Looks like Senator Bill Frist is taking the route I outlined back in June:
Former Majority Leader Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) is seriously considering a gubernatorial run in Tennessee in 2010, possibly setting up a White House bid further down the road.
Sources in Washington and Tennessee say Frist, who will turn 55 next month, is leaning heavily toward a run for the governor’s office, where he could gain executive experience that might position him to try for the presidency in either 2012 or 2016.
#quot;It’s a done deal,#quot; said a source with knowledge of Frist’s plans.
Frist was considering a 2008 presidential run until late last year, when he announced he would not run, opening the door for a bid at the Volunteer State’s governor’s office.
Waiting three to eight years before making a gubernatorial or presidential bid would provide Frist needed distance from his unenviable tenure as Senate majority leader, a period that culminated in the Democrats’ takeover of Congress last November.
Back in June, I wrote:
Almost as soon as the 2004 election concluded, Dr. Frist was one of the first Republicans to be touted as the party’s standard-bearer for 2008. As Senate Majority Leader, Dr. Frist was to be the point man for President Bush’s second term agenda.
However, as it is almost always the case in U.S. history, the Senate is where Presidential dreams go to die.
Dr. Frist was unable to to make progress on Social Security reform, flip-flopped on stem-cell research, failed to control his own party’s delegation in the #quot;Gang of 14? deal, and passed an immigration reform bill that is anathema to his party’s base.
Frist is set to leave the Senate when his term expires in January 2007, presumably to focus on his Presidential run.
Oh, but what could have been for Dr. Frist!
Had he chose to run for Governor of Tennessee in 2002, he would have easily defeated Phil Bredesen. He would not have had to make the hard decisions in the Senate that have mortally weakened him. No Social Security failure; no Gang of 14; no Terry Schaivo; no immigration bill disaster.
Governors, especially Southern governors, win Presidential elections in the U.S. If Dr. Frist was the sitting governor of Tennessee he would be in an ideal situation to capture the GOP nomination.
Dr. Frist- you can make that check out for consulting fees to Kavon W. Nikrad…
January 17th, 2007 at 3:23 am
There is another issue besides his performance as Maj. leader.
His bearing, his mannerisms, his political instincts have always reminded me of a conservative version of John Kerry.
Ouch!
Seriously, though – do any of you guys get excited thinking of Frist leading your party, let alone the nation?
This is not a problem that a few terms as governor could solve.
January 17th, 2007 at 9:00 am
No, I don’t Tano. I agree. Bill Frist will never be president. He’ll easily win the governorship though, and that satisfies me. A GOP pick-up there will be helpful.
January 17th, 2007 at 10:21 am
Oh, I don’t know. Frist is a good man. He got in over his head in the Senate. If he can become a highly successful governor, he can point to that as proof he can lead a government. And his experience in the Senate certainly won’t hurt.
January 17th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Good for Bill Frist. The Senate was too much for him. His approval ratings in his home state are very good and he should have a great shot of winning.
January 17th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
Matt, you say that he’ll easily win the governorship? I’m not familiar with the law in Tennessee, but if it allows Governor’s to serve for more than two terms, it would be no cakewalk. Did you see how easily Bredsen won in November?
January 17th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Does it allow you to serve more then two terms? If so, Bredsen would clearly be a formiddable opponent. That said, as red as Tennessee is, I think a popular Republican like Frist has a better then 50-50 chance of winning the governorship. That said, I’ve always maintained that Bredsen is going places. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on a Democratic ticket in 08′.
January 17th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Matt, Bredesen is definitely one of the least talked about, but most formidable, possible Veep choices out there. He’s an actual moderate Democrat that could really balance a Hillary or Obama ticket or reinforce an Edwards ticket.
Of course, the Dems Veep bench is a lot longer than ours is right now – they also have formidable Veep options in Richardson, Easley, Bayh, Warner, Feingold, Ford, and even possibly Schweitzer.
January 17th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
And TN law term limits governors to two terms, so Bredesen will be done in 2010.
January 17th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Ford has also hinted that he would be interested in running for Governor in 2010, so that could be an interesting race to watch if Ford and Frist both decide to jump in.
January 17th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Yeah, how did Tennessee elect Bredsen anyway?
And don’t worry about VEEPS, HeavyM, we got T-PAW!!!