My Interview with Ilissa Gold

I want to say thank you to Ilissa Gold for taking the time to interview me.  I believe in new media, and I believe industrious bloggers like Ilissa Gold, also a law school student, can help to promote issues that are vital to the future health of our state. To read more of this interview, visit her website at this link.

I've made it my goal for this summer to get to know all of our Democratic candidates for Governor in 2010, to find out where they stand on the issues and what direction they'd like to see for the state.  To that end, I sat down last week with former House Majority Leader Kim McMillan of Clarksville, the only female candidate in the race thus far.  I report, you decide, etc.:

On why she is running for governor:  "I believe that the state of Tennessee needs a different type of candidate, someone that can excite people about Tennessee government."  She's the youngest candidate, the only female candidate, someone who can excite a whole generation of people in Tennessee.

On what from her background qualifies her to be governor:  "I've spent 15 years in public service, my entire adult life, and I've done so because I believe in Tennessee, the people of Tennessee."  She has worked in all of the branches of Tennessee government--the legislature, the executive branch, and she's worked as a lawyer.  She also cited her experience as an adopted child, who didn't come from a wealthy background and truly had to work her way up.

On how she plans on reaching out to voters in areas where Democrats have struggled recently:  "I don't view Tennessee as three distinct regions."  She grew up in Knoxville, so she has connections there.  She believes she can reach out to voters no matter what part of the state.

On how Democrats can recover and win in 2010:  "We need the right kind of candidate who can appeal to people across the board."

On what the Democratic message should be going forward:  "The overall Democratic message needs to be that we want to bring people together.  We want to look at issues that unite us, not divide us.  We don't want to focus on those divisive wedge issues."