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Call him Hal Foster.
That’s not his name but that’s not important. The significance is he was the first political candidate
whose campaign I became involved in.
That was 50 years ago and is still indelible on my mind. It taught me something about politics I never forgot, even
though I’ve made the same mistake again and again. Hal was a dentist in a Virginia county, had a
few dollars in the bank, was related to prominent people and had been
active in the Democratic Party. That
was the only party in Virginia and much of the South then.
You could count the Republicans not in a closet on the fingers of
one hand. A lot of money was raised for Hal and
advertisements were placed on radio and in the newspaper.
A full page ad in the local daily newspaper carried the
signatures of prominent and well known people supporting him.
I was editor of the weekly newspaper and had fallen naturally
into political involvement. All
my friends were for Hal and I worked for his election to the Virginia
House of Delegates, which translates to the House of Representatives in
most other states. He looked like a shoo-in. But there was a facet to politics I didn’t realize existed.
Hal was a sacrificial lamb.
He was run by a group that wanted to use him against an opposing
faction who had a major candidate in another campaign.
At the last minute, there was a trade off.
The support was pulled from Hal in exchange for support in
another, more important contest. It was back room politics at its best. Sometimes there are strings pulled so quietly no
one ever really knows who the puppet master is.
Sometimes it’s a powerful figure in prominence or money or
both, with the name is used to frighten off opposition.
Unfortunately, it has become a money game more and more with each
election. Fifty years ago any campaign laws that existed
were quickly forgotten. A
party chairman preparing to make his rounds on election day had a fat
roll of $5 bills to hand out to buy votes.
I remember a state legislator in South Carolina going down the
line of workers in a cotton mill handing out $5 bills.
Another candidate carried a trunk full of pints of whisky for
distribution. Politics has its humorous side, too.
We called him Slick Sam in Virginia years ago.
And he never lost an election.
He was taught a definition himself though by a Hollywood starlet.
They were campaigning against an excise tax for the state.
Slick Sam was in the legislature and a pretty young blonde asked
him if he were an honest politician. “What’s an honest politician?” Slick Sam
asked. “If you’re bought, will you stay bought?”
she replied. Mud slinging isn’t new to politics in America.
Aaron Burr fought a duel and killed Alexander Hamilton over
attacks Hamilton had made against Burr.
Andrew Jackson fought a duel over remarks against his Rachel. The difference from then and now is the instant
broadcast over the media of a lie or half truth.
A rumor that took weeks or months to spread 200 years ago is
around the world in seconds now. In the presidential campaign of 2000, John
McCain was clearly the best candidate either party could hope for.
George W. Bush beat him in the Republican primary with
money—and stretching the imagination to suggest he was not a honorable
military man in the Vietnam War. Bill
Bradley was clearly more able for the job than Al Gore, but Gore was the
Democratic nominee. In the general election, more people disliked
Gore than Bush. Tennessee’s last gubernatorial election proved
the best man doesn’t always win. Jim
Henry had been the Republican minority leader in the state legislature,
become a well respected figure in state politics.
He eased out of the spotlight to earn a living and became a
successful business man. When
Van Hilleary when he left became the frontrunner for the GOP candidate,
Jim was approached by those who wanted a more stable voice to represent
the party. But he was late on the floor. Van had garnered support and money.
One of Van’s tactics was a masterpiece.
He told people he wanted to see Fred Thompson run for governor.
But—he told people—if Fred chose not to run, he would
appreciate their support. Fred
didn’t run and Van was in the top spot. Despite his late start, Jim was making inroads.
He made a politically fatal mistake.
He was a gentleman. When
Ned McWherter was governor, Jim had signed a paper in support of
education, which had nothing to do with income taxes.
His campaign staff had heard the rumor Van was going to spring
that paper at the last minute to use as “proof” Jim favored income
tax. Nothing was farther
from the truth but that didn’t matter.
Jim could have defused it by bringing the false accusation up
first, but Jim didn’t believe Van would pull such a trick. Van did, mailing a copy of the paper with false
claims on income tax support. It
went out to Republicans across the state.
That did the job on Jim in the primary, and the tactic sunk Van
in the contest against Phil Bredesen.
Many Republicans and Independents were angry with Van and
supported Phil, assuring his election. Contests for Hamilton County Executive—now
county mayor—are relatively quiet recently, except for an occasional
invasion by Combat Walt Ward. It
wasn’t always so. Dalton
Roberts, who was the first county executive, had his share of
contestants. The first race was in 1978 when he trounced Bob Swansborough. The most memorable of these races was against
the colorful Naman Crowe in 1978. Political
observers still recall the heated debate they had when it could have
continued in the parking lot. Now
it is a source of humorous recollection for Dalton and Naman. Gene Roberts was challenged in his last run for
Chattanooga Mayor in 1992 by Ron Littlefield.
What could have been a close race became a cakewalk for Gene when
Ron did everything wrong. He
started off by attacking what he called “the good ole boys.”
They were the Democrats who could have helped him.
Dalton Roberts. Bill Nobles. Don
Loftis. They helped Gene. Jon Kinsey went into his mayor’s campaign with
a frightening war chest of nearly $300,000.
Despite this, Howard Roddy came close to winning. Irvin Overton had the support of the average
voter in 20092, but couldn’t match the bank roll of Bob Corker with a
reported $700,000 spent on the last mayor’s election. Next year’s election is going to be
interesting with the three apparent front runners representing varied
backgrounds. Ron Littlefield is trying again, and trying not
to step on the same land mines he set off last time.
He has the name recognition.
He also has the friends and enemies he has made in his years of
public service. A long
record leaves good and bad marks. Ann Coulter has never run for office before, but
reportedly has the backing of big bucks and influential people.
She will fight the idea of a woman being mayor and her religious
or lack of background. Beliefs
that might not matter in other areas do it a bible belt. The two of them share one thing in common.
They are planners. The third man, Dan Johnson, is a doer.
He has made things happen—in business, community project and
politics. Although he has
never been a major candidate himself, he had been involved in many
campaigns and has the political friends. So, Ron has name recognition going in.
Ann will have to buy name recognition but seems to have the
money. Dan is looking for
name recognition and has the friends, an asset money can’t buy. It’s going to be an interesting race.
Before we make a prediction, though, maybe we ought to see who
the boys in the back room will have.
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