Will Tennessee Conservatives Get Behind a Republican to Challenge Democrat Jim Coopers Seat in 2020?

During a specific discussion, Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.– Leahy was joined in studio by all-star panelist and former Nashville mayoral candidate, Carol Swain to talk about the Democrats local and national state of mind.

During the second hour, Swain and Leahy discussed whether or not there could be a Republican in Tennessee that could challenge for Jim Cooper’s seat and whether or not conservatives would get behind such a person. They noted that Cooper has always sided with Nancy Pelosi and that this aspect could open a window for a challenger that blurs party lines.

Leahy: How do you think Democrats who are in Congress, how do you think they respond to that very damaging testimony yesterday from the left-wing lunatic liberals there in the house judiciary committee?

Swain: Well, I’m sure that most of the Democrats and Republicans wished they weren’t there in the sense that the Democrats have to know that they have a weak case and hopefully that there will be hell to pay in the districts for some of them.

Leahy: Well for some of them. But doesn’t it come back to the issue of integrity honesty and the understanding of what our constitutional republic is about?

Swain: At the university law schools, they have been changing for a while what the constitution is about. And so this whole stuff about it being a living constitution and it was written by wealthy white men that were slave owners and all of these things that they say about the constitution erodes its legitimacy.

And so that’s why so many young people have no respect for the constitution and they have not read it. And what’s really scary is that those law professors at those Ivy League schools are teaching people that will become Supreme Court justices unless we the people somehow get to the point where we pressure our senators to confirm people who come from places other than the Ivy League.

Leahy: Yeah exactly. By the way that’s one of the reasons, we hold the Tennessee Star Constitution Bee every year. Our fourth annual one will be held in April this year at Metro Christian Academy this year. And we’ve got a book called The Tennessee Star Guide to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights for Secondary Students.

That event, by the way, is going to go national. We’ll announce the details. There’s going to be a national prize. Other states are going to do it but the national event will take place in June. The big question for you about these hearing Carol is this, what is the incumbent Democratic Congressman from Nashville Jim Cooper going to do?

Is he going to look at this evidence and say there’s not a case? Or is he just going to tow the party line and vote yes to impeach the president based on no evidence?

Swain: Well, I mean, we can look at what he has done in the past. And as the Democratic National Party has gone to the left and over the deep end, he’s gone right along with them. He’s not distinguished himself as one that’s stood up to the craziness and has not responded with courage, integrity, and common sense. So I would expect him to vote along with his party. Whatever Nancy Pelosi wants she will get from him.

Leahy: That’s what it looks like to me. He has voted against her as Speaker on occasion, but on the big vote on the first vote to authorize an impeachment inquiry that violated the president’s due process rights, he along with all but two Democratic members of the House voted to move forward this sham wow impeachment informercial forward.

Swain: How long has it been since he voted against her on something that was important?

Leahy: I don’t think he’s ever voted against her on something important.

Swain: That’s the only thing that matters.

Leahy: You said that, and I think you’re quite right that in these swing districts where Democrats represent districts that Donald Trump won in 2016. 31 members of Congress. Any of them who vote to impeach the president if that impeachment vote is held will face severe electoral consequences. My guess is that if you vote and you’re in those 31 districts and you vote to impeach you will probably lose in 2020. What do you think?

Swain: I would hope so. And what bothers me about the whole process that’s taking place in Washington is that the democrats have lost sight of the nation. Because this is not about the American people or what they want. It’s all about political power.

Leahy: You said something very important. The Democrats have lost sight of the nation. And I think you just hit the nail on the head with that Carol. My real concern here is in a district here like in Nashville. In Tennessee, we’ve got nine Congressional districts. Seven of them are Republican and they’re not in danger of moving. Memphis, Steve Cohen will get re-elected. He always does because he’s a Democrat.

Swain: I think with Cohen, it’s all about the money.

Leahy: Yes.

Swain: It’s all about the money. He has access to money. And when it comes to Jim Cooper, he could be defeated but Republicans have never put forth a serious effort. And people that have run against him in the past that well-known conservatives have come to them to say we like Jim Cooper and have urged them to get out of the race. And we saw what happened when I ran for mayor how many republicans openly supported Cooper.

Leahy: They didn’t step up at the level that was needed to get the kind of money necessary to win. The question would be here in Nashville, which is 65-35 Democrat versus Republican. You’ve got a very go along a party-line guy in Jim Cooper who’s likely to vote yes on impeachment despite no evidence. What would have to happen besides the money for a Republican to defeat him if he votes to impeach the president?

Swain: It would depend upon the candidate’s message and whether they were able to reach enough people. Because I think most people in Nashville are decent people regardless of political party. They are not as far left as the democrats nationally. And the disadvantage for any congressional candidate whether they’re running in Memphis or running in Nashville is that it costs a lot of money to get your message out.

And hard work too. You can’t just sit at home and run ads. You have to be out among the people. But I think people are hungry for leadership that cuts across race and political party. I think regular people love their nation. I don’t believe hate America the way so many people on the left seem to do so.

Leahy: That’s a very good point. And looking at this, I look at this on a national level. I think even like a Jim Cooper who votes to impeach the president I’m towing the party line despite the evidence. I think it would be good nationally for a very serious well-funded challenge to Jim Cooper to go forward even if somebody doesn’t win but they make it very close. That means Democrats would have to devote resources here that they couldn’t devote elsewhere. But you think it would be possible for a Republican to defeat him?

Swain: I don’t see Republicans getting behind someone they would rather throw up their hands.

Leahy: We’ll see how that turns out as we continue.

Listen to the full second hour here:

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Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 am to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.

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