Tennessee elected Phil Bredesen, a transplanted Yankee (!) as governor purely because of RINO Don Sunquist, who set the Tenn GOP back maybe 20 years!
Bredesen's opponent, Van Hilleary was perhaps not the most effective campaigner, but I question whether it's fair to call HIM "ineffectual." After all, in his run for Congress in '94 he did beat the much-touted Jim Cooper.
Van was a wonderful Conservative in Congress, and Tennessee would be fortunate to have him again
I only live here but maybe ineffectual was mean...."not terribly exciting" might be better.
I would not quibble with his conservative credentials.
Bredesen while hardly my favorite has turned out less bad than I feared...so far.
(I donated $$ and campaigned for Van)