Former Govs. Bill Haslam, Phil Bredesen reflect on time in office, ways to bridge political divides – Tennessean
Sharing the stage for the first time since Tennessee’s 50th governor was sworn into office, former Govs. Bill Haslam and Phil Bredesen stressed the importance of reaching across the political aisle.
Appearing at Vanderbilt University in front a roomful of mostly students, the ex-governors — the latter a Democrat, the former a Republican — reflected on their time as the state’s chief executive while sharing their views on how the country can bridge divides during a frequently divisive era.
The duo found common ground throughout the roughly hour-long discussion, including how the current landscape of media has contributed to the country’s political divide and the need for leaders to buck expectations from their own supporters.
“We’re in an incredibly, evenly divided country,” said Haslam, as signified by Kentucky’s governor’s race, which was separated by a few thousand votes during the discussion.
The conversation drifted between painting an optimistic view of governance and taking a more pessimistic tone for how the nation’s current polarization might end.
Prompted by a question from an audience member, Bredesen said ending the current divide between Americans could take either a catastrophic event or a president who intentionally works on the issue.
“It may be just impossible to be elected president with that personality or that approach,” he said.
Bredesen said that previous political divides in American history were overcome due to military conflict, specifically World War II.
“I do think the end of it is likely to be some crisis that forces us as a country to step above this stuff and respond as a nation, as we’ve done in the past,” Bredesen said.
The two governors reminded the audience that, while today’s political scene remains significantly divided, the country has seen such times before.
Bredesen noted how during the Great Depression, one of the most-followed radio show hosts was openly racist and had a massive following, which he said was substantially larger than modern TV personalities.
“There have been times in our past where we have been very deeply divided,” he said.
Calling former Tennessee U.S. Sen. Howard Baker one of his political heroes, Haslam said one of the contributing factors to Americans divisions is how they get their news.
Both Bredesen and Haslam reflected on the changing news media landscape throughout the discussion. Bredesen recalled how, when he first ran for office, the influence of the city’s newspapers had a significant impact.
“The world has changed dramatically,” said Bredesen, who reflected on his failed 2018 U.S. Senate bid. “What it looks like in an election today is it’s all paid media, it’s all social media.”
Bredesen and Haslam offered several recommendations on ways to bridge divides, while at times criticizing their own political parties.
Haslam admitted Republicans struggle with attracting female voters and people of color. Bredesen criticized lawmakers in his party for failing to act as an independent body when President Barack Obama was in office.
The two also laid blame on legislatures, including Congress, for failing to tackle major issues of consequence.
“One of the things I’ve learned about legislative bodies … is it is almost impossible for them to do something really hard until they absolutely have to,” Bredesen said.
Haslam and Bredesen reminded the audience about the importance of leaders to act independently, which can often lead to frustration within one’s party.
“Real leadership means sometimes you have to go against your base,” Haslam said.
Want to read more stories like this? A subscription to one of our Tennessee publications gets you unlimited access to all the latest politics news, podcasts like Grand Divisions, plus newsletters, a personalized mobile experience and the ability to tap into stories, photos and videos from throughout the USA TODAY Network’s 109 local sites.
Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.
Published 9:46 AM EST Nov 6, 2019
