WOODBURY, Tennessee — U.S. Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-7), speaking to a group of 125 at the Cannon County Reagan Day Dinner held at the Rustic Elegance Event Center in Woodbury Friday evening, said that the American people don’t believe what they hear on the evening news, and that’s “a really good thing.”
Blackburn was introduced by one-time fellow Tennessee House colleague, gubernatorial candidate and State Senator for the district Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet), who later spoke about her campaign platform, as did fellow candidate and Franklin businessman Bill Lee. Representatives Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) and Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma), also gave brief remarks at the event.
Referencing a survey of 3,000 people, Blackburn said 70 percent said “no” to the question of whether they believe what they hear from the evening news. She blamed that on the fact that they are simply not reliable, in contrast to a reliable news outlet “like The Tennessee Star.”
After pointing out that if the evening news is not believable, the next question is who do they believe.
Blackburn gave a message of optimism in pointing out that the answer is “Y-O-U.”
“They believe their well-informed friends and neighbors. People they trust and know. Not Fox, CBS, ABC or CNN,” said Blackburn.
Asking a question with an obvious answer, “How many of you get emails asking have you heard about this? Is this true?” Blackburn had a positive take on that, saying, “People want to verify. For us, this is a great opportunity, an open door, a buying signal.”
Along with take-aways from the 2016 elections, Blackburn gave some insights to the recent Georgia 6th Congressional District race, won by Republican Karen Handel who raised $4 million compared to “the Democrat challenger who raised $23 million and outside groups spent another $20 million for him.”
Blackburn pointed out that Georgia’s 6th District “could not be bought,” and that “values matter, freedom matters, it matters to the American People that we support the Constitution.”
She also recognized the importance of messaging,“If you want to win, you have to have a message, you have to have a vision, you have to have passion and you have to know what you want to do,” which is what Karen Handel and her team did in Georgia, “knocking on 3,000 doors a day and making thousands of phone calls every day for 48 days.”
Blackburn also said in the wake of the targeted shootings of representatives in D.C. last week, “people expect civility and decorum,” and that, reflecting on the Georgia election, “It proved the nation’s security can’t be bought.”
Having spent the prior evening at a White House picnic, which her daughter and grandson also attended, Blackburn said her grandson wanted to shake the President’s hand for the third time, “Because people are being so mean to him.”
Blackburn’s take is that “The media can tear down Trump and Pence all day long. But, they need Congress not to cut them down and the Republican Party not to divide, but unite.”
“Congress needs to help the President deal with health care infrastructure, taxes, borders and the result will be jobs, jobs, jobs and safe society, a productive society, a society focused on the values we all cherish.”
Blackburn, sharing some insights, said “The President knows the American people are hungry for the truth, leadership, getting things done and ready for somebody to help point that way.”
With “the American people ready for action and wanting to see things get done,” on issues like Obamacare repeal, tax reform with a 1040 form that has 14 lines and a corporate tax rate of 15 percent, border security, and rural broadband, “the biggest economic tool in rural America,” Blackburn said, it’s “Important for us in Congress that we communicate we get that message.”
