Some Republicans think the Ford campaign caught the Corker campaign off guard when they began their television onslaught immediately after the primary campaign ended. I just think the rift between conservatives and Corker is much deeper, and more difficult to repair, than they perceive. In the past, the moderate Republican political donor class has been less than supportive of some conservative candidates...they give their own personal donations, but don't go the next step of raising money like they do for the more liberal and moderate Republicans. Now the shoe seems to be on the other foot. The conservative base is paying similar lip service to supporting the moderate Senate nominee Bob Corker...they will vote for him, but are holding back the enthusiasm and failing to turn out the ground troops that are critical to success. They are personally "donating" to the campaign ("I will vote for him") but not "raising votes" anymore than the moderates have raised money in the past.

This "payback" may mean the difference in victory or defeat for Bob Corker, and frankly, I am not sure what he can do about it. He may still get the U.S. Senate seat, but the rift between the moderate/liberal Republicans and the conservative base is deep and real, and the longer it is ignored or denied the more likely it is that Republican fortunes in Tennessee will diminish. CLICK HERE.