One on One with the Governor

A Talk With the Governor

I traveled to Nashville this morning for an interview with Governor Bredesen. Last week his staff called offering the one on one.

We're airing a little bit of our conversation in our newcasts. The rest will air Sunday on Tennessee This Week.

He talks about a number of issues including a fairer distribution of state education dollars to Knox County. Right now, Knox County receives hundreds of dollars less per student than the state average.

He also talked about how, on a night when Tennesseans voted a Republican to the US Senate, he was able to not just win re-election, but win in every county in the state. It's a feat never before accomplished by a gubernatorial candidate.

Thoughts on Ford

Lots will be said and written about why Harold Ford, Junior lost the Senate race. Bob Corker says he was able to win because he convinced voters it wasn't a referendum on the President, but a decision about two men.

I spoke with Ford Senior staff member Tom Lee today. He believes that alot of social conservatives came back to the Republican party in the last few weeks because of negative ads on abortion and other issues that didn't just distort Ford's position, but according to Lee, were flat lies.

Lee says at least 8 negative ads were airing across the state, putting Ford on the defensive.

Last night, I raised the question of race and whether it played any role in this senate contest. A local Democrat I spoke with today says apparently not. Ford narrowly lost to Corker by 3 points. That means hundreds of thousands of white Tennesseans voted for Ford.

One thing's for sure, if you stayed up with WATE and heard Ford's concession speech you know what a special speaker he is. He was gracious, eloquent and inspiring. I think we all know that this is not the last we will hear from Mr. Ford.

Thoughts on Corker

Bob Corker's campaign kicked into high gear several weeks ago with Tom Ingram's addition as campaign manager. No doubt about the changes.

From our perspective in the newsroom, the pace of everything from the number of news releases to returned phone calls picked up. I didn't think anybody could beat Ford's folks for efficiency. Corker's team certainly gave them a run for their money.

From the public's perspective, the campaign became more focused. It got away from the ineffective "Ford is a liberal" to the "Ford is a Washington insider and I've lived a Tennessee life" strategy.

Combined with effective negative ads, the strategy worked, making Corker the nation's only new Republican Senator-elect.

My sense is he'll work hard for Tennesseans. But he won't be the media darling that Ford was destined to become had he won the seat.