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Having received a letter from the Tennessee Democratic Party’s Chairperson asking for a contribution to a Tennessee Democratic Party Victory Fund and a sticker that says “Proud Democrat,” which I’m supposed to display prominently, I find myself yet again wondering why Democrats just don’t seem to win in Tennessee, and how it can be changed.

Here’s my response to the letter, sent via email (I’ve tried to abbreviate it a little, so you’re welcome):

Oct 20, 2009

Dear Chip Forrester, Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman,

Today, I received your letter asking Tennessee Democrats to contribute to a Tennessee Democratic Party Victory Fund and to display a sticker that says “Proud Democrat” prominently for all to see.

Living in Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional district since the summer of 2005, I have not found much reason to be proud of the Tennessee Democratic Party, partly because I have not seen the Tennessee Democratic Party support a serious Democratic candidate who can challenge John Duncan, Jr.

I have only had two opportunities to vote for a Democrat of whom I could be proud since 2005. Both lost. But why did they lose?

The position of Tennessee Democrats in the current debate over health care reform gives some insight into the problem. This debate should be clearly dividing Democrats from Republicans, showing voters how different Democrats are from Republicans. No one should underestimate the impact that this issue is sure to have in the 2010 election cycle, and we should not ignore what our success or failure to achieve real health care reform will mean for the chances for the Tennessee Democratic Party’s candidates to succeed in future elections.

I wrote to Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker and to Rep. John Duncan, Jr. to express my views, core Democratic Party views, only to receive responses that indicated that they do not represent my values and interests, as expected.

So I asked myself if there is a single elected Democrat from Tennessee in the House of Representatives who supports real health care reform, which must include a public health insurance option.

Among the Democratic members of the House, Jim Cooper (TN-5) has caught my attention. He supports H.R. 1321 (the so-called Healthy Americans Act). But how could that be? This bill, H.R. 1321, is nothing more than a giveaway to private insurance companies, as it only empowers Americans to choose which one of the private insurers will get the money that they, the American people, would now be required by law to give them, both directly and indirectly in the form of government subsidies. This bill accomplishes nothing more than creating the appearance of achieving President Obama’s goals while going far out of its way to avoid the obvious fact that a public health insurance option would certainly achieve the President’s goals, and would do so much more effectively.

In the matter of health care, a free market system that has government requiring all citizens to become the customers exclusively of private insurers is a non-starter. Among so many other things, affordability is not at all sure to follow from provisions like those in H.R. 1321.

So why does Jim Cooper happily tell Tennesseans that he supports H.R. 1321, a bad bill that has no chance of becoming law and has no chance of solving serious problems in this country? Because it has bipartisan support, and Jim Cooper wants Tennesseans to know that he likes Republicans so much that he’s willing to think like one.

And there’s the problem for the Tennessee Democratic Party.

So long as the Tennessee Democratic Party supports candidates like Jim Cooper – a so-called Democrat who 1) has failed the test of representing the core principles of the Democratic Party by supporting a health care reform bill that does not offer real reform, and 2) has failed the test of being a representative of the people in his Tennessee district, most of whom want a public health insurance option – and does not even try to support real Democrats to challenge Republicans in other districts, like mine, the Democratic Party’s future in Tennessee is not going to be good at all.

Tennessee – especially East Tennessee – does appear to be a conservative stronghold. But is it? Rather than compromise core principles, why not work harder to win more than a handful of elections in only a few parts of the state? Why support Republican-lite candidates when you can instead support qualified candidates who actually represent core Democratic Party principles?

Hopefully, real change will come soon.

Until then, I respectfully decline to contribute to the Tennessee Democratic Party or to display anything that says “Proud Democrat.”

Thank you for your efforts.

Sincerely,
Brc