VOLuntarilyConservative

I have to admit that I was a little down yesterday. The reason? I had watched "Hannity & Colmes" at 2 A.M., and the first guest was Pat Buchanan. Buchanan is much like Dick Morris to me - sometimes wacky, but at other times capable of great observations that bear considerable thought. Buchanan, on this night, was both at times, but more the latter than the former. (I apologize for not providing a transcript, but FoxNews.com doesn't have one up.)

Buchanan is predicting a fracture of the GOP between the elections in 2006 and 2008 because he doesn't believe that the factions in the "big tent" won't be able to overlook their differences. The reason why this rang true with me was because of what we are already experiencing in Tennessee, a place many feel is a red-state even if the GOP is the minority party (which, as Lamar Alexander pointed out in his Lincoln Day addresses, is more than likely still the case). With two pivotal races in 2006 for the GOP, there is the possibility that the GOP could lose them both in a state where we shouldn't lose races because of a "perfect storm" of events that could see Bredesen awarded with an undeserved second term in the Governor's Mansion and Harold Ford, Jr., as U.S. Senator. Something has to be done to prevent this.

Yesterday evening, totally by serendipity, I met up with a person at the Tennessee Smokies game against the Chattanooga Lookouts. This person (who shall remain anonymous only because I did not ask him/her if this was a private conversation and I would not want to betray that trust if it was) was close to Van Hilleary in the past and, although not with Van's campaign this time around, will be supporting Van in 2006. We talked at length about the current situation in Tennessee, how we were both torn by how this was playing out, and how we could have fixed the situation. Thus, the Smokies Summit occurred - and a solution was worked out.

This is what has to happen. Van Hilleary and Ed Bryant must forge an alliance, running as a team but in different races. This was the idea behind the Victory 2002 campaign that so many of us took part in throughout Tennessee but just didn't seem to work because the wrong people were in charge of areas too large to canvass. However, because Ed and Van are so ideologically similar and many of us have worked for both over the course of several campaigns, we could make this work. So what's the sticking point? Well, Van needs to claim his rightful place in the Governor's Mansion. Now, we didn't see this as a sticking point because we both know that Van wants to be governor about as bad as Ed wants to be senator. However, this decision is up to Van alone to make. If he were to challenge the vulnerable Bredesen and be elected into his dream job, it could be the dawn of a new age of conservatism in Tennessee unlike any we have ever seen.

Can you imagine the strength this primary campaign would have? Van could be in Fayette County one day, hammering Bredesen and Corker on their support of the income tax. Meanwhile, on the same day, Ed is across the state in Washington County, slamming Bredesen and Corker's tax increases. It's a vision that could get even the most docile conservative ready to campaign with everything he has, and it has to be a scenario that frightens Corker, Bredesen, Ford, and their supporters.

Many people have written regarding whom the GOP might nominate for governor (today, Bill Hobbs pushes Scooter Clippard and Beth Harwell, while John Brown gets behind Corker or Jim Henry). With all due apologies, Clippard and Harwell have to be longshots because they are coming from <1% name recognition, and Corker and Henry can't be too appetising to conservatives (almost to the point where you have to wonder if conservatives will come out in the general election). (I should also note that the other participant in the Smokies Summit thought Scooter's chances to be a bit better than I do.)

An alliance between Van and Ed is the best way to secure a conservative outcome next November. Van, the ball's in your court.