Why Bob Corkers retirement could shake up the Senate

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) announced Tuesday that he will not run for another term in 2018, setting up an open contest for his seat in next year’s midterms.

The announcement is big news. Corker chairs the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is known as an independent, pragmatic, and policy-minded voice in the Senate GOP. So his exit will have ramifications in the chamber — for one, he won’t have to worry about reelection as he casts his votes over the next 15 months.

His decision is also the retirement of a leading Republican who’s criticized President Donald Trump — Corker said in August that Trump hadn’t demonstrated “the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful.” (Trump responded with a sharp tweet declaring that Tennessee was “not happy” with Corker.)

But Corker’s choice could also have big implications for the 2018 midterms, because it makes a mind-bogglingly awful Senate map for Democrats ... slightly less mind-bogglingly awful.

-snip-

Corker’s retirement, however, gives Democrats an opportunity to pick up an open seat — something that has historically been much easier than knocking off an opposite-party incumbent. (One Democratic candidate already running is James Mackler, an attorney and Iraq War veteran.)

Now, it’s far from likely that Democrats will actually win this race — Trump won Tennessee by 26 points, so whoever gets the Republican nomination will start off as a major favorite. (Rep. Marsha Blackburn is one possible candidate.)

With the current tensions within the GOP, though, it does seem at least conceivable that the primary could get messy, and that we could see a surprising outcome. Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon had already been trying to recruit a populist primary challenger to Corker, and he will likely push ahead in this effort as he seeks to reshape the congressional GOP in his preferred image.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/why-bob-corker%e2%80%99s-retirement-could-shake-up-the-senate/ar-AAsv55O?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=edgsp

[yallerdawg]

1. It was pointed out that Corker...

no fan of Dotard Trump - mentioned in his statement that the next several months could be the most important of his life. Knows some things that are coming down the pike that will at the very least enrage the ignorant uninformed Trump base!

No campaign?

No bullshit. No threats. No challenge from the extreme far right.

[exboyfil]

2. Likely will get a clone of Roy Moore

Al Gore couldn't win his state in 2000. It has only gotten worse. I don't see it as a Democrat pick up.