I applaud Chip's efforts to grow the party county by county, to increase our connectivity and visibility. I also applaud all the Tennessee Democrats who have stood up to say that the Democratic Party needs to get back to traditional Democratic values: fighting for the working man, minorities, and those Americans who have no one else to speak for them. Some of the Democratic candidates who have run for office in Tennessee seem so similar to the Republicans that I wonder why they even call themselves Democrats. But when this point was raised at the Mont Eagle Summit, those who asked about getting stronger Democratic candidates to run were essentially told to sit down and shut up by those challenging Chip's leadership now. They were told that Tennessee had to run the kind of Democratic candidates who could win in Tennessee, namely those who were willing to abandon Democratic ideals when they needed to. I completely disagree.
How can we hope to build a strong party if we don't stand by our principals and show supporters that they can trust us to be on their side? The Republicans will always be better at courting the wealthy, our strength and moral certitude comes from representing those who aren't wealthy, those who have no other source of power. We need to communicate clearly that we are on their side and that we will work tirelessly on their behalf to make their everyday lives better and then convince them to get out and vote. That's the Democratic Party I want to belong to.
Janet Moore
Vice Chair, Putnam County Democratic Party
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