A Journey Through the History of Tennessee Politics with Chris Bundgaard

Backroads and Backstories with Paul Bailey

Some of the highlights of the show include:

• Discussion of experiences with being a reporter on fresh disaster scenes and the importance of being sensitive to those who have lost everything.
• Mr. Bundgaard’s father was a college coach and his mother was an English teacher and briefly a reporter. She was formative in how he looks at things as a journalist.
• The important questions: “Why do you do this, why do you want this?” - the questions he would ask politicians and how he would get authentic answers.
• He came to Nashville to work for WKRN as a producer, later moving on to covering more political matters.
• Discussions of Tennessee politics in the 90’s and early 00’s - transition from democrat to republican control.
• Goes into the Tennessee Protests- highlights Marsha Blackburn’s role.
• Discusses the era of sales tax vs income tax - how it changed the political climate in Tennessee.
• Mr. Bundgaard then recounts the protests on Capitol Hill.
• Moves on to discuss the differences between the protests back then vs. those that recently took place at the US Capitol.
• Mr. Bundgaard discusses the person he found most interesting and his experience of speaking with him.
• He goes on to discuss who he believed to be the most rogue politician.
• Discusses how he is adjusting to retired life and what he plans on doing in the future.
• The final question: Mr. Bundgaard explains his experience with Muhammad Ali back in the 80’s and then later covering his funeral in Louisville.