Newscoma

I struggle sometimes to see the relevance of certain things and then small, significant things happen that put those very things into perspective for me.

I’m in Memphis right now. A stranger gave me a lesson on her views of the infrastructure here and why her city’s politics were fascinating. She did this while she was playing a Megatouch game that was somewhat like a Scrabble game.

“You new here?” she asked while staring at the screen, hitting letters to create words faster than the Blue Angels. My back was to her, so I was surprised that she had spoken to me. She was older, I’d say in her mid-50s, and was wearing a Beale Street T-shirt from 2003.

I nodded. She said she was a schoolteacher and noticed I was taking everything in. She called over the owner of the small bar I stopped into last night and introduced me to her. You could tell that she was somewhat of a regular, as their was an easiness between patron and owner. I told them who I was and we started talking. The conversation inevitably turned to politics when I told them about my part-time job. She told me her name was Sheila. The owner saw a friend of hers and left us to greet one of what I can only assume was a regular customer.

“Memphis politics is an odd funny game,” Sheila said, putting another quarter into the machine, her hands moving automatically into the creation of more words quickly. She eyed the machine and then gave me fleeting glances as to let me know that she was involved in the conversation and the game. “You just learning some of this stuff?”

I told her that I had watched Memphis politics for years, but always from outside the looking glass. She nodded as if she understood.

“I’ve been in the school system here for nearly 30 years. Herenton wasn’t a bad superintendent you know back in the beginning. He fought for us for some things we needed. Then he became mayor and we saw less of the man we knew. You familiar with him?”

I said that I was and that I’d seen him speak a few times.  I told her I didn’t understand why he’d run for mayor again only to say he was going to resign not even three months after the last mayoral election.

“I guess I just don’t get it,” I countered. “That just seemed like a colossal waste of time.”

She laughed, “No one does when it comes to him. You aren’t alone.”

Her game was over and she turned toward me. “Memphis is one of those places that politics doesn’t always make sense. We are the largest city in the state, but it’s like there are two or three cities here. The infighting in this town in incredible. I’ve been in the system myself for a long time and I can tell you that the thing that not only Memphis needs, but this entire state, is for people to be clear so we know what we are getting when we vote. I guess that is everywhere but it makes me lose faith. I want to know what’s going on. I don’t want politicians dumbing it down for me.”

She sighed. I was surprised she was being so frank with me, a total stranger, about her politics. Politics, such as topics such as religion, usually isn’t thrown out there within 15 minutes of meeting somebody.

“The thing is that we watch the fights, and then we find out about the bills these guys pass after the fact. But maybe it’s our fault too. I gave up on being a voice a long time ago when I thought I wasn’t making a difference. Do you think you make a difference?” Sheila looked at me intently.

(more…)

I’ve been told a lot about politics over the years, some of it good and some of it downright offensive, but the best thing that I ever learned that has stuck with me for roughly 20 years came from a man named Jimmy Westbrook, who is a county commissioner in our fair county, and who has a pretty illustrious career of 40 odd years in the state as well.

We were going through a very local, and contentious, fight about school consolidation at that time.  It was ugly and I mean downright vicious. People would shout at commission meetings, it took up pretty much all of  my time as a very young, and arrogant, buck reporter at the local radio station. These guys made teabaggers look like puppies because this was personal and it was local. One night the room was so full that I ended up having to sit in the the chair of the county executive (they are now called mayors) while he squeezed into a very tight table of 20 commissioners, all on different sides of the issue. It was a warm evening and as people came in from their day jobs at the field, or from the factories, the room smelled a bit ripe with sweat and anger.

It was one of the few times in my life that not only could you feel the coils of hostility, but you could smell fury. Don’t mess with people’s community, church or kids and that was the elephant that protesters brought into the room.

The meeting wasn’t that much different than many of them during that particular issue. There was shouting, an occasional fist wave and I remember one particular commissioner, who I won’t name, looking pretty much terrified. These people were angry that the commission wanted to shut down four of six high schools. They saw their communities potential deaths with that action, which came down to countywide matching funding and having to accommodate bonds bricks and mortar projects as well as maintaining what we already had..  Proponents felt two larger schools would give more opportunity and extra state funding. Some of the older schools were in disrepair and they knew that it was going to cost hand over fist to get them up to code. And this was long before the recession that we are undergoing now hit.

It was a dilemma.

Nothing was really resolved that night and the meetings would continue for weeks with much the same results. I remained neutral even though I did have an opinion which doesn’t matter now. I edited sound diligently every night (on carts, you old time radioheads and even won a few awards for my efforts) and each morning we would have those one to two minute soundbites. As it continued, we broadcast the meetings live because it was all that anyone was talking about.

It was the big news.

On that particular night, Westbrook, who is one of those bulldog politicians with a booming voice who can roll his eyes at what he perceives to be unseemliness very easily, tried to make the peace that night because he realized that no one was in the mood to talk. I don’t remember everything he said as he had the floor, but basically it was that no one was going to be able to have a conversation when they were mad as rip and that everyone needed to clear their heads.

That’s the way things are done here in Hoots.

After the meeting, I asked for a quote to use on the next day’s broadcast, which he gave me. After I had put the mic away, I asked him if this was ever going to get better. I was exhausted, the commissioners were exhausted but more importantly, the entire county was worn the hell out from the sheer emotion of it all.

“The thing is that we all need to live together. After any bit of politicking, you need to be in the right mind, that even if you disagreed on something completely, to be able to sit down and have a cup of coffee or a beer with that person you were arguing with before. That’s the way things work. Some times you are going to win, and other times you are going to lose, but we still live together. We forget that sometimes.”

“Do you think we will ever get back to that point?” I asked.

“I do, but I also want you to know that if you are able to have that cup of coffee,” he said. “Then the other sides knows you mean business when you pick a battle you believe is worth winning.”

That’s how I remember it. My grandfather, who was a republican, taught that lesson as well although he died nearly a decade before the consolidation issue hit the county. I guess those were just different times.

We all have to live together.

The issue, as controversial things do, winded down after time. Other issues replaced that one but maybe with not the fervor that the school one did.

I learned something from both men at different times in my life.

So if you were ever wondering, that’s where I came from. You may disagree with me sometimes, but I’ll buy you a cup of coffee and we’ll talk about it.

We can at least figure it out if we are having a conversation because, as they said, we have to live together despite it all.

As the Tennessee progressive blogosphere continues to look at Harold Ford Jr. with a bit of disdain and incredulous wonder, Aunt. B. over at Pith points out some of the reasons why everyone is looking at New York going “Really?”

She writes:

But this attitude of having to run on “God, guns, and gays” seems to be conventional wisdom among Tennessee Democrats as well. Never mind that it’s not working.

Ford was the king of taking wedge issues and running the hell out of them.  He was the one that brought up all those conservative talking points repeatedly while he was running for the Senate. If you go back to October of 2006 on any political blog here in the state of Tennessee, we questioned Ford on this constantly. The Memphis boys constantly held his feet to the fire. And they should have.

Now he’s become bonafide? Now he’s giving the talking points of the Democratic party’s mission statement? Where was this guy four years ago? Sometimes I can’t help but wonder if the best thing that democrats in this state could do is completely reject the wedge factor. It’s not helping with real issues like, oh I don’t know, job creation, economic development and budget shortfalls in the state.

Weapons of mass distraction thy name is Harold Ford Jr.

It’s all a minor blip, honestly, except there is a lesson here. And it is simple. Ford created these wedge issues because he didn’t understand his own state party and he set a race up on what he thought was going on, not what was going on.

I said earlier this week that I’m glad that he’s backing down on controversial issues that are just designed to create a diversion, but we could have used that guy in 2006.

I’m noticing a lot of shuffling and information going statewide regarding the race in District 8. That’s all fine and good. We have John Farmer seeking the seat again, and being that he really had no money in the last race, he didn’t do too shabby. There is another farmer apparently anointed by the NRCC, according to reports, from Frog Jump hitting the campaign trail.

Of course, we also have Dr. Ron Kirkland, Roy Herron and possibly Philip Pinion.

I’m finding the Fighting 8th is getting a lot of scrutiny, not only statewide but nationally. It’s a big deal. There is going to lot of money spent this year because you are looking at major markets that will get a lot of ad revenue. From the outskirts of Memphis to Clarksville, that’s a lot of doors to knock on and a lot of ground to cover.

Here is my hope though when it comes to this race. Just a quick message to those in the race if you will. I live here, so one of those votes is mine.

Remember what the 8th District needs right now. We are in a recession, job creation is a biggie and it’s important that a lot of grandstanding not take place, but an honest discussion on bringing industry to the area. People have gone from decent salaries in the last few years to part-time jobs they are damned glad to have because the manufacturing age for this district is over. Part-time doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to be financially able to keep your house, if you know what I mean and I think you do.

Times are hard. They are. It’s a fact. And for some, options of changing this economic landscape are limited. So, accuracy is crucial, especially when so many nationally are looking for some kind of political drama here.

And they are. We know that.

I realize this is going to be a political battlefield in the coming months, but there are real people living here with real problems. Be mindful of that, have a plan and remember that there is a human being behind each vote that each of you are seeking.

That is my wish. So bring it, and the Fighting 8th, which has turned into an unknown factor at this point, is watching. Most folks could care less who gets the slot, they just need solutions.

And they needed them yesterday.

This has been an eventful week in Tennessee and in Hoots.

No one is shocked that the House and Senate overrode the governor’s veto on guns in restaurants/bars, but signs are being thrown up around here quicker than you can say Faster Pussycat, Kill, Kill.

William Howard Hobbs is out as communication director of the TNGOP, which quite frankly surprises me. There are many times that I would scratch my head, roll my eyes, shake my fist to the sky and sigh deeply with some of his antics, but no one can say that the man wasn’t stealth with his pressers. Jackson Baker, however, was not surprised at all.

Steve Ross is on top of what’s happening in Memphis. A quick recap has to do with the Memphis Sexual Assault Resource Center and that two rape victims were turned away from the center because they didn’t have the staff to help them. Ross is following the press conferences and breaking down the funding trail. It’s sad actually because MSARC used to be the model for the south in victim’s assistance. Now it appears that politics may be standing in the way to help victims.

GoldnI made this point earlier this week regarding bloggers in Nashville. I think it needs to be revisited.

The importance of that information cannot be emphasized enough.  Bloggers want to help!  Bloggers want to be a part of the conversation.  But we can’t do that if we have no idea what’s going on, and that’s where we need the help of those in the legislature who can feed us that information.  You can’t be angry at us for not saying the “right” things if all we’re hearing is the “wrong” things.  If I could have said one more thing to Mike Turner, to paraphrase Jerry Maguire–”help us help you.”

I stood in the rain with a lot of like-minded people last night in Memphis. Left Wing Cracker’s schnauzer let me play with her after letting a standard-sized poodle named Francois have whatfor.

I like that dog.

We talked politics. We discussed grilled meat (six dozen brats were cooked. That’s a hell of a lot of brats.) I ate the best sauerkraut I’ve ever tasted. Hugs were given. Hugs were received.

I was told repeatedly that things were going to be okay. I also realized with friends, well, they are in it with you.

There was encouragement that was greatly needed. There were scotch eggs that I enjoyed. There were faces I knew, and new ones that I met.

It rained so hard that I stood talking to a local politician and we just let the skies overflow beat down on us. We laughed.

Sometimes, despite the rain, you just let it wash over you. It’s best to laugh. We will never be this young again.

And we looked at opportunities for a better tomorrow, which is today.

I am smitten with my blogger friends. They know the right time to give me a hug. They know the right things to say.

Later, I will go to the Blue Monkey and eat bisque and drink mimosas.

It’s not always easy, my friends, but life isn’t too bad.

Not in the least.

An ongoing conversation that was played out yesterday with five different people concerns Sen. Roy Herron and Mike McWherter both running for governor. I keep getting asked questions about why the Dresden politician and the son of popular former Governor Ned McWherter are both in the race.

As neither of them have me on speed dial and do not call me, all I can say is “I don’t know.”

I must say that it is curious. McWherter the son. is actually from Union City, has lived in Nashville and currently resides in Jackson and is a successful businessman. He is a relative of Rep. John Tanner on his mother’s side. His dad has a home here and one at the lake. He was a major player in getting Lowe Finney elected to the Senate. He also danced with running against Sen. Lamar Alexander and opted not to do it, which is still a bit stinging to some dems in the state.

Herron is also from the area. Been around awhile, knows politics pretty well, etc.

The connecting factor actually is Ned on this one. Politics is pretty tight knit around here. Mike has his website up (although it needs a ton of work if you ask me) says he’s in and is granting interviews. Roy has released one statement, says he’s in and has said he won’t officially announce until later this spring.

It’s a long time to next year’s elections so this could go anyway.

The questions that I keep getting asked from the fine people in Hoots is where does Ned stand on all of this.

Who knows?

I spoke to several younger folks who do not remember the days of Ned as Speaker of the House and as governor. We sandwichers and the older generation remembers what he did in Nashville but for a new generation, his tenure is what they studied in history class. They don’t remember the Nilla Wafers statement he made the day he took office which landed him in People magazine (here’s the actual article from 1987. Thanks Innertubes!)

So what’s going to happen? As those who care about politics in Hoots buzzed over the weekend regarding these two whippersnappers being tied to one of the most powerfully political icons from West Tennessee, the issue comes down to one question.

Which candidate, McWherter or Herron, is the anointed one of Ned McWherter? I’m going with his kid but that’s just me.

It would probably behoove both of them to start talking to their local party and let them in on what’s going on, because right now, it’s just confusing.

I’m watching West Wing.

It’s just a television show and I know that, but I like it nonetheless. The idealism, mixed with dramatic license, is something I needed this weekend. Why do people become enamoured with anything?

Passion. Idealism. Need. Desire. It’s the things that guide us as humans. That we feel something in the pit of our stomachs and it become like water. And, as an individual, that we could possibly make a difference. As a parent, as an aunt, as an advocate, as an activist or as someone who knows that you will never see the entire big picture. You just won’t because it always changes into something … bigger. We will never see all of the big picture, but isn’t it all about the journey and not the destination?

When that idealism is challenged by reality, it’s never easy. Passion sparks enthusiasm and you can have a great pool of energy when these things are working on whatever your cause may be.

When I watch West Wing, it resonates of what could be. Yeah, I know that some of you will think that I’ve just gone off the liberal deep end, and it’s just a television show. I know that but sometimes it’s nice to think of what could be instead of what is.

I feel the same way when I see All The President’s Men. Or To Kill A Mockingbird (which isn’t what we want but about as real as it gets when Harper Lee wrote of small-town life in the days of my mother’s childhood.)

I read somewhere that West Wing gave us hope for unfulfilled promises of what could be.

What’s wrong with that? Not a thing.

Politics is not a television show or a movie about Deep Throat/Mark Felt. Politics tends to beat you down in the real world because the playing field isn’t necessarily fair.

But, I can dream, can’t I?

I’ve been tooling around the TNDP site for the last few days and think it’s a mighty fine thing to behold. I wanted to give it a few days before I started talking about it. When any new website/blog starts there is usually a heady anticipation about it with lots of buzz, and either it falls off or evolves into something better/worse.

After a bit of scrutiny, I think this site is the real deal. I hope to see an upward and forward progression using these available tools as we head toward 2010.

So, I did what anyone like me would do, sent out some invitations to join to people I know and then sat back to wait to see what would happen on the site.

Ning sites are really cool, in my humble opinion, and this one is interactive. I have to say that one of my biggest criticisms about the TNDP over the past couple of years was not having a communicative tool in which to have more instant communication. From our standpoint in the west, and I’m guessing the folks over in the eastern part of the state go through this too as I can’t speak for them, was being geographically confined by location and missing out on some information. The site has opened up some of those lapses and I applaud the folks that did this.

Now, I get to play political multimedia critic and talk about a few things.

• Hoots is extremely underrepresented in the membership drive on the site. Guys, get cracking. We have an outlet and a tool now to participate in the social media aspect of this site so join up. I’d also like to see my legislators, Rep. Mark Maddox and Sen. Roy Herron on this site as well. That shows great leadership and a sense of unity. This also includes our county chair and members of the local party. I realize this sort of technical ideology is all new and stuff, but it’s time to get it going on.
• Mark Brown, who is Ward Cammack’s dude, seems to be utilizing the features of the site better than any candidate’s team right now. Videos, editorials and interactivity are coming from the Cammack camp right now and much of it is happening at the TNDP site. I tip my hat. Or Brown’s hat. Well, there is hat tipping somewhere. And, as GoldnI says, you will know him regardless if you want to or not because he’s hit the ground running.
• The county chairman’s feature articles are excellent. I like that a great deal and am glad to see the spotlight turned on each of the countys’ chairs.
• One bit of advice that I would share with the candidates for governor or any politician, especially the ones I met last week, is that if you are on Twitter, join everyone that has joined you back. And if you are actually doing the Twittering, because some people let their handlers do it, then participate. Yes, it does get noisy, but on the other hand, you will have instant feedback on what you are doing in the legislature. This is better than any poll you could ever pay a lofty commission for while getting immediate results. Thank me later for this bit of advice later over a beer because it’s the best feedback I could ever give you. Legislators who are excelling here are Sen. Jim Kyle and Sen. Andy Berke. (I hear Zack Wamp is doing that as well, but I’m talking democrats right now.) The TNDP asked a question yesterday about guns in parks but I couldn’t DM my response so make sure your direct messaging system is working on any microblogging site. It might have been me, and I own that. One thing that I like is reading Kyle talking about being a dad and his daughter’s disappointment over a lost competition where you could tell he was disappointed for her or Berke talk about everyday stuff as well as legislation. It breaks down the fourth wall, if you will, between an us and them sort of mentality. This works for a lot of people because it’s more personal. Regardless of what you may believe, it’s effective.
• Many of the bloggers talk a great deal off the radar quite a bit. I’m just saying. The new site allows more people to be in the conversation with much more specific information.

Those are just some initial thoughts.

Nobody can break it down as well as Vibinc can:

Once again, this question, “We know what you’re against, but what do you stand for?””, has come up to the blogging community. The question gets asked a lot by people who end up on the wrong side of bloggers, the intent often being more about “getting the hell off my lawn” than anything truly constructive. It takes on certain significance, particularly in the wake of the fairly recent criticism of the TNDP and losses that spawned that criticism. So maybe, just maybe it’s time to clarify some things.

First, there are some things you should know about me. I don’t do this because I’m paid to do it. In fact, I don’t even have advertising of any kind on my blog. Truth is, most TN bloggers don’t make a dime off their blogs. This is due to laziness on my part, and that I want to keep my “loves” separate from a “job”. I tried to “monetize” my love of performing music throughout the early 90’s and burned myself out. Making this a job is not something I’m interested in at this point.

Passion is a good thing and Vibinc has plenty of it. In politics, don’t you want the guys with enthusiasm who aren’t “Yes” men on your side?’ I’ve never understood why politicians don’t realize these are the people that you need. Why not engage in a realistic conversation instead of, as some politicians do, believe that you are being ganged up on? Not everyone has a stick nor do they want to beat up on politicians which is a misconception.

But they want engagement and not spin. That’s what I got out of Vibinc’s post and he makes several good points.

Subscribe to his feed and you will not be disappointed.

I met Sen. Bob Corker when he was running for office. He was a nice guy, looked you in the eye and honestly answered some questions. He was speaking to a history class in Gleason which is one of those towns where the school is the heart of the community. From academics to basketball, the town is tiny and is almost like walking back in time but it has its charms. Even its mayor has one of those names from a novel like “To Kill A Mockingbird.”

The kids were asking questions and he was answering them in a way that I liked because he was self-deprecating, knew he was in front of a tough crowd and he didn’t back down when the questions reflected that 16-year-old angst ridden kids were asking him.

Corker has always confused me. I admit it.

Then I read his press release and he says this and he’s not willing to back down again, just like the guy I saw a few years back and I have to say, it gave me pause.

“I am glad that President-elect Obama has rolled out his economic team and would encourage them not to take this administration’s bait by coming to the rescue of the U. S. automakers without making them take the painful steps necessary to ensure their viability which probably include Chapter 11 bankruptcy, reorganization and consolidation,” said Corker. “Unfortunately, the Bush administration has made it clear they are willing to throw money at any problem as long as future generations are left paying it back.”

I was talking to a moderate republican who lives here a few months back and he had a meeting with the Senator which was basically about cuts in law enforcement funding. His experience was also positive. He didn’t get everything he wanted necessarily but from what he told me, Corker at least listened. Not his handlers, but Corker.

And Corker was willing to rearrange his schedule to listen to this man.

Listen, I’m not praising Corker one way or the other but I have seen him doing things that other politicians don’t usually do in small significant ways that have people talking. Now it could be said that Corker is distancing himself from an extremely unpopular president and that would be fair. But on the other hand, it is interesting to watch him walk outside the partisan lines.

And I might add, that he’s saying things that people here in Hoots are also saying. They could care less that he has an “R” by his name. Yesterday, I talked to three businesses that are talking about shutting their doors down and it is a reflection of this rotten economy.

These folks are my friends, campers. And they are scared because they see their livelihoods going into the toilets.

So Corker is willing to put pen to paper and say things that might make Dick Cheney contemplate shooting him in the face.

And that takes nerve.

I’ll give credit where it’s due. I like it when politicians are willing to make a comment and stand behind it despite the letter next to their name.

Anyway, if you were wondering, the mayor of Gleason is named Little Jack.

There is a lot going on in my brain this morning. First of all, I love this statement.

Yes, Tennessee as a giant, unruly street gang.

Aunt B. is talking about politics and democrats. I think she hit it on the head.

There is a great deal going on behind the scenes right now in the state of Tennessee Politics and it’s apparent. Of course I live in Hoots but we have these crazy things called phones and computers that allow instant communication.

I know, nutty.

The issue of being somewhat geographically challenged, we still hear stuff on this side of the state. I spoke to a GOP leader here yesterday, heck of a nice guy, who was talking in real language about redistricting that will come now that his party has taken back the House. We discussed how small, meaningful acts on a local level by elected officials, no matter who is in office, make such a large impression on election day and that his party is already organizing for 2010.

Small, meaningful actions are a big thing. We have been reading so much about Jason Mumpower and Jimmy Naifeh since the election. However, for the Average Joe who could give two poops about politics, there are other headier things in their minds.

A.) They are done with the election. B.) Goodyear.

Huh, you may say.

That’s what’s being talked about here. Not if Mumpower will wear a red power tie when he’s named Speaker of the House.

Here’s the conversation in Hoots. The automobile bailout shouldn’t be a bailout at all. Remember Chrysler back nearly 30 years ago which was a plan that was at least thought out and wasn’t just handing someone a blank check. Here is a story from 1979 regarding some of the oversights that Chrysler had to meet.

The reason why I bring up Goodyear is that cars need tires. Other manufacturing operations that supply the car industry will also be impacted as well. The locals are watching this very carefully as Goodyear is a huge part of the economy here in northwest Tennessee.

Which means lives are impacted and poop rolls down hill, campers.

But we aren’t hearing from politicians unless they are wanting a sound bite about the local impact of national decisions or even state wide ones. Mumpower will take control. Redistricting will happen just as it did when the democrats did the same thing about 20 years ago (Kleinheider will correct me if I’m wrong on the time frame but I think that’s about right.)

The other issue is that as progressive Tennesseans, we don’t have anyone really that progressive in Nashville right now but that’s another post for another day. As B. said, the Democrats right now around the state are an unruly street gang. We keep telling the folks in Nashville first-hand accounts of the landscape that we are witness to every single day.

But they aren’t listening.

Maybe they will when they need the blogosphere because that’s usually how it works. Of course the local GOP is already organizing. The Dems, once again, not so much.

Political maneuvering happens all the time. But it would be interesting to see some stories coming to all of the Hootervilles of the state about the real stuff that impacts us everyday instead of the political power struggle that is happening.

People see beyond the press releases when they are looking at their checking accounts.

Wait, the TNDP isn’t sending any press releases out right now.

My bad.