The following Vanderbilt University professors are available for comment and analysis concerning the August 1 Tennessee primary:
Christian right loses some of its political muscle: Conservative Republican candidates who rely on grassroots support are being hurt by a lack of leadership within the Christian right, says Vanderbilt political scientist Geoff Layman. Layman says the Christian right’s ability on the national level to mobilize large groups of voters is on the decline, and that could hurt U.S. Senate candidate Ed Bryant. While Bryant’s primary opponent, Lamar Alexander, seems to enjoy more of the traditional support among the GOP faithful, Bryant must hope for a strong showing at the grassroots level. The bad news for Bryant, Layman says, is that the Christian Coalition does not seem very organized this year, and no other similar group has stepped up to fill that void.
Geoff Layman, a Vanderbilt University associate professor of political science, teaches and writes about the role of religious conflict in politics. He can be reached by phone at (615) 322-6240 or by email at geoff.layman@vanderbilt.edu.
Tennessee primaries no longer a yawn: After years of mostly non-competitive races acrossTennessee, there are several hotly contested Congressional battles in 2002, says Vanderbilt political scientist Bruce Oppenheimer. He warns that voters should prepare for an onslaught of political ads, direct mail and phone calls from the campaigns during the next two weeks, especially in the 4th, 5th and 7th Congressional districts. Oppenheimer points out that there are big stakes in the races for the Senate and Congressional seats in Tennessee. The winners will help determine which party controls Congress next term.
Bruce Oppenheimer, a Vanderbilt University professor of political science, focuses on Congress and legislative processes, political parties and public policy. He is the co-author of the book Sizing Up the Senate: The Unequal Consequences of Equal Representation and also Congress Reconsidered. Oppenheimer can be reached at (615) 322-6232 or by email at bruce.i.oppenheimer@vanderbilt.edu.
Editor’s note: Vanderbilt experts can be interviewed live for television from our campus broadcast facility.