Seventy-four year old former Gov. Phil Bredesen announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat in Tennessee currently held by retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) in a remarkably low energy two and a half minute video released on YouTube Thursday morning.
Wearing a green, white, and yellow plaid shirt covered by a black and brown vest, Bredesen sat in a rocking chair on the porch of an expansive residence and delivered a somewhat sleepy message telling Tennesseans why he should be their next senator.
It was a remarkably outdated approach, reminiscent of the failed “low energy” delivery that doomed the 2016 Presidential campaign of former Florida governor Jeb Bush.
You can watch the full announcement here:
“I’m Phil Bredesen. I’m running for the U.S. Senate, and I want to tell you why,” Bredesen began.
“We all know Washington is broken. But while politicians are up there playing partisan games and working on their re-election, out here in America, back here in Tennessee, we have some real problems.”
Though he touched on the “partisan games” being played in Washington, Bredesen failed to note that he was a big financial backer of one of the most partisan people in the country today. During the 2016 Presidential election campaign, he and his wife, Andrea Conte, donated $69,000 to help elect Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, either directly to her campaign, her Super PAC, or the Democratic National Committee.
President Donald Trump defeated Clinton in Tennessee by a 26 point margin, 61 percent to 35 percent, in the November 2016 election in the state.
The Bredesen campaign did not explain why he chose to announce his candidacy via the controlled and somewhat impersonal YouTube video announcement. A schedule of Bredesen’s personal campaign appearances was not immediately announced.
Bredesen faces 44-year-old James Mackey in the August 2018 Democratic primary.
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) is the front runner for the Republican nomination. Former Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-TN-08) and Dr. Rolando Toyos are also announced candidates in the GOP race.
Just a good ole boy talking with us regular people from his $3,000,000 porch. Just one of us.
The last thing we need is Low T Phillary Bredesen the Clintonista to replace Bailout Bob!