Most Tennesseans are justifiably pleased with the two terms of service that Gov. Phil Bredesen has given to the state. His popularity was reflected in a recent survey commissioned by a Knoxville TV station and the Tennessee Newspaper Network, of which the Chattanooga Times Free Press is a member.
Asked how they rated Gov. Bredesen’s performance, 74 percent of Tennessee respondents said it was excellent or good. And while Gov. Bredesen is a Democrat, he actually enjoyed slightly higher ratings among survey respondents who identified themselves as Republicans than among those who said they were Democrats.
Gov. Bredesen has led with a steady hand during his nearly eight years in office. Notably, he sought as best he could to reform out-of-control costs of TennCare and worker compensation, and he had some success. His temperament is also admirable. He is not prone to stoop to mean personal attacks against his political opponents.
Though he may be liberal on certain social issues, he does not regularly use the governor’s “bully pulpit” to attempt to advance those views in conservative Tennessee.
Gov. Bredesen’s popularity in the state is in sharp contrast with President Barack Obama’s intense unpopularity here. In the same survey, only 34 percent of Tennesseans said Mr. Obama’s performance in office had been excellent or good, compared with 65 percent who rated him fair or poor.
Gov. Bredesen has been among Tennessee’s better governors, and he deserves praise for that.