I have witnessed the Zach Wamp campaign and had some volunteer part in it for all 19 months. When we are together and when Zach has met members of my family, he speaks value for me into my family members.
As I have been attacked personally and in social media venues, I have let it go because I have been active for 28 years as a VOLUNTEER in the grassroots Republican politics. There is one friendship that has been severed and will likely not be salvaged, that is sad. But I defend Zach, Kim, Weston and Coty as if they are my family because they have become part of my extended family. I have created so many friendships because of this campaign. Friendships that stretch from Mountain City to Jackson. For some reason, I haven’t picked up new friends west of Jackson, that’s odd.
As a former elected official in Knox County, as a former Knox County Republican Party Chairman, I coulda taken the road that all the traffic traveled. I could have endorsed Bill, but I couldn’t and wouldn’t. I coulda sat quietly by while this Governor’s race got into full swing. I didn’t. It ain’t my style. I chose my road, I feel good about our team. This is a campaign that in 28 years, I will look back and say “that is the one” That is the one campaign where I believed in my candidate and he believed in me. This campaign for me is the same as the first campaign that got a 16 year old kid up off the couch in 1982 and put him out putting up signs and distributing bumper stickers. That man in 1982 was Robin Beard, running for the U.S. Senate against Jim Sasser. I didn’t get to know Robin Beard, I was just another kid in the crowd.
As for this campaign, I know Zach, Kim, Weston, Coty, Bonnie, Rick Tucker, Brad, Adria and Holland, Justin, Linda, Brad, Darrell and Deb, Jenci, Christy, Tracy, Big Poppa, Anthony, Susie and Kevin, Lisa and Dave, Diane, John and Christy, Ken and Nancy, Elaine, Bubba. There are a couple of young guys, Dale and Raleigh. Of course my three kids along with Andy and Ryan. These are new family members. I know that I have left some people off and it wasn’t intentional, so I apologize now. This is not just another political campaign, it has been a life journey, it has been the dance that Garth Brooks sang about. There are 10 days left before the polls close at 8 p.m. EST on Thursday August 5, 2010, it is a life journey and I can’t wait to take these friendships to the next step.
So, to conclude this blog post, I could have taken the road most traveled in Knoxville and Knox County. But I sure am glad that I didn’t.
