The Blue Wave Rises, Con't

The good thing about all these Senate GOP retirements is that it opens up opportunities for the Democrats because right now Republicans are going to run the craziest sunzabitches they can find and Democrats can win with candidates like Doug Jones in southern states.  I know I've been down on the Dems' chances to take back the Senate, but that's because it's a long shot.

However, beating that long shot means Dems have to capitalize on golden opportunities like (of in all the places to find a competitive Senate contest) Tennessee.

Former Gov. Phil Bredesen has a slight edge over U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn in a new poll on the U.S. Senate race from a Democratic-leaning firm. 

The poll, conducted by North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling, surveyed the views of Tennessee registered voters on the U.S. Senate race, approval of President Donald Trump and health care. 

Forty-six percent of the survey’s respondents said they would vote for Bredesen compared to 41 percent for Blackburn if the election were immediately held. 

Thirteen percent of respondents said they were not sure. 

The poll, which surveyed roughly 1,000 Tennesseans, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Look, I know Marsha Blackburn is a bad candidate, but the GOP is going to run her anyway.  It's Roy Moore all over again for these guys.  Bredesen was a moderately popular governor and most importantly he's not Marsha Blackburn.

If this seat really does open up, it could really help the Dems take back the Senate.  They need to defend everything, a tough road, and still find a way to pick up Arizona and Nevada.  If Tennessee is now in play with Bob Corker retiring, then that takes a lot of pressure off the Dems, they don't have to run the table in order to get to 51.

Besides, resources that the GOP has to spend to defend Tennessee are resources that they won't have to spend elsewhere.