This election season, the senate race has been brutal, filled with attack ads from both candidates.
The Tennessee senate race has been a close one, to the point where it has gained national attention.
This has been the most expensive campaign in Tennessee history, with the final spending amount totaling over 90 million dollars.
People often wonder why so many ads are filled with attacks on the opponent.
Political analyst Kent Syler said, “Because the Supreme Court equated money with free speech, and so we have all this money coming in, and this is our first experience with what it truly means.”
Dave Cooley, an official from senatorial nominee Phil Bredesen’s campaign staff, said, “I’m not sure I would use the term beneficial, but there is no question they have an impact. You know, as much as we all like to say attack ads don’t have an impact, the fact is they do.”
Marsha Blackburn is focusing her campaign towards the Republican vote considering Tennessee is typically a “red” state. Meanwhile, Bredesen is focusing on a more bipartisan approach.
“So he (Bredesen) is saying, ‘Listen, I’m a moderate,'” said Cooley, “and he also knows there aren’t enough Democrats to win in Tennessee.”
Syler says that for Bredesen to win, he would have to win more than just the primarily urban areas.
“What I am going to be looking at are Davidson County or urban areas,” Syler said, “Phil Bredesen has got to win Davidson-Shelby big.”
Lauren Davis reporting for MT10 News
Photo courtesy of The Tennessean
