https://tennesseelookout.com/2026/08/24/walks-like-a-duck-the-real-reasons-marsha-blackburn-wont-debate-her-opponents

Blackburn has shown herself to be a chronically inarticulate and underinformed political sycophant who is running now to lead the state on a vacuous platform of mostly substance-free banalities, devoid of any meaningful governing agenda. As her underwhelming low-40s election result in the primary against two mediocrities attests, even her GOP fellow travelers know she’s weak sauce. 

Large stretches of the state are falling below the vaccination levels needed to keep diseases like measles from spreading easily. This isn't some abstract public health debate anymore. It's Tennessee, and we're becoming vulnerable to diseases our parents and grandparents spent generations trying to eliminate. measles can be deadly, especially for unvaccinated individuals. Measles is highly contagious, and if a person who is not vaccinated is exposed to the virus, there is a 90% chance they will contract the disease. The virus can still lead to severe complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis, and even death. In communities with low vaccination rates, outbreaks can occur, increasing the risk for those who are unvaccinated. Additionally, measles can cause long-term effects on the immune system, known as immune amnesia, which can make individuals more susceptible to other infections. For highly contagious diseases like measles, that means a significant chance of hospitalization: about 18% of measles cases in the U.S. between 2001 and 2022 required hospital stays. Beyond your own risk, skipping vaccination also affects the people around you, particularly infants, elderly adults, and anyone with a weakened immune system who can’t fight off infections on their own.