State lawmaker indicates Tennessee GOP used racist campaign mailer to take House seat

[doeriver]

Lawmaker says GOP used race to take seat
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20081118/NEWS0206/811180366/1001/NLETTER01?source=nletter-news">link to Tennessean.com article
ASSOCIATED PRESS • NOVEMBER 18, 2008
 

State Rep. Nathan Vaughn says campaign literature mailed by Tennessee Republicans was meant to inflame racial hatred and contributed to his re-election defeat.

Vaughn, a Kingsport Democrat who became northeastern Tennessee's first black lawmaker when he was elected in 2002, lost to Republican Tony Shipley by 326 votes in the House's 2nd District race earlier this month.

Vaughn was the subject of heavy political attacks during the campaign, including a Tennessee Republican Party direct mail piece that pasted a picture of his head on a black bird.



The mailer described him as "part of the liberal, big government flock" with President-elect Barack Obama and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "I think they were just trying to spread hate to win an election," he said. "The intent of those mailers was to put me with Barack Obama and say, 'They're both black, and we need to be against both of them,'" he said, adding that Pelosi's picture was added "as cover."

(...)

Vaughn represented part of Sullivan County (included the city of Kingsport) along with Republican Rep. Jason Mumpower. With a majority shift of seats in the Tennnessee House of Representative going to Republicans during the 2008 elections, Mumpower will be the likely voted in as the Tennessee Speaker of the House during the upcoming legislative session.

[ladjf]

1. It probably had no significant impact on the outcome. Tennessee

is politically lost until the education level is raised to a more acceptable level.

[doeriver]

2. steal their thunder

...the TNDP needs to address the issue of abortion head-on...the Repubs are making up this "life begins at conception" nonsense (e.g.: even the Biblical account of the creation of human life began with God breathing life into Adam) with their attempt in the TNGA to codify this Tennessee Right To Li(f)e rant into the state constitution.