COMMENTARY: Have GOP Candidates forgotten Reagan's "11th Commandment?"

Commentary by WBIR Nightside Assignment Editor, Randy Tedford

I remember hearing something that President Ronald Reagan once (well, actually, a lot more than once) said. He described it as the ?Eleventh Commandment? of GOP politics: ?Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican.?

The point behind this Reagan quote is the topic of this week?s commentary.

Here of late, in Tennessee?s GOP U.S. Senatorial primary, it seems that this ?political commandment? has been thrown to the wolves. Not a day goes by that I don?t see, hear and/or read one of the top three GOP contenders doing a little morality sniping at one or both of the others. There are times when it seems that the Bryant and Hilleary camps, while I?m not accusing them of working together, are double-teaming Corker?s campaign.

All of the polls that I?ve viewed have Corker as the leading contender to come out of this fracas wearing Tennessee?s GOP Senate primary crown. If, as the polls predict, Corker wins, it will be very interesting to see how his primary opponents, if they are so inclined to do so, ?kiss and make up? with him after August 3rd.

(Please note that I am not prophesying that Bob Corker is THE winner. I will quickly and freely acknowledge that polls are measures of potentialities, not absolute predictors. Just ask the ghost of Thomas Dewey.)

I also wonder how much of their intra-party accusations, finger pointing, situational interpretation, innuendo and malice aforethought will reappear in November?s general election. Without doing any research or making a single phone call, I have no doubt that the most likely nominee from Tennessee?s Democratic Party, Rep. Harold Ford, Jr., has a crew of people taking notes. They?re probably giddy with joy about how easy this GOP mud slinging has made their general election preparation.

Getting back to the GOP side of the primary, how can anyone who has been watching what?s been going on take seriously any post-August 3rd show of unity should Bryant and/or Hilleary make a public declaration of their support for Corker?s general election candidacy?

I?ve seen other politicians pull it off with a believable performance after both close and lopsided losses. Maybe it was the character of their campaigns that made it possible to accept their ?all is forgiven and now we?re the best of political party buddies and I want you to vote for my new best friend? public display of political affection. Somehow, I just don?t think I could believe it this time.

Not for one minute do I suspect that the second and third place finishers in the GOP primary will brazenly continue to publicly filet the winner. There will undoubtedly be honorable concession speeches and a strong urging of the party faithful to stay the course with the GOP nominee. However, I really don?t expect there to be a three way hand holding session after the concession remarks. For that matter, it wouldn?t surprise me in the least if neither Bryant nor Hilleary appeared as a part of any campaign event dealing with Tennessee?s U.S. Senate race.

Of course, there is a strong likelihood that they or their words might make a few unwanted guest appearances in some of Ford?s campaign ads.

There are a couple of disclaimers or bits of information I need to share with you. This commentary should not be considered as being an endorsement of Bob Corker or an attempt to speak against Bryant or Hilleary. Neither should it be viewed as an endorsement or bashing of the Ford campaign. If by some chance, any of you believe you have me pegged as one of those ?left wing/right wing, liberal/conservative media types? who has spent his adult years gleefully going about trashing Republican or Democratic candidates, you?re wrong. I?m just doing a little ?wondering out loud.?