SouthNow Blog Handicaps The 2006 Tennessee Senate Race

A new blog called SouthNow has some very good analysis on the 2006 Tennessee Senate race:

"Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s decision to retire from the Senate has left a vacuum in Tennessee political leadership that both Republicans and Democrats have rushed to fill. On the Republican side, Ed Bryant, Van Hilleary and Bob Corker have all launched campaigns to replace him even though the state’s primary (on August 3rd) is more than nine months away.

Both Bryant and Hilleary are going for the conservative vote. Bryant, a former congressman who lost to Lamar Alexander in the 2002 primary contest for U.S. Senate, calls himself the “conservative statesman” on his web site, noting his long career in the U.S. House. Hilleary, also a former congressman who also lost a statewide election in 2002 (for governor), has emphasized his conservative credentials even more forcefully on his website. Hilleary is also trying out Howard Dean-like campaign strategies, with an emphasis both on technology, like podcasting and videocasting, and grassroots networks to raise money and build support.

The dueling candidates has created a sour atmosphere in the race so far, with each candidate hoping to force the other out so they don’t cancel each other out in the primary vote. While the campaigns have spent most of their time boasting about endorsements and fundraising, independent blogs supporting the two candidates have already dug up dirt on the candidates. Blogging for Bryant has tried to tie in Hilleary to the Abramoff-Indian casino scandal, and has gone after Hilleary on other issues as well. A pro-Hilleary blog, the Van Wagon, has criticized the “Van-bashers” and has served as a volunteer rapid-response unit for the Hilleary campaign.

Meanwhile, Chattanooga mayor Bob Corker has stayed on the sidelines of this party food fight, hoping that he will emerge as an alternative to the two perrenial candidates as the primary election draws closer. But, the blog Conservatives for Corker has kept up with the Hilleary and Bryant blogs in vitriol, and has used the “electability” argument to boost their candidate of choice.

On the Democratic side, things are much simpler. Congressman Harold Ford, Jr., is already running a general election campaign, and cites his lead in the polls against all three potential Republican candidates on his web site. His only challenger is state senator and former nurse Rosalind Kurita, who will run to Ford’s left during the primary but is very unlikely to get the nomination. While the blog supporting Kurita’s nomination criticizes Ford along with other Republicans, the unofficial Ford blog doesn’t even mention Kurita. Ford should be a solid challenger to whoever the Republican nominee will be.

On the sidelines, Tennessee blogs are already focusing on the nuances of the race. The newly-launched Dashboard news site collects much of the news about the campaigns. Others to watch include Bob Krumm, VOLuntarily Conservative, Moore Thoughts, Bill Hobbs and Sharon Cobb.

More: Read more on Congressman Ford's momentum and what experts are saying about his campaign!