It’s probably not a good sign that Donald Trump’s running-mate vetting process doesn’t appear to be any more sophisticated than looking on Twitter to see who might have said something positive about him. Simply by responding favorably to Donald Trump’s ridiculous foreign policy speech, Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee seems to have gotten his name in contention.
Corker’s base of power is Chattanooga, which is about the most rock-ribbed Republican area you could hope to find, so it’s not like Corker would expand the appeal of the ticket through his constituency the way that John Kasich might. What makes Corker intriguing is that he serves as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Through fortuitous circumstances, Corker rose up the ranks on that committee unusually quickly, and became the Ranking Member when Sen. Richard Lugar was bounced out of office in a primary in 2012. There was hope that Lugar might have had some positive influence on Corker before he left the scene, but international policy hasn’t had the same bipartisan feel in the Senate in his absence.
Still, Corker is at least conversant in foreign affairs, and that would be a comfort to a lot of Republicans and some swingy observers. He also has a nice biographical story.
In an interview with Esquire, Corker said that he started working when he was 13, collecting trash and bagging ice. Later he worked at Western Auto and as a construction laborer. After graduation from the University of Tennessee, he then worked for four years as a construction superintendent. During this time he saved up $8,000, which he used to start a construction company, Bencor, in 1978. The company’s first large contract was with Krystal restaurants, building drive-through windows. The construction company became successful, growing at 80 percent per year, according to Corker, and by the mid-1980s carried out projects in 18 states. He sold the company in 1990.[13] In 1999, Corker acquired two of the largest real estate companies in Chattanooga: Osborne Building Corporation and Stone Fort Land Company. In 2006 he sold the properties and assets that had formed these companies to Chattanooga businessman Henry Luken.
In recognition of his business success, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga named him to their “Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame.”
Now he and his wife live in a mansion constructed by Coca-Cola Bottling Company heirs Anne Lupton and Frank Harrison.
Corker would probably be a good pick on the theory that he wouldn’t do any harm and would bolster Trump on foreign policy while doing a bit to repair his problems with the base. Apparently, Corker is frustrated in the Senate despite his important position, so he might be looking for a long-shot move for a possible promotion.
I don’t see him as any kind of game-changer, though.
Well, that is a relatively sane choice.
The Trump campaign gets me a little excited because he likes to run his campaign like monarchies were often run in early Renaissance Europe, where loyalty was prized and systems were usually primitive. You could have awesome talents, or disasters. Ha.
Well, isn’t the DNC run like a monarchy.
I’d say the DNC is run more like a dictatorship.
Nah, because the people calling the shots Obama and HRC arent the formal leaders.
I heard part of Corkers somewhat less than ringing endorsement of Trump yesterday and wondered if that would put in contention for the Veep slot. Corker’s a sitting senator who’s not tainted like Christie or Piyush are.
Not a huge surprise. Trump heard the endorsement and figured Corker would be one of the better picks of the litter. Not a stupid move on Trump’s part but not a lot of sizzle either.
It’s a really sad commentary that Corker is being treated like a “sane” choice. I still remember when he initially was elected to the Senate in 2006, going for the open seat vacated by Dr. Bill “I saw Terry Schiavo twitch!” Frist and running against the execrable Harold Ford. The race was tight to trending toward Ford when Corker unleashed a series of openly racist – and highly controversial at the time – attack ads. (Ford, for those who haven’t had the pleasure – he’s gone on to the DNC equivalent of a wingnut welfare career – is African-American). Those ads won him the election and his Senate career.
So at least he lines up nicely with Trump on racial issues. And they can talk about real estate – ventures that, in Corker’s case, he made successful by getting himself elected mayor of Chattanooga and then using his official position to build his business. That’s how ya do it, kids. Call it “The Art of the Steal.”
And he’s not only white, but a dude! Can’t see Trump going for someone like Carly Fiorina. She’s got the requisite attitude, but at the end of the day, in TrumpWorld da bitchez are for eye candy, not an important media venture like running for office.
When he was elected, Corker was considered a radical fringe figure, beyond the pale for such an august institution as the US Senate. Now he’s what passes in Republican circles for an honest, thoughtful statesman with a winning biography – not because he’s changed in any real way in the last decade (except that I’d bet he’s gotten a lot wealthier on the side), but because the party has changed around him.
No wonder our allies are all so horrified.
Not to mention that Carly has never won an election and has no government experience. Trump desperately needs a Veep at the Senatorial/Gubernatorial level, preferably a Senator, they tend to be smoother.
P.S. Not sorry in the least that Harold Ford is gone, but very sorry to hear that he’s living off my union’s COPE contributions at the DNC. I suppose I should stop donating there too, although they did reject HRC twice, the first time by endorsing Obama in the primaries and the second time by endorsing Sanders.
Thanks (I think) for that walk down memory lane. I had forgotten all that stuff about Corker. Well just shows to go that he’s a good fit for Herr Trump. I’m sure they’ll get along just fine. A pair of amoral, racist, sexist, bigoted, homophobic, grifting con artists. IOW, the apogee of what the GOP was, is and stands for today, tomorrow and forever. What’s not to love?
Corker’s no fool. He see’s his main chance and is quite willing to get in on Trump’s grift cuz why not? Jump right in, Corker, the water’s just fine!
If true, this is a disturbingly sane choice for Donald Trump; Corker comes off as smart, no-nonsense and level headed
AG has been telling you that Trump is not a walk in the park, anybody with a pulse could beat.
I’m still confident about the GE (the senate and house is what I’m worried about), but camp Trump seems to be showing signs of strategic thinking