Page 51 - Cityview Magazine - July/August 2017
P. 51

doors of 1.6 million voters or more? How?
The difference is Burchett’s differ- ences. A neighborhood walk or two in each county, a speaking engagement that introduces him to voters, and TV commercials emphasizing his no-tax, make-sure-services-work message, would all show off his style of dealing with people. Before too long the “talk” gets right: “You know, this Burchett guy is good.” And momentum begins.
For that to happen Burchett needs two things: to organize and staff a statewide campaign and to find big-dollar backers who can raise a lot of money and who will bet on a dark horse in a crowded field. Money is the key. Bredesen spent nearly $12 million to win his first race for governor, Haslam almost $17 million in his initial campaign.
Burchett’s other option is to wait to see if 2nd District U.S. Rep. John Duncan, Jr. retires, or to run against Duncan in the 2018 primary. Burchett is certainly well known, but Duncan has for nearly 30 years worked the district indefatiga- bly. He’s the congressional equivalent of Cheers: everybody knows his name, and he knows theirs. As a senior member of Congress he’s worked his way to a posi- tion of influence for his district. Burchett himself, in a nice way, has said you’d have to “dynamite” Duncan out of his seat.
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Would Burchett leave the mayor’s office and wait for Duncan to retire? Possibly, if he were assured Duncan wanted to serve only one more
term. That would save Republicans, particularly Knox County Republicans, from a choice few wish to make. Or waiting might not be an option.
The betting here is that unless well- heeled financial backers demonstrate
to Burchett that they’ll provide the money he needs to make himself known to Tennessee voters and give him a legitimate chance to win, he’ll run for Congress even if his heart yearns for the state capital.
The only question is when.
George Korda is a longtime news media political analyst and the president of Korda Communications, a public relations and communications consulting  rm based in Knoxville.
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