U.S. Sen. candidate Phil Bredesen released a campaign ad on Tuesday that was filmed outside his grandmother’s American flag-clad house touting his humble roots growing up among “secretaries, nurses, factory workers, and small business owners.” He pledged to stop educated Washington elites from telling Tennesseans how to live.
Last week, in a video interview with the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Bredesen said he is more “sophisticated” than rural voters.
A clip shows him saying that when he attends family reunions in his native Upstate New York, he experiences “a culture that is different.” The Harvard graduate estimates 70 percent of his extended family voted for Trump but “are not crazy or anything.”
Around the 1 minute mark, he says he has one foot planted in that world and one foot in a “more sophisticated” world.
He touts his experience at an Ivy League college and his work as mayor, governor and CEO of a public company.
Bredesen, the former Nashville mayor and Tennessee governor, is running for retiring Sen. Bob Corker’s seat. He will face U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) on Nov. 6.
The Tennessee Star reported recently that while Bredesen claims to be a working stiff, he would become one of the richest members of Congress if elected. Bredesen has reported assets between $88.9 million and $358 million, The Washington Free Beacon said.
The former governor, who says he has one foot in the less sophisticated rural world, owns five homes —two homes in Nashville, two lakefront properties in upstate New York, and a five-bedroom home in Jackson, Wyoming. He also is one of the registered owners of an Embraer Phenom 300 private jet.
In an emailed statement to The Tennessee Star, Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden said Bredesen is masquerading as a moderate.
“Phony Phil Bredesen can pretend to be Republican-lite all he wants, but he can’t escape his liberal record. Phil donated $33,400 to Hillary Clinton’s campaign,” Golden wrote.
“Phil admitted he’s Chuck Schumer’s handpicked candidate. Phil’s campaign called Trump voters ‘idiots.’ And now he’s relying on Bernie Sanders supporters to raise him money. Tennesseans aren’t fooled by Phil’s attempts to manipulate Republicans’ words to serve his own political purposes.”
[…] planted in the rural world and one foot in a “more sophisticated” world, The Tennessee Star reported […]
[…] with Bredesen in which he said he is more “sophisticated” than rural voters. The Tennessee Star reported on the […]
In his commercial, possum Phil says he wants to turn it upside down and tell Washington how we want to live and for government to make it happen. Uh, one problem possum, if that means gender choice,abortions,socialism/communism,religious persecution, anti Trump propaganda by you, the democrat party, liberal media, etc. I think I’d rather leave it up to our commander in chief and the constitution of the United States. Honestly, there’s nothing you or any of your (commrads ) can do to improve upon what president Trump has already done and continuing to do. So thanks but no thanks, 8 years of the previous foreign born president divided this country to the shape it’s in now.
Mister Phil,
Where is the $220 million you diverted from the highway funds that you “promised” to return while you were governor?
Tell the truth, do you really live in Tennessee or do you just claim residence here for political purposes?
You say you are more sophisticated than “rural American’s”. Is that code for believing the residents of Tennessee are “a basket of deplorables”?
Mr. Phil, are you an elitist?
You supported giving drivers license to illegal immigrants as governor, can we assume you will take the same stance perhaps on a national level if elected Senator?
I don’t think you are running for Senator for the benefit of Tennessee residents. On the contrary your quest for the Senate seat vacated by RINO Bob Corker is a calculated effort by Chuck Schumer in hopes of flipping the seat to the Democrats.
Mr. Bredesen, you’re 75 years old, you have an estimated wealth exceeding 300 million dollars, go back to Wyoming, Oregon or New York which ever you now call home, count your blessings & spend the remaining years of your life with your kids and grandkids.
Of course he is…isn’t every snarky progressive better than everyone else?
He and Chuck Schumer need to get together, exchange compliments, and tell redneck jokes over martinis and cosmopolitans.
I hear Wyoming is a great state to live in, Phil. Or you could always go back to Boston and wallow in the company of the intellectual sophisticate elites at Harvard.
Hmmm, I think he’s more rural than he realizes. In all of his adds he’s “wearing” camo. His apparently calm, reasoned demeaner is nothing but political camo!
One second after getting elected, he’ll be right there in line screaming about how Trump should be impeached, raising our taxes, heaping on more Federal regulations and generally stomping all of us “deplorables” into the dirt!
So he is saying he is better then me?
The business of which Breddy was CEO went BANKRUPT under his leadership.