McWherter driving as lone Democrat

You might not have seen Mike McWherter in campaign ads on statewide television.

You might not have seen him show up much on the news.

But McWherter, the one Democrat still running for governor, can assure you people across the state have been seeing him -- maybe just not all of them at the same time.

McWherter has wrapped up the Democratic nomination long before he might have ever imagined when he began his campaign. Part of that is having enough money to remain up and running, although his contributions have lagged the three main Republican contenders -- Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp.

McWherter has outlasted, or just plain ruled, over a Democratic field that at one time was quite crowded. State Sen. Jim Kyle, D-Memphis, dropped out for several reasons, lack of money being among them. Former lawmaker Kim McMillan decided to run for mayor of Clarksville when the opportunity arose. State Sen. Roy Herron, D-Dresden, had an opportunity to run for Congress instead. Nashville businessman Ward Cammack dropped out almost as soon as people became familiar with his name.

But McWherter kept plugging, through all the strange twists of the Democratic primary, and now, he stands as the sole surviving Democrat in the race. There's not even a no-name Democrat on the ballot. McWherter will win the party nomination Aug. 5.

In recent days, McWherter issued e-mails to supporters regarding floods in the state, commenting on the devastation, noting the compassion and giving links to organizations for help.

But in broad terms, McWherter has not had the level of visibility that might be expected of a major candidate, which may or may not be tied to his sudden lack of competition. He has maintained the good fortune of being able to participate in gubernatorial forums as the lone Democrat while three Republicans battle for the GOP nomination. But apart from those appearances, just when people might have been asking, "Where's McWherter?" he lets you know where he's been.

"I put 14,000 miles on my car the last three weeks of March, making sure I got around," McWherter said.

"When I first got in the race last May I was really focused on fund-raising. The first quarter of this year, I wanted to be able to say I had been in all 95 counties before I qualified for governor."

So he drove. And every time the subject comes up, McWherter has made a point of telling people he doesn't just wave hello when he goes to a county. He doesn't just stop for gas. He has spent meaningful time when he paid a visit, he says.

There's a lot of time between now and the Nov. 2 election. One man will not have trouble getting noticed if McWherter plays it the way he plans.

"The Republicans will be out here squabbling about what they are for and what they're not for, but I think people will be very familiar with me by the time November comes around," McWherter said.

He gained considerable notice the very day he formally declared his candidacy, describing a plan to give tax breaks to employers who create jobs and taking a shot right off the bat at Haslam, who McWherter said was fudging on his claims of job creation in his television advertisements.

He wanted to be prepared at that point. The 14,000 miles were for his benefit as much as for voters, he said.

"I was making sure I got around," he said. "I think it's important that the governor understand what assets are in each county and what the infrastructure needs are."

McWherter may rely on an appeal to rural voters, and he has already made access to broadband an issue when discussing infrastructure, a subject historically about roads and bridges.

It has now become the norm for gubernatorial candidates to say they've been in every county in the state. It's as much a requisite as attending bean suppers. McWherter, of course, is no stranger to much of the state.

He first got to know the lay of the land when he campaigned for his father, the popular former Gov. Ned McWherter, and he leans on the contacts today he made many years ago. It was through working for his father that Mike McWherter, who runs a beer distributorship in Jackson, got to know East Tennessee. His West Tennessee roots position him with a base of support that no other major candidate for governor can claim. The three main Republican candidates are all from East Tennessee, although the three Republican contenders are trying hard to make the most of any West Tennessee ties they have.

While the attrition of the Democratic primary race has to boost McWherter's confidence, the reality is it also leaves a void for Democratic forums and debates. It means McWherter can probably save some money he might have spent on advertising. But for every dollar saved it also means a lack of exposure that might have come from visibility on television.

McWherter's lack of funding thus far compared to the Republican field reflects the underdog status of the Democrats, which is a major contrast to the days when his father was in power. Mike McWherter raised only about $100,000 from contributors in the first quarter of this year. He has put $1 million of his own money into the campaign.

In the same fund-raising period, Haslam raised more than $1 million and Wamp over $500,000. Haslam has collected more than $7 million overall. Ramsey was unable to raise money during the first quarter because of the law blocking sitting legislators from raising campaign cash while the General Assembly is in session. Both Wamp and Ramsey have raised millions, which they believe will keep them competitive with Haslam, overall.

The state has taken a turn toward Republican power. The GOP currently has the majority of both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly for the first time since Reconstruction, and most objective observers consider the governor's seat likely to go to a Republican, too, which, if Republicans also hold on to their slim majority in the House, would create a sweep that was unthinkable not too many years ago.

McWherter is making a populist appeal, and it's clear already that for all the oomph his last name carries, he will also tie himself to current governor Phil Bredesen in the campaign, hoping to capitalize on the Democrat's performance in managing the budget and in attracting business to the state. Political watchers are certainly eager to see what sort of presence Ned McWherter might have in the race, up front or behind the scenes.

The lackluster fund-raising figures are almost certain to follow Mike McWherter in the campaign as a gauge Republicans will say shows a lack of support.

It's hard to say how far 14,000 miles in a car over a short amount of time might carry a campaign. Many might claim driving around does not a gubernatorial contender make.

Republican Fred Thompson once used the image of a red pickup truck to ride into a U.S. Senate seat. Before that, Lamar Alexander put on a plaid shirt and "walked" across the state to become governor. Is a last name alone enough for a campaign gimmick? If it is, McWherter has one that will generate considerable mileage.