The barrage of tv/online ads in the Governor’s race has begun!! Marsha Blackburn is hitting Independent David Hatley with a brutal ad from a newly formed dark money PAC named Choose Freedom PAC. Donors to and spending by the secretive group won’t really be revealed until after the election, and possibly not until next year. Which kind of makes the point of David Hatley’s calls for less corruption and more transparency in the political process, doesn’t it?
The ad is harsh, brutal, and like most attack ads lacks context and stretches the truth. But as with most attack ads, it may prove effective in slowing the momentum that Hatley is building.
It is interesting that Blackburn is NOT targeting her Democrat opponent Jerri Green as she trains ALL of her fire and attention on Hatley. Clearly, Blackburn’s internal polls show Hatley as a significant threat just as public polls have indicated.
If Hatley pulls 14-18 points, they will almost all come out of Blackburn’s share, giving Green a path to a narrow and historic victory. So, Blackburn has to hit him hard and often over the next few weeks, particularly since she is very vulnerable on the issues he and Green are both highlighting.
The Blackburn/PAC attack strategy revolves around a series of financial missteps Hatley made early in his twenties, decades ago. He detailed his legal issues and three week stint in Knox county jail for kiting checks in his book, available free on his website. Some of Hatley’s supporters have pointed out Blackburn’s own questionable financial dealings when she was the Tennessee Director of the Film Entertainment and Music Commission early in her political career.
More recent media coverage of Blackburn focused on an ethics investigation reported by Nashville’s NewsChannel 5.
WBIR in Knoxville followed up on that ethics issue as well.
NewsChannel 5 also obtained a tape recording from a Blackburn Senate staffer detailing what would appear to be use of taxpayer paid Senate staff working on her campaign.
Blackburn has denied any wrongdoing. Thus far, Hatley has not made Blackburn’s own track record in public office an issue in the campaign.
Hatley has focused his own ads on a few key issues where he and Blackburn disagree: Flock security cameras and AI data centers, among them. Opposition to the AI data centers and Glock cameras among Tennessee voters has become increasingly clear, communities across Tennessee either banning, or pausing the use of the flock cameras that Blackburn has supported.
Meanwhile, Jerri Green (who has also weighed in against the AI centers and Flock cameras) as emphasized affordability issues in her TV and online advertising.
Green did take a subtle jab at Blackburn with one early creative elevator ad.
Over the next several weeks the volume, and intensity of ads, will most definitely increase as the race tightens.
Steve Gill is editor and Publisher of TriStar Daily.
