Bob Corker's endorcement of Marsha Blackburn

by Rod Williams - Admittedly, Bob Corker's endorsement of  Marsha Blackburn was lukewarm. I would have have liked to have seen him exhibit a little more enthusiasm and at least use her name rather than refer to her simply as "the nominee." However, I am not jumping on the hate-Bob-Corker bandwagon.  Phil Bredesen was a good mayor and a good governor as Corker has said. Bredesen's  biggest accomplishment was ended the out of control TNCare program created by a Republican governor. Corker was a fellow mayor of a major Tennessee city at the same time as Bredesen. They had a cordial working relationship. Maybe they became good friends. Both are honorable men. With the partisan divisions so strong, many think we have to hate the other side. Maybe it is because I have siblings and a mother who are Democrats that I realize that Democrats are just mistaken; not evil.

I would not vote for Bredesen, simply because he is a Democrat and will vote like a Democrat including electing the next speaker. That does not make him a bad person. I just prefer Republican policies over Democrat policies and that is why I prefer Blackburn over Bredesen. In an interview, that is essentially why Corker said he preferred Blackburn.  I respect Bob Corker for not demonizing Bredesen. While I wish Corker would campaign for Blackburn, I respect his decision not to do so.

Corker, in my view, has occasionally rightly criticized Donald Trump's intemperate and crude behavior and White House disorganization, but has praised Tump when appropriate.  Marsha Blackburn has been an uncritical Trump cheerleader.  I have always liked Marsha Blackburn but would have liked her to be a less enthusiastic Trump loyalist.  The difference between Corker and Blackburn has been obvious. The press wanted to magnify that difference and create a division between the two. Corker was goaded by the press to say something. He was pushed into making a statement. There are those who love to see  and create division. Democrats are looking to exploit any divisions within Republican ranks and right wing talk show pundits with hours of broadcast time to fill each day, thrive on creating controversy. If not for the mainstream press allied with Democrats looking to exploit Republican divisions, and conservative pundits concerned with ratings urging  people to fight each other and magnifying every slight difference, this would not be news. 
 
Corker has long been a target of the extreme right. I think it is less for what he does than that he has a thoughtful calm demeanor.  Some on the right are looking for bomb throwers, not calm thoughtful statesmen.  Corker has said he is voting for Marsha Blackburn and he contributed the maximum allowed contribution to her campaign. That is good enough for me.

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