This Woman Makes Me Feel Like a Coward

Brenda Lenard

At the CPAC Dinner on Friday night, I was seated at a table with a group of strangers, including the woman pictured, Brenda Lenard.  I was introduced to her by another woman at our table as "Brenda Lenard, candidate for Senate in the State of Tennessee."  The other woman was her campaign manager, it turns out.

Knowing a little bit about politics, I remembered that Tennessee is having a Senate election in 2014 in which Senator Lamar Alexander is defending his seat--if he wins, it will be his third term.  He is also a former two-term Governor of the State of Tennessee and a former Secretary of Education.  Since Ms. Lenard was attending CPAC, I figured she was likely not a Democrat.  So I asked her directly:

"Are you primarying Lamar Alexander?"

And she answered "Yes I am". 

"Gonna be a tough race", I opined.  "Why are you doing it?"

"Because someone's got to act", she answered.

In those few words, this flawed candidate with an interesting history and what amounts to an infinitesimal chance of winning her election, reduced me to the status of coward, first class.  I honestly believe that she has almost no chance of winning--yet she is running anyway.  She isn't worried about the money.  About the career gap.  About losing.  She thinks this is what she should be doing.

Someday I want to have that kind of courage.