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Democratic candidates rally at Rocky Mount

Published July 11th, 2009 | 0 Comments

ROCKY MOUNT — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Kim McMillan recalled for those in attendance the story of teaching her son to drive, likening the process to what she feels is the difference between Democrats and Republicans.

To go forward, the car must be put into the D position, with the “D” standing for Democrat, she said her son told her. She added that he said if you want the car to move backward, it must be put into the R position, with the “R” standing for Republican.

“So even Ryan McMillan, when he was learning to drive, knew the difference between Democrats and Republicans,” she said, “knew that Democratic values move this state forward. Republicans take us back.”

McMillan was one of the four Democratic candidates in next year’s race for governor in attendance at the Muster on the Mount Democratic Rally held Saturday at the Rocky Mount Historic Site. The event was presented by the Democrats of the East, which is made up of the Democratic Parties of Washington, Sullivan, Carter, Unicoi, Johnson, Hawkins and Greene counties.

“We’re real lucky because we were able to get all four of the currently announced gubernatorial candidates here,” said Janet Meek, volunteer with the Democratic Resource Center.

Each of these candidates spoke to the crowd who had gathered on the grounds of the Rocky Mount Museum. Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester said the event was held not only to hear from the candidates, but to develop camaraderie between Democrats present and get them thinking about next year’s election. He said that Nov. 4 was a bittersweet day for Tennessee’s Democrats. While Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was elected, Democrats saw the loss of the state House for the first time since reconstruction, he said.

“What we’re doing is engaging the troops for the 2010 election cycle,” Forrester said. “It’s critical that we take back the House, re-elect Eddie Yokley, ensure that we send Nathan Vaughn back, and protect John Litz’s seat. So this is the organizing event where we bring everybody together, get them excited and committed to the 2010 election.”

Candidate Ward Cammack said next year’s state election will be the most important election in Tennessee’s history, and said the issues of jobs, education and health care must be addressed. He believes the state should take an environmentally conscious approach to these issues.

“The reason that I’m running for governor is in order to create the jobs and deal with the health care and get our schools going in the right direction is to establish Tennessee as a primary green, renewable energy leader,” he said.

Cammack also voiced concerns that Tennessee farms could be lost to outside ownership if action is not taken. He said Tennesseans deserve the right to go back for further education if they feel it is needed and an emphasis must be on education for all.

“We also need to lead with our math and science programs so that all Tennesseans learn practical math and science that leads to the new jobs of the future,” he said.

Rocky Mount holds a special place in the heart of candidate Mike McWherter, he said, as it was the same place his father Ned McWherter had announced his candidacy for governor years before. He added that he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps by putting the interests of Tennesseans foremost.

“You need a governor who will put the creation and saving of jobs front and center on their agenda and that is why I’m running for governor,” he said.

McWherter said he is concerned with the disappearance of manufacturing jobs and rising unemployment across the state and that the next governor must have the background and skills to build the state’s economy, attract new jobs and retain existing ones.

He said this can be accomplished through added accountability, putting people ahead of politics, developing a first class education system in the state, balancing the state budget without the implementation of an income tax, and doing more with less.

McMillan said the next governor must be willing to put in a lot of work, listen and lead. She feels she is up to the task. She said leadership cannot come without listening. She also said she is concerned with the issues of job creation and retention, health care and education.

“I don’t know about all of you, but I got pretty darn tired of being 50th in a lot of these categories,” she said, “including education, and I think it’s about time we move on up. And that’s what it’s going to take in this state to make sure we have these kinds of jobs that are important to all of us.”

“I’m not just a little bit Democrat and I’m not just a new Democrat,” candidate Roy Herron said. “I’m all way through Democrat.”

Herron said that his father nearly lost the family farm in the Great Depression but did not. He said his father returned from World War II 90 percent disabled but recovered from injuries suffered in battle. He also said his two of his sons’ lives were saved by trained doctors. He credits all of these with Democratic policies.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Democrats saved my family’s farm during the Depression, saved my daddy’s life after World War II, saved my babies 18 years ago,” he said. “Democrats and commonsense policies made the difference.”

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