By Daniel Potter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkno/local-wkno-913071.mp3
Nashville, TN – The Republican candidates for governor all seem to be campaigning not just against each other, but against Washington.
Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam's add says, "Tennessee's facing a budget crisis of almost a billion and a half dollars. And Washington's making it worse." U.S. Representative Zach Wamp's ad says, "The federal government is not the solution; it's the problem." And state Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey's ad says, "And if Washington doesn't like it, we'll give them the boot."
In many ways, the current call for state sovereignty is a new twist on an argument as old as the constitution - that is, the push and pull between federal and state power.
John Geer, political scientist at Vanderbilt, says it's easy to see why Republicans in a state primary would jump on the rising frustration with Washington and try to ride it to the ballot box. "There's a lot of anger with the Democrats, with the spending that's gone on, reflected in the Tea Party movement... because it plays to this theme that the federal government's taking too much power, spending too much money, and it's a concern. And so it's a way of tapping into that unhappiness."
Ramsey says as governor he would turn down half a billion federal dollars in Race to the Top funds if it comes with strings attached. His rival Zach Wamp is banking on a more aggressive stance. This spring Wamp tore into the federal healthcare overhaul. "And I'll tell you in Tennessee if I'm to become the 49th governor of our great state, we will meet the federal legislature and the federal government at the state line to oppose this mandate..."
Wamp has told voters Tennessee needs a fighter for the coming quote "federal government/state conflict." But not everyone in the primary casts the matter in such stark terms. When asked, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam is less fiery. He says it's really about clearing up what role states are meant to play. "When you start talking about state sovereignty people think, Whoa, you're talking about secession and, you know, where are you going with that?' But I don't think it's that, I think it is saying to Washington, Hold on, you continue to encroach on things that have historically been the state's responsibility.'"
Still, more than a third of Tennessee's annual budget comes from federal coffers. Professor Geer says that means any governor will be beholden to Washington, regardless of the candidates' independent posturing.
Early voting for the August primary and local elections begins Friday.
WKNO has partnered with WPLN in Nashville and WUOT in Knoxville to cover the gubernatorial race. Click here to hear what they have to say about jobs, taxes and healthcare.
<