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Tuke vs. Padgett - decision time
Posted By katie allison granju
Randy Neal expands on his endorsements with the reasoning behind his decision to go with Bob Tuke rather than Mike Padgett:
Tuke v. Padgett is a tough one and I have been putting off voting trying to decide.
I really like how Mike Padgett has run his campaign, visiting all 95 counties in Tennessee and talking to regular folks at diners and pot lucks. That’s some hard campaigning. I also like that he is popular in the republican stronghold of Knox County and in fact never lost an election (and has actually run for office and been elected), and that might help him a little but Lamar walks on water over here, so I don’t know how much of a plus that is.
Tuke has some impressive endorsements (but so does Padgett, Tuke just has more and a couple of higher profile ones) and appears to be out-fundraising Padgett by a large margin. Tuke has experience working on state and national campaigns. Tuke is connected in the state party. So in these respects, I think Tuke might have a slightly better chance of being competitive v. Lamar.
I have policy differences with both of them, but Padgett’s frequent assertions that he’s a conservative bother me.
But what it finally came down to for me was their resumes. Tuke is a lawyer, and a pretty distinguished lawyer. Padgett’s experience is owning and running a small business and holding a county fee office for a couple of decades (in violation of voter approved term limits at the end, if I’m not mistaken).
A county fee office isn’t involved in making legislation. The Congress and Senate are about legislating and making laws. A lawyer is better qualified to do that, in my mind. If both were lawyers that would make it harder, the same as if they were both NOT lawyers.
To me, Tuke just seems more experienced in related matters and has better qualifications for the job, is better educated, and overall seems a little more polished. Either one would do a fine job, and either one will have a tough row to hoe v. Lamar.
What about you other Democrats out there? Will it be Tuke? Padgett? Kenneth Eaton? None of the above? Why?
Jul 21st, 2008
