Opinion
Tennessee – -(AmmoLand.com)- We have talked at times about the risks of voting for candidates without track records when we discussed the governor’s races in Connecticut and Maryland, as well as looking at Jerrold Nadler, who could be chairman of the House Judiciary Committee in the event the Democrats control the House of Representatives after the midterms. Maryland saw those risks borne out. In the cases of Connecticut and Nadler, the hostility of one candidate warrants the risk of voting for another.
That being said, voters in the United States Senate race in Tennessee do not have to take the risks associated with relying solely on a questionnaire. Representative Marsha Blackburn a Republican candidate is running for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Bob Corker. Marsha Blackburn was in the news for being put on blast by music superstar Taylor Swift.
This is not the first foray into a hot-button issue for the megastar – Swift donated to March for Our Lives, which is demanding a semi-auto ban, among other anti-Second Amendment policies. That is for another time. The fact is, Marsha Blackburn has become a target precisely because she has been a loyal ally.
Since being elected in 2002, Blackburn has been a reliable ally of those who defend our Second Amendment Rights.
According to Project Vote Smart, she has supported efforts to halt frivolous suits intended to bankrupt firearms manufacturers, invalidate some of the onerous laws in the District of Columbia, and in favor of concealed carry reciprocity. Blackburn is also a key member of the House GOP leadership, serving as Deputy Whip.
Phil Bredesen, on the other hand, has a decidedly mixed record. While he signed some bills easing restrictions on Second Amendment rights, he vetoed others. He did come out in support of Brett Kavanaugh, but has also pushed for “universal background checks” and a bump-stock ban. He’s truly epitomized how a politician gets a D rating from the NRA.
To make a long story short, what we have is a 16-year track record of support for the Second Amendment on the part of Blackburn, and a spotty track record from Bredesen. This sort of thing matters. When someone has walked the walk for a while, it is much less likely that they will do an about face on you (although it has been known to happen). This was why the NRA endorsed John Dingell for election after election – and it paid off when Dingell helped stop Bill Clinton’s push for gun control after the 1999 Columbine shooting.
There is a more practical benefit to this as well. The fact is, most committee chairmanships in Congress are decided by seniority, and it is the committee chairmen who help determine what legislation gets to the floor. But the seniority also has other benefits. First, a few terms in the House can serve as a launching pad to higher office – with a track record of supporting Second Amendment rights, as Blackburn is doing. Second, members of a legislature with seniority can help bring other members along in a close vote, which Dingell did.
Voters in Tennessee have a clear choice when they go to the polls. They have a candidate in Marsha Blackburn that they know has a track record of supporting them – and they have the chance to reward her support by putting her in the United States Senate.
About Harold Hutchison
Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.
Blackburn was asked about the horrific shooting in CA where 12 or 13 were murdered and she immediately said the Second Amendment was the main thing to worry about. Marsha Blackburn will say anyting that she thinks benefits her and she is truly a scummy human being.
I don’t think Marsha has a grip on what the gun voter wants. She claimed she voted for a bump stock ban and blamed the senate for not getting it passed. That never happened but it tells you that she’ll say what you want to hear. Further she supports the FixNICS with the Bloomberg/Everytown “Red Flag” provision. She then brags about the fraternal order of police endorsing her and the NRA. The FOP was instrumental in passing the assault weapons ban and Oliver North, The now president of the NRA, supported it as well. However, I don’t see her doing… Read more »
I agree completely with this article. Marsha Blackburn is a true conservative and she works hard for her constituents.
Old Bredesen is a flat spot on any wheel. He is a typical democrat and took support from Bloomturd. We put this old bird out to pasture once, let’s leave him there where he can cause less trouble. Most of what comes out of his mouth is just like most dems, if the lips are moving that means a lie is being told.