Little Plaid Blog Post: Dickson County The Clement Railroad Hotel Museum is a place of memories, and several came to mind today as I spoke with supporters and strolled from room to room. For one thing, the Clements are one of Tennessees great political families, and I was glad to talk about that today. I remember when Gov. Frank Clement spoke at Boys State, telling the audience that one day, one of us would be governor. Later I got a chance to talk with Dwight Ragsdale, who ran Senator Howard Bakers campaign in the Dickson area. In some ways, the modern Republican Party in Tennessee began when Howard Baker beat Governor Clement in the 1966 race for U.S. Senate -- making Howard Baker the first popularly elected Republican senator since Reconstruction. On top of it all, a Reuters photographer who was following my campaign today, Harrison McClary, was the grandson of a family that for a time refused to sell their land in order for Nissan to come to Tennessee. I remember sitting on the McClarys porch, sipping lemonade and trying to convince them. Ultimately they agreed -- and if they hadnt, Nissan may have gone to Georgia. I was glad to encounter so many memories this afternoon -- and to share them with Tennesseans who live alongside such rich Tennessee history every day.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 03:22:26 +0000
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