A Tennessee Conservative on Two Centrist Candidates

We’ve been thinking a lot about the Senate race in Tennessee, but we can’t always make sense of the historical regionalism that shapes party loyalty in the Volunteer state. What we can see, however, is a Democrat racing to the center, and a Republican racing to beat him to the right.

Mark A. Rose, who blogs at Right Minded, is a staunch conservative whose choice to vote along party lines in November is “less of a vote for Bob Corker and more of a vote against Harold Ford, Jr.” In a brief email to Open Source, he explained that he is “less than pleased” with Corker.

He is not a conservative. I will vote for Corker because the alternative is Harold Ford, Jr. That’s all Corker is getting from me: no blogging on his behalf, no donations, no bumper stickers or yard signs. Just the bare minimum.

Mark A. Rose, in an email to Open Source

Voting records are on Mark’s mind and his blog. He is quick to point out that while conservative Tennesseans may not be united in their support of Corker, they can agree that Harold Ford, Jr. is, well, a liberal.

He’s a liberal who is trying to create the false perception that he’s a moderate. But his voting record shows that he is the most liberal member of the Tennessee delegation in Washington, D.C. If elected to the Senate, he will keep voting as a liberal, which is why it is important that Corker unmask his liberal voting record in the last few weeks of the campaign.

Mark A. Rose, in an email to Open Source

So what kind of a Senator would Corker be?

I believe that, if elected to the Senate, Bob Corker would be a Lamar Alexander-type and at least quietly support President Bush on the war, vote for tax cuts, and support the President’s judicial nominees. HFJ would give us none of those things.

Mark A. Rose, in an email to Open Source

Read more about the Tennessee race in the 2006 Election Wiki.