Newscoma

Here is a bit of what’s going on with some of our west Tennessee legislators and what’s being said around the ‘tubes.

In an editorial from the Jackson Sun, Sen. Lowe Finney is getting an attaboy regarding the West Tennessee megasite.

Currently, a megasite is defined as “an area of at least 1,000 contiguous acres certified as being suitable and available for development for significant economic and industrial development.” Finney’s bill would amend the Tennessee Regional Megasite Authority Act of 2007 to allow additional separate acreage to be designated as part of the megasite. The bill has passed the Senates State and Local Government Committee and is waiting for a vote on the full Senate floor.

I like the idea of megasites but I also would like to know what the follow-up plan is on filling those facilities once they are built.

Daily Kos entry on Sen. Roy Herron which is very positive.

Folks, you may or may not have heard the news, but State Senator Roy Herron just announced yesterday that he will be running for Governor of Tennessee.

And if I may take a point of personal privilege here, as a Kossack for 5+ years, let me just say… I know Roy Herron personally, I know him very well, and I endorse him 1,000%.

I’m not familiar with the author, but apparently that person likes Herron a great deal.

Mike McWherter isn’t getting the love this morning from Pith in the Wind. The only thing I know about McWherter at this point is I saw him eating a sammich in Hoots Central other day. The only thing he said about the governor’s race is that he would have an announcement before long. That’s all I know.

This is a good example of a local county Democrat Chair named Landree Brotherton getting some good ink pixels and I hope my locals will watch how the Internet can help, and not hinder, their efforts. I’m unsure if the Hoots contigency had even joined the new TNDP ning site, which I’m liking.

On to other things:

The Memphis Blog is really awesome and our Delta buddy Lindsey Taylor is one of those folks at the helm. Very nice and latest in my feedburner.

I love this blog. I can lose myself over there.

And this made me smile as I was thought of.

Have a Happy Godzilla Monday.

I love you. I do but sometimes folks have to practice tough love with the things they care about.
You guys, well, I thought you knew better but you don’t, and what I’m talking about is that I think you need to come to Hooterville and talk to some of the people I’ve been talking to the past few days. Go to all of the Hootervilles, not just mine.

You are blowing it, in my opinion, when it comes to rural voters and in many ways, you are disenfranchising younger voters here.This isn’t good, Nashville leaders.

There is a world outside of Nashville.

And, I mean this, you guys act like there isn’t sometimes and that’s a damn shame. You have young people here that want to be involved in the political process, are talking to me, and yes I work at a newspaper, that they are constantly not getting their needs met. But, with that said, the GOP is doing dandy here. New building, an air of excitement, recruiting new members, selling McCain buttons enthusiastically and creating new partnerships by reaching across the aisle to a large degree.
Heck, I’m a liberal and I’ve had a great time with the local GOP. They are rocking it.
Earlier this week, I talked to several people in their 20s and 30s who lean to the left who do not feel comfortable with the college democrats due to their age and in the local democratic party because there tends to be too much established fellowship. This isn’t your fault and I’m not blaming you but a little updated training might help from your end. They wanted to put up signs, they wanted buttons, they wanted a rally.
But, and this is just dang unforgivable, is that between 20,000 and 30,000 people were here for the Tennessee Soybean Festival and other than a handful of kids from the college running a voter registration drive, the democrats were invisible. Thousands and thousands of college kids were at the Corey Smith outdoor free concert where there were dozens of vendors when you could have come and made a huge splash and, umm …
You get my drift?
You missed a huge opportunity. Rural communities want to be involved. Engage them and pay attention.
Several years ago, I went to several meetings at the local party and was one of those young voters who felt left out. I wanted inspiring conversations, events to feel excited about. As I recall, I went to one meeting with now Sen. Lowe Finney. I can’t speak for him but I can say that I didn’t get my needs met. After a while, I gave up.
This is the county that has Ned McWherter and his legacy. But there are other counties just like mine that need leadership from the state office. I set up a website for these young voters yesterday. Have you not sent out instructions to rural communities who need your guidance about online networking, talking points and utilizing social communication sites like Twitter or Friendfeed? I’m just asking because I know I haven’t seen them but you might have. Are you talking to established rural party leadership about how to recruit young people.

Gray, we had 4.4 percent of our registered voters vote here in August.

I don’t know about other rural counties but don’t you think you need to reach out to these places that feel that voting is a waste of time because they aren’t being engaged. Yes, McCain will take Tennessee but I’m talking long-term here, not just one race. And, quite frankly, the GOP is getting it done in rural areas in Tennessee.
One young voter called the TNDP on Tuesday and was somewhat dismissed. She was devastated. I put out a call about needing some help to the Memphis Bloggers who were Johnny on the Spot and a call out to Twitter, with many people responding from Nashville.
I had to think about it. It’s more than just this race, it’s the future of this party when it comes to rural young voters who want participating. And it’s about guiding people into a new generation.

If this race is about change, you have people who want change and are willing to work for it, give them a hand. Remember, one of them called you so they are reaching out. I realize it’s a county in the middle of nowhere but voices are of value everywhere.
Guide them.
I contacted my local representatives.

We, and I say we because I’m not just griping are taking action to encourage young voters here and we, are going to try to help some of these kids. Rep. Mark Maddox and I are on it, but you have to help too. We are putting our money where our mouth is.
Politics in this state is not just in Nashville. We are not just a bunch of rednecks who need to be dismissed. One of your rising stars in the state senate started here. He was the same young man who went to that meeting with me so many years ago.
So please, help out the little guys because each vote counts in every election.
We aren’t asking you to do it, we are just asking you to be involved with everyone and not the select few.
Keep up the good work but expand it. That’s all I’m asking. I know this area, trust me on this one. I trust you will take this constructive criticism as it was meant. Not as a slam, but as an opportunity for growth.

Tough love is hard. If I pissed you off, well, too bad.
Love hurts.

Respectfully,
Newscoma

Mike Padgett and Kenneth Eaton have been wearing out the shoe leather in northwest Tennessee. Reminds me of days of old when Big Ned was in office. Ahhh, the glory days when we had politicians falling out of the woodwork here in Hoots.

But this post is about Lowe Finney. Finney has endorsed Padgett. And for those of you who don’t know or understand west Tennessee candidates, here’s the dealio.

Endorsements from local candidates who are still enmeshed in their communities are rather important. I have asked democrats here about who they are going to support and they don’t always know the candidates.

Seriously, they don’t or they know them as “that” guy.

You know, “that” guy that worked in the courthouse in Knoxville or “that” guy with the combat boots or “that” guy with the auto business and so on.

So, when Finney says I’m backing Padgett, they know Lowe. And for some folks, if it’s good enough for Lowe, it’s good enough for them. Not everyone is this way, don’t get me wrong and I’m by no means saying that’s always the way it is, but our access is much more limited than let’s say, someone who lives in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville or Chattanooga. I tend to think that Steve Cohen, Left Wing Cracker and Vibinc all hang out all the time talking about political asshattery, drinking beer and snickering at Dick Cheney in Memphis. Okay, that’s how it plays out in my head and gives me a happy. Shut up.

Finney, as a freshman, has unabashedly been doing his own thing quite well and by backing the populist message that Padgett has introduced only makes good political sense. He has political “it” if you will. Kleinheider is absolutely right when he wrote that Padgett is shaking it up around here. It also makes me wonder if Finney is the politician that will fill the void left when Ned McWherter left political office.

I’m watching.

Padgett’s endorsements are pretty impressive. This race may have just got fun.

I talked to Mike McWherter last week and I posted my brief meeting with him on this blog.

As we were putting our paper to bed late yesterday, we got the obligatory press release that he was setting up an exploratory committee as we were packing up to go home. (Note: Mike send your press releases out earlier in the day. Having to tear up a front page when it was done to add your announcement made pagination technicians growl. And, you lose a day of media bliss especially with the big media boys in the big markets. And, tear it up we did. You are front page/top fold news because, well, your last name is McWherter.)

Friendly advice, dude.
McWherter most likely wants to be, as I would imagine, judged on his own merits. Being the son of a beloved and very well-liked politician like Ned McWherter (Ned Ray if you are from Weakley County), of course the man wants, and has, his own identity and should be judged on that. There are a few things I would recommend if he asked me which isn’t going to happen but, hey, I play armchair pundit all the time, so away we go.

First of all, I know very little about where McWherter stands on the issues. I know he’s a democrat, worked on Lowe Finney’s campaign and has been in the wings around his Pop for years, but little is known about him to the layman. I went to his website and all that was on it was a brief political statement and a box for me to sign up to get emails from his campaign. Not a bad idea, but there wasn’t any information about the reasons why we should vote for him. I’ve lived in his dad’s hometown for a long time, and worked in media most of that time. I’ve had very little contact. I DO know his sister, who is an amazing woman, a cancer survivor and very active in the community and one of the nicest individuals to grace the planet. She is amazing.

McWherter’s family is enmeshed in this community, but as I said before, other than knowing he’s a lawyer and was the treasurer of Lowe Finney’s successful state campaign against Don McLeary, that’s about the extent of my knowledge. I know he’s a lawyer and he’s in the beer biz.

Yup, that’s it.

But, sadly, the man has been around for years and in my own backyard and I know very little. As he is “exploring” at this point, I think we will find things out pretty soon.

Now, a couple of my politician buddies will probably give me hell about saying this. So be it, but one of the biggest mistakes politicians make is they meet interested constituents and do the shake and greet in smaller rural venues, but there is still an air of distance many times. John Tanner has been in politics since I was a kid, and you do see him around and he’s pretty accessible. Sometimes he will stare at you like you have mustard on your face, but he will talk about things. I’ve known Sen. Roy Herron forever, and last time I saw him he asked if I was still at the newspaper and if I’d become a full-time blogger.

Name’s in the paper every week, Roy. Do you have a subscription? (I tease. Not really.)

You see, the thing is that it’s always a good idea to pay attention.

McWherter was chatty the night I met him and I do believe his tour across the state will be beneficial and he does appear to be extremely accessible which will benefit him. I also liked his candor, and I can’t help but think he is going to make great strides in his quest of meeting average Tennesseans.

But people aren’t voting as much these days. It’s just a fact. So, how do candidates and the parties they represent combat this issue and inspire people to get out and vote?

My suggestion is simple, and this advice goes to the Tennessee Democratic Party as well. Bill Hobbs is a blogger and has been hired by the state’s GOP office. He recently released a pamphlet called “Who is Fred Thompson?” and included quotes from conservative bloggers around the state who are have a level of influence and a readership. Honestly, from a marketing perspective, this is just damned clever.

I’m not seeing the Democrats in the state pushing toward successful internet campaigns of creating a message to the online generation of voters. I see individual spurts from savvy politicians, but not a combined, concerted effort. And, alas, it’s needed.
So, get on it. Blogging is electronic word of mouth.  Word of mouth gets you elected. Social networking is free and effective. I get updates on Twitter all the time from presidential candidates. I know where Obama is going to speak nightly, how Fred Thompson is on a tour of playing catch-up after his recent announcement that’s he’s running, John Edwards is probably the most effective in sending e-mails and keeping the dialogue going online. A candidate can’t be on CNN every waking moment, but they can have 24/7 internet visibility.

Example: Steve Cohen has a FaceBook account. I get updates and you always know where Cohen is standing politically. Online, he’s everywhere and has, from a PR perspective, moved out of the shadows of being a freshman congressman quite effectively. He’s a You Tube favorite. Mainstream media covers him when he’s being all Steve and they spin his “eccentric liberal” reputation. But I can Google his name and there is always new information and his people/bloggers are very good at keeping it out there. If I Google, let’s say Tanner’s name, I’m getting bloggers’ perspectives and the occasional press release which are very consistent but very little of the “spin” is from the Dems or from himself. And sadly, when you do Google his name, there is the inevitable Michael Moore confrontation sitting near the top of a search engine.

McWherter, be revolutionary in this state. I’m no fan of Lamar Alexander, and the flannel shirt and faux good old boy foof  won’t play in 2008. We live in a world of digital overload. Use it. And let it work for you.

Because it is what it is.

McWherter can do this. He can be revolutionary in this aspect. But we need to know more about him. We are in a world of transparency in politics.

Must freak old-school politicians out on a daily basis.

And the world continues to turn.