her. I will serve, and I mean serve, for one 6 year term and then come home to my wife and 6 children where I belong to work my career here in TN. I am n average American, an everyday Tennessean and hva no agendas EXCEPT to liberate DC from the thieves and robbers that will destroy every ounce of liberty that we have remaining.
Danny Page for US Senate
tnborderpatrol.com
@TNBorderPatrol
Facebook/DannyPageforSenate
Thanks, Rod, for posting this. This provides some real insight into the disarray called "Beat Lamar" and the possible ties with Joe Carr who is emerging to be quite a flake, with some possibly integrity issues. I had been prepared to vote for Carr as a protest vote against Lamar in the primary although I care nothing for his nullificationist stands (which I believe will push away others who were looking for a real conservative to run against Alexander) nor what appears to be a "If you're not with me on everything I don't want you" stance of Carr and many of his supporters. Not a great way to attract votes even among potential allies. I appreciate what Danny Page had to say but I didn't hear any acceptance of responsibility for himself that more people haven't heard of him. It's not Beat Lamar's fault that I had not heard of him. Nevertheless he makes some good points. I'll say this about self-term limiting: if I find a strong conservative, a Jim Demint, I want him to keep his seat for as long as he will. While I respect that position because it speaks to integrity it is no less honest for good conservatives to stay in office to fight entrenched Democrats.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting the original note from the Tennessee patriot, Rod.
Gene, you will hear of me soon enough. It's still early and I have gone through the process and now am implementing our strategy to emerge as the conservative in this race. I think it will be quite healthy and advantageous in the long run to see who the players are that have tried to crown Carr and basically give us a Lamar-lite candidate. Everywhere I go, everyone I speak to falls in love with the message that I have for Tennessee. I am just the messenger but I have a message that will resonate so reach out to me at dannypage@tnborderpatrol.com and we can speak. I've already converted a handful of democrats, blue dogs mind you, because they took the time to hear what I have to say and they see my heart. Much to Carr's dismay my campaign is not going away.
ReplyDeleteDanny Page for US Senate
tnborderpatrol.com
@TNBorderPatrol
Facebook/DannyPageforSenate