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In the last week, I’ve been utterly amazed by The Tennessee Democratic Party and how when a young woman called them about volunteering her time to help in a grassroots effort for president in her home county being completely and rudely dismissed. Then we hear about what’s went down in Clarksville yesterday.

I have to tell you, it’s mind-numbing. I’ll let others break it down for you as I would just rehash what they wrote, but if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s usually a duck.

But the thing that amazes me the most is that it has become about smoky room politics, as cited by a commenter over at Kleinheider’s, and it reeks so much I’m stunned. I received dozens of letters regarding my open letter to the TNDP last week.

Dear Mr. Sasser, they weren’t backing you.

Not one letter in your defense. And these were from some people who know you. After reading through them, I realized you are doing this all over the state. And these folks have apparently tried to engage you as well with the same results as a young woman from west Tennessee.

Smoke-filled room politics. Arrogant democratic leadership in this state is what it looks like.

Listen, I’m not all about Kurita either but you punted this one and, what amazes me, is you haven’t answered your critics. And if you have, you aren’t being transparent about it.

A libertarian from Maryland responded in my comments so, umm, do you think you could at least explain all of the ball-dropping you are doing to Ken Whitehouse or Tom Humphreys?

Hale wrote this:

All of which, I suppose, is just a long-winded way of saying that if young people aren’t “getting their needs met”, it may be because the TNDP HQ and its field personnel are stuck in the past, and their message is turning off the young.

And the worst part of it is that the senior folks in the TNDP just don’t get it– the old ways worked for them, and now they can’t understand why they aren’t working today, or understand why those old ways are so repellent to young people.

It’s sad, really.

But even with that said, what about a conversation with the volunteers who have given time, money and passion to something that you are pulling the rug out from under their feet. These same volunteers who have questioned the TNDP’s leadership would probably love to talk to you. These are your supporters, but not really. They are backing their state that they love and the party that should be leading them.

Prove me wrong. I’m begging of you. Prove me wrong that arrogance and elitism aren’t at work here.

Left Wing Cracker assures us that this isn’t a state vs. Nashville thing. It’s not. I’m not in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville or even Clarksville. This is a “huh” moment who aren’t getting paid to lead the party. They are doing it because they are passionate about it.

And I would recommend you listen to them.

This a unified group of people from all around this state asking for accountability.

And, you know, we are worth that.

So, as in an email sent to me last week which cited that they they thought you, Sasser, had your eyes on Washington, I’m thinking that cannot happen soon enough so all of us can try to rebuild so the office can do what it needs to be doing instead of the illusion of old men smoking soggy cigars.

‘Cause that’s what it looks like sitting over here.