NASHVILLE, Tenn — The increasingly negative tone of the U.S. Senate race in Tennessee underscores the importance of the state as a battleground between Republicans and Democrats to control the Senate, according to John Geer, a Vanderbilt University expert on attack politics. The political scientist points to the recent attack ads by GOP Senate primary foes Lamar Alexander and Ed Bryant as a reflection of an increasingly bitter campaign, a trend that is not likely to end soon.
Geer, a noted authority on American government who is writing a book about attack advertising in political campaigns, is available for media interviews about the 2002 Tennessee political races. Some of his areas of research are campaigns, elections and public opinion. Previous books Geer authored include From Tea Leaves to Opinion Polls and Politicians and Party Politics.
Geer says such negative political attacks by Alexander and Bryant are not at all surprising, given the split between Republican moderates and conservatives in Tennessee in what could be a close primary. The winner is expected to face Democratic Senate candidate Bob Clement, who now represents the 5th Congressional District. The centrality of Tennessee in the GOP/Democratic battle for Congressional control means more attacks are likely in the coming months, Geer says.
Bryant, who represents Tennessee’s 7th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, is running a campaign ad that urges voters to “Be Solid, Not Plaid.” The commercial is a direct dig at Alexander, whose longtime campaign trademark has been a red plaid shirt. Meanwhile, Alexander’s ads accuse Bryant of charging the taxpayers $36,000 in car lease expenses.
EDITOR’S NOTE: If you would like to interview Geer, please call him at (615) 343-5746 or he can be reached by email at john.g.geer@vanderbilt.edu. Vanderbilt experts can be interviewed live for television from our campus broadcast facility.
Contact: Ann Marie Deer Owens, (615) 322-NEWS (6397)
annmarie.owens@vanderbilt.edu